Milipol Paris: Integris unveils customisable ballistic shields and vests

Above: New Integris Composites Soft Body Armour.
Courtesy Integris

"We are presenting two innovations," said Jan Grimberg, the senior vice president of marketing and sales EMEA at Integris, "a new product line of body armour vests with our Rapid Don/Doff system that is an industry first and a new line of customisable ballistic shields."



Above: Integris Composites CXP Ergo Shield.
Courtesy Integris

The new shield line is designed to respond to law enforcement and military organizations, which frequently want designs tailored to their procedures.

"Bespoke solutions are nothing new for Integris Composites but in the past, small-quantity, custom shield orders had to contend with the entire industry's inherent need to tailor-make moulds for every version—cost prohibitive for small orders," said James Williamson, Integris Composite's sales manager for France, Spain and Portugal.

The addition of new equipment in the past year enables Integris to make shields that are specific to a customer's needs for shape, size and weight but with a significantly shorter lead time and at a price like that of larger series. "Our new manufacturing capability reduces the nonrecurring costs (NRC) of moulds. This makes one, two or a few handheld portable shields completely feasible," explained Williamson.

"This is a dream capability. Now, as a customer, you have a choice. You can buy something off the shelf from our catalogue. Or you can buy a customised solution that's a lot more affordable than it was in the past," said Williamson.

Custom products are especially appealing to law enforcement and military since many units require specifications in size, weight and shape to allow active members to perform their duties with a focus on safety and durability. "They don't have to buy a million euros worth of product to get exactly what they want. They do not have to buy thousands of units to get exactly what they want. They can get exactly what they want when ordering a few units," added Williamson.



Above: Two operators standing before the autoclave at the Integris Composites facility in France, inspecting a ballistic armour plate.
Courtesy Integris

Testing New Rapid Don/Doff Vests
Throughout the show, Integris invites active members of law enforcement and the military to try on Rapid Don/Doff armour vests, which are making their public debut here.

These vests use a magnetic buckle system. "They can take it off, put it on in two seconds without losing their settings," said Stephen Jackson, regional director of Turkey, the Middle East and Africa. "This enhances safety, comfort and predictability."

"There is a special pride in participating in Milipol," said Grimberg. "We are a truly international company. With 25% of our workforce in France, we are proud to have the opportunity to display these two innovations in Paris under the banner of a new name," said Grimberg.

Integris - formerly TenCate Advanced Armour - is an engineering company and the manufacturer of composite armour for land vehicles, aircraft, naval craft, protection housing for optronics and other sensitive technology and personal protection gear. The company's scope includes the design, development, production, sales and services of composite armour solutions. Integris' product portfolio consists of panels or ready-to-install kits made from high-strength materials like HDPE, aramids and ceramics.

Milipol Paris 2023 is an event dedicated to homeland security and safety, with over 30,000 visitors and 1,000 exhibitors. It is presented every two years under the auspices of the French Ministry of the Interior in partnership with several governmental bodies.