Developing Special Security Vehicles
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A feeling of safety
Car manufacturers have identified a growing need for special security vehicles with different levels of protection. Engineering service providers such as Bertrandt AG are adapting to the increased demand and offering a complete range of services for the development of special security vehicles.
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Special vehicle protection system from Bertrandt Munich and ZR Bretzfeld
The reason behind the increase in demand is the current tension on the world economic and political stage. Areas where there is a great deal of interest in special security vehicles include Latin America. The huge gap between rich and poor, in particular in conurbations such as Mexico City, which has up to 30 million inhabitants, has caused significant demand for vehicles with protection level B4, which provide protection against almost all common hand guns, such as those used in armed hold-ups or carjackings.
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In more dangerous situations, vehicles with protection level B6 and B7 provide protection against explosive charges, hand grenades and bullets fired from army rifles. This type of vehicle is used primarily by politicians or in crisis areas. Buyers have the choice of a number of different levels of protection ranging from a thief-proof car to a high security vehicle.
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The OEMs’ response: development and small-scale production with partners
The car manufacturers are responding to customers’ requirements by producing a number of different special security vehicles with a wide range of different protection levels on a small scale. Manufacturers are also putting an emphasis on ensuring that the vehicle is not immediately recognisable as a security vehicle.
In order to be able to react quickly and flexibly to current market requirements, OEMs in this segment are increasingly using external development and production partners. Companies with practical experience of security vehicles are in a strong position in this respect, because years of experience are needed to be able to design an armour system.
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Highest standards for ballistics tests.
Special demands on development
The differences between developing a security vehicle and a normal car include, for example, knowledge of ballistics and its special characteristics, such as its impact on the exterior and bodyshell of the vehicle. Engineers must be familiar with protective materials such as bulletproof glass, specially developed protection systems for the security cell and special techniques for bonding the different armour materials. There are also specific criteria for testing the vehicle. The tests and certification must meet the high standards of Germany’s official ballistic laboratories.
This experience combined with the choice of appropriate materials, which will depend on the space available, the weight distribution, the cost and the production processes, is a basic requirement for a secure armour system such as those offered by Bertrandt.
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