UK based PPSS Group has a fine global reputation when it comes to high performance body armour and their passionate desire to protect public facing frontline professionals, such as police, prison and security professionals. However, it really is their knitted cut resistant fabric Cut-Tex® PRO that has made headlines over the recent months.
The firm behind Cut-Tex® PRO is claiming it is setting the benchmark in cut resistant fabrics. This highly durable fabric offers multiple times the resistance of fabrics made from Kevlar, DuPont’s industry leading aramid fiber.
Cut-Tex® PRO is a based on an innovative combination of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and other technical fibers, and it is being produced right in the heart of England, at an ISO 9001:2008 quality standard accredited manufacturing facility.
When reading the overall performance levels of this fabric, one tends to believe their claims:
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- ISO 13997:1999 Blade Cut Resistance Level 5
- ANSI/ISEA 2016 Blade Cut Resistance Level A5
- EN 388:2016 Cut Resistance Level E (previous EN 388:2003 Cut Resistance Level 5)
- EN 388:2016 Tear Resistance Level 4
- EN 388:2016 Puncture Resistance Level 4
- EN 388:2016 Abrasion Resistance Level 3
Of course, there are indeed several cut resistant fabrics on the market, but only a very few, if any, can match these performance levels. It is however the additional little things that make it of such great interest to so many clothing manufacturers and other entrepreneurs. It’s the proven track record, the reliability, the genuine belief that it will do exactly what it says, without letting the manufacturer or even the consumer down. It is not falling apart after the first washing, in fact it remains its full level of protection even after the first wash, which really is rather outstanding.
Why cut resistant fabrics?
Why is it that cut resistant fabric has become so important in today’s apparel, workwear and uniform manufacturing industries?
Well, for many years leather was accepted as an adequate and good level of protection against cut related injuries, but a real need for much better protection called for specially engineered fabrics offering the wearer a high level of dexterity.
Basic cut resistant fabrics have been developed following thousands of cut injuries or lacerations at all sorts of different workplaces around the world, ranging from flat glass and sheet metal production plants to prisons and other high security facilities where personnel are being faced by hostile members of the public using improvised edged weapons as weapons.
But the fabric manufacturers established a real need for cut resistant fabrics offering much higher levels of protection.
For PPSS Group, offering cut resistant fabrics such as Cut-Tex® PRO to garment manufacturers, means enabling them to incorporate the high-performance material into their workwear, uniform or tactical clothing protecting the wearer from potentially horrendous cut injuries, rapid blood loss, potential shock and even death.
Following a thorough evaluation of hundreds of cut injuries at work, PPSS Group decided not just to create a fabric which protects a person but also allows that person to continue to do the work they are doing with a minimum of discomfort and mobility restriction. This is of utmost importance to the majority of professionals, regardless of their precise job responsibilities.
Applications
Cut-Tex® PRO is primarily being used to create slash resistant clothing, effectively helping homeland security professionals (police, prison, border control, immigration, customs) and private security professionals from laceration, rapid blood loss, subsequent shock and death. Government agencies around the world have recently issued their teams with this new type of PPE or are running trials at this stage due to the ever so changing risks and threats they face.
Cut-Tex® PRO has also made a real impression with mental health care professionals and others working with vulnerable children as well as adults who have challenging behavior. Bite resistant clothing and arm guards made out of this absolutely unique fabric have also been supplied to countless of special educational needs schools and similar facilities, simply based on the fact that it prevents teeth from breaking the skin, effectively reducing the risks of serious injury and infection associated with human bites. Many professionals working within these sectors have suffered from human bites, which in the very worst-case scenario can leave to severe infections and serious trauma.
One however might argue the world’s largest application and market for Cut-Tex® PRO is cut resistant clothing within the flat glass and sheet metal industry. Those who manually handle these great materials are at constant risk of suffering from cuts, and partly due to the severe legal and financial consequences and stringent health and safety regulations, more and more corporation take advantage of clothing made out of Cut-Tex® PRO to prevent such injuries.
But there are so many applications PPSS Group is adding to the list on a daily basis. Cut resistant PPE for ice hockey players and ice speed skaters, cut proof and theft proof travel bags, hurricane curtains are several other areas for this technology.
