Plastic Products for Military Vehicles
Products for Protection, Visibility, & Reliability
About Military Vehicle Plastics
Performance plastics play an essential role in military vehicle lightweighting efforts, which enhance performance, supportability, and survivability. Replacing traditional materials like metal or glass with significantly lighter plastic improves fuel economy. Plastics are a cost-effective solution that can be injection molded for scalable production and even produced in camouflage colors to allow vehicles to be outfitted on time and on budget.
Vehicle armor is one of the most demanding applications for plastics. Military forces, government organizations, corporations, and cash-in-transit companies all use armored glazing for vehicle windows and windshields, which is critical for both protection and visibility. Like the rest of the vehicle, windows must be resistant to direct fire, blasts, and impact from debris fragments. They must be able to withstand extreme temperatures and harsh conditions in all sorts of environments, from deserts to the arctic. They should not be easily scratched or damaged by common chemicals. And, of course, they must enable the driver to see clearly in any weather at all hours of the day and night.
Plastics That Promise Supreme Impact, Blast, and Bullet Resistance
When your project specs call for abrasion or UV resistance, storm protection, or bullet and blast-resistant materials, Polymershapes can fulfill your requirements. We have a number of ISO 9001 certified and ITAR compliant locations supported by a full line of accessories and fabrication, as well as conversion capabilities. Our team can help you customize plastics for your specific size, safety, and strength requirements! LEXAN™ and MARGARD™ polycarbonate by POLYVANTIS is lightweight, highly impact resistant, and offers high optical quality for all your military vehicle glazing applications. LEXAN sheets combine crystal clear transparency with value-added performance. MARGARD sheets can absorb ballistic impact without penetration and offer easy maintenance from installation to tear down.
Polymershapes Offers A Wide Range of Products Engineered for Defense
While no material is fully “bulletproof,” Polymershapes offers an extensive portfolio of ballistic-grade materials engineered to withstand significant amounts of force that won’t shatter into dangerous shards like glass. We can also help you select a material for bearing and wear parts and internal components. Contact our material experts today to discuss the right plastic for your military vehicle application.
Polymershapes Offers A Wide Range of Products Engineered for Defense
While no material is fully “bulletproof,” Polymershapes offers an extensive portfolio of ballistic-grade materials engineered to withstand significant amounts of force that won’t shatter into dangerous shards like glass. We can also help you select a material for bearing and wear parts and internal components. Contact our material experts today to discuss the right plastic for your military vehicle application.
Features & Benefits
Lightweight
•Ballistic & Impact Resistant
•Stronger Than Glass
•Optical Clarity
•Chemical & Abrasion Resistant
•Temperature Resistant
•Easy to Fabricate
•Wear Resistant
•Color Variety
Lightweight
Improves fuel efficiency and performance across a variety of terrains.
Ballistic & Impact Resistant
Engineered to withstand blasts and direct impact in combat situations.
Stronger Than Glass
Offers up to 200x the impact strength of glass while maintaining transparency.
Optical Clarity
High clarity for visibility and safety in all weather and light conditions.
Chemical & Abrasion Resistant
Durable in environments with chemical exposure or mechanical wear.
Temperature Resistant
Performs in extreme heat or cold without degradation.
Easy to Fabricate
Custom fabricated or formed to exact specifications.
Wear Resistant
Maintains strength under load for long-term reliability.
Color Variety
Available in neutral tones to suit tactical requirements.
Applications
Armored Glazing
LEXAN offers an extensive portfolio of laminated ballistic grade polycarbonate for armored vehicle glazing applications, from aircraft to naval carriers to ground vehicles. Grades like MARGARD HLG5, HLGA3, and MR101 LG have a hard coating on one side to provide additional UV and abrasion resistance for better weatherability. Uncoated grades like 9034 HO, ULG1003, and SL3000OQ are preferred for high optic applications like aircraft canopies and windows where superior optical clarity is critical.
Bearings & Bushings
Plastic bushings and bearings assist with lightweighting in military vehicles while providing quiet, reliable, and long-lasting performance. While nylon and acetal may be used in some situations, military applications often require the most high-performance materials. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) offers excellent strength and mechanical properties even at high temperatures. Polyimide (PI) is able to withstand even higher temperatures and provides more outstanding chemical resistance.
Dunnage
The military uses polypropylene (PP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) for dunnage to package and transport sensitive equipment, including weapons and ammunition. These materials offer stability and shock absorption while being low weight and recyclable.
Fuel Tank
Fuel tanks for military vehicles are typically made from HDPE because it’s strong, durable, and reliable, offering corrosion resistance, fire and impact safety, and design flexibility, while being lighter and more cost-effective than metal.
Gaskets & Seals
Military vehicle gaskets must perform in a wide range of temperatures, as vehicles may be deployed to the desert or the arctic. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is often chosen for its wide temperature range and its ability to remain dimensionally stable in wet environments.
Gears
In combat, failure can be deadly. Military vehicles need gears that can retain dimensional stability even under intense pressure or heat. Nylon and acetal provide long-lasting performance at a cost-effective price point.
Instrument Panels
Instrument panels and dashboards must be corrosion resistant, able to absorb impact, and easy to form. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is commonly used in electrical housings and shrouds because of its insulating properties. Polycarbonate dashboards offer strength and a variety of ballistic resistant options for additional protection.
Other Applications
- Cams
- Casings
- Connectors
- Covers
- Doors
- Mounts
- Tactical Equipment
- Tubes
- Valves
Have a Project? Get in Touch Today!
Our materials experts will help identify the right solution for your application, put together a quote and a detailed timeline.
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