Kevlar© is an integral part of the Hardened Unit Load Device (HULD) introduced by Telair International of Rancho Dominguez, California. Designed for use in wide-body aircraft, the container is the first in the United States to pass the FAA's blast-resistant container test and receive a Technical Standard Order (TSO). During the test, the Telair HULD successfully contained the entire explosion and all associated fragments.
"With its lightweight strength and superior performance in ballistics and protective applications, Kevlar© is playing an ever-growing role in aircraft security," noted DuPont Advanced Fibers Systems Vice President and General Manager Diane Gulyas. "It is broadly used to help strengthen and protect the integrity of jet engine blades and casings, navigation cones, fuel tanks and passenger compartments. Recently, JetBlue and Alaska Airlines became the first U.S. carriers to adopt Kevlar© in their designs of reinforced cockpit doors and bulkheads following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. And now, Telair is using Kevlar© in blast-resistant baggage containers to provide another measure of protection for airline passengers and crews."
Kevlar© is one of a number of product and technology solutions available from DuPont to address heightened security concerns in the wake of the September terrorist attacks, added Bill McCabe, director of the DuPont security solutions offering. "These solutions include services that help prepare for critical events, and products and technologies that help safeguard food, structures and people. In its best-known application – bullet-resistant vests – Kevlar© has helped save the lives of more than 3,000 law enforcement officers."
Certified bomb resistant aircraft baggage carrier relies on Kevlar©
DuPont participated in an event Friday in Washington, D.C., to mark the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)'s certification of a bomb-resistant aircraft baggage container made with DuPont™ Kevlar© brand fiber.