How SSAB’s steel technology has reduced weights while maintaining tough protection
For more than 40 years, SSAB has striven to provide armoured steel products that continue to demonstrate maximum blast and ballistic defense against projectile and explosive attacks or accidents for secure installations, buildings and vehicles.
SSAB are market leaders in special steels production, providing ever-better products designed to match and exceed highest requirements for personal and asset-protection as dictated by the standards and by the customers’ expectations. Armox® and Ramor®, the two main ballistic steels from SSAB, manufactured in various grades and thicknesses, smartly fit to answer every application in this segment. The offer is complemented with exclusive and ultra-advanced grades of Armox® and Ramor®, which are distinguished and unique in the market. The superior performance of SSAB ballistic steels – backed up by standardised and intensive tests – is a proven fact and an insignia of SSAB’s creativity.
A key part of SSAB’s drive towards excellence and innovation is to produce tougher, stronger, harder steels and therefore allowing lighter steel structures. Such a combination of steel benefits customers by reducing energy consumption when building or fabricating end-products, thus helping users to reduce their own carbon footprint, and attain sustainability goals. Moreover, SSAB are committed to become the world’s first steel producer based on fossil-fuel free energy; an ambitious plan reflecting SSAB’s social and environmental responsibilities.
Further down the line, the downstream end-user will also benefit from lower operating costs when running any program using sustainable and environmental friendly ballistic steels from SSAB. An obvious result of the above is witnessed at any fleet owner, dealing with armour-protected vehicles (based on standard production cars).
Immediate advantages reside in reducing each vehicle’s total weight, especially with higher Armox® grades. The positive outcome includes a wide range of – but not limited to – the following:
- Up to 5% decrease in fuel consumption.
- Lower load on the drivetrain, which translates to lower maintenance costs.
- Maintaining and even increasing security levels with thinner but upgraded armored steel.
- Up to 10% reduction in steel consumption per vehicle.
- Lower emissions due to less use of steel and fuel resources.
- Friendly working environment with lighter doors and movable parts.
- Lighter vehicles can be driven using a lower-class driver’s license of limited mass.
Data centres, IT and infrastructure
In addition to higher cyber safety, many large corporations tend to secure their critical data in a physically secured and protected space, whether in a shared space or by building up their own safe server rooms.
These data centers usually accommodate sophisticated computers telecom systems, uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) and any other emergency or sensible equipment serving a specific purpose.
SSAB are constantly approached by customers and OEMs wishing to develop and construct armoured rooms with Armox® and Ramor® Steel plates, adjustable enough to fit in a broad range of equipment and applications.
Modular boxed designs, made from Armox®/Ramor®, constitute a clever and smooth solution suitable to be installed inside, outside or adjacent to any building. Structural and Ballistic characteristics of SSAB steels allow modular boxes to be mounted as a stand-alone units, serving as unmanned post offices, banking points, safe rooms, etc.
Armox® 500T from SSAB, commonly used in military armor, can constitute a perfect choice for modular designs. It combines best ballistic properties with workshop operations (easy welding, bending, cutting…) making it a favorite choice among OEMs and fabricators. When coupled with smart designs and higher grades, Armox® 600 and Armox® Advance offer a considerable weight reduction when needed (examples being historical buildings with restricted load bearing capabilities or offshore platforms).
Armox® – armored protection for vehicles
In addition to above example, SSAB sales team have been involved in various development projects with several armored vehicle fabricators around the globe. Armox® and Ramor® plates of all grades are supplied for armored transportation vehicles for personnel and goods. OEMs use different grades of Armox® to create ballistic and blast protection solutions in a variety of vehicle’s chassis and profiles.
Due to the metal’s consistency and its homogenous behavior, SSAB has cemented a robust reputation in this segment, where Armox® and Ramor® steel features highly in armoured VIP limousine cars and cash in transit vans, all the way up to military APCs and other heavy duty military vehicles.
SSAB always welcomes new customers to the network and backs them with all the technical and commercial support they might need. SSAB are keen on continuously improving and strengthening their relations with existing customers; a big part of the company’s tradition is to upgrade to the latest techniques and materials. In addition to high quality steel plates, SSAB sales and technical team are ready to collaborate with their customers who are aiming to offer new metal grades to the market and participate in tailor-made solutions.
Safety in buildings
SSAB produce various grades of Armox® steel in different thicknesses that can be inserted in a variety of buildings requiring armoured protection. SSAB team are involved in build projects for embassies, consulates, banks, police stations, private villas and other constructions that need to be protected from ballistic and blast threats.
In order to safeguard tenants and occupants, Armox® and Ramor® steels are used in buildings’ architectural facades, external walls, doors, window frames, internal partitions, panic rooms, reception- and service-counters and shutters at entrance and exit points.
SSAB’s experienced specialists in ballistic and blast phenomena are ready to partner with current or future customers, supporting them in their designs and delivering bespoke solutions, friendly light and strong enough to face higher challenges and criteria.
Further details:
For more information, please visit www.armoxplate.com
