Super durable shock absorber system is inspired by iron armor, the mine-rolling vehicle is still not broken

To increase the resistance to explosions for military vehicles, BAE Systems sought answers from the hardest beetle in the natural - iron-eyed (ironclad beetle) world. Based on the idea of ​​this beetle's crust and legs, the famous British military contractor now develops a bendable titanium alloy shock absorber system - replacing the role of springs and When rolling a mine, under high pressure of the explosion, the alloy can still return to its original state without breaking.

Currently, the armor of the armored vehicle has been able to protect the vehicle as well as the occupants in front of the destructive power of IED landmines or homemade mines. But many parts of the vehicle, such as the suspension system, can still be damaged and this means it will not be able to continue to function and need to be rescued by other units, thus affecting the time. task execution time.

Iron armor.

BAE got the idea from the iron armor and hard shell - a native fungus that feeds on Texas and South America and they own one of the toughest skeletons among arthropods. If you step on it, the bug will only retract and then leave without flattening like a cockroach. And if you catch one and want to make a template, you'll need a drill because its shell is so hard that you can hardly pin a regular pin through its body.

BAE wants to get the same armor and chassis as the iron armor but unlike this bug with chitin "shells and chassis" they use a titanium alloy with state-of-the-art restoration. It is the same material with the fragile plastic frames we saw on the market. This type of alloy was accidentally researched by the US Navy logistics laboratory in the 1960s - in particular, one of the lab's technical directors tried the box. A hot swab of a piece of alloy is cut off and it suddenly shrinks back to its original shape. Since this discovery, the self-healing alloy type has begun to be applied in many areas from frames to spacecraft.

This is the first time titanium alloy has been used to build a shock absorber system.

The first prototype of the suspension system was built to participate in the contest of developing unmanned high-strength ground platforms by the British government's science, technology and defense (DSTL) laboratory. Start up. According to BAE Systems, this is the first time that titanium alloy has been used to build a complete shock absorber system and that it can not only restore the initial state after a strong curvature effect from an explosion but also has high ductility, allows complete replacement of springs, thereby simplifying chassis design for vehicles.

BAE engineers said initial tests on a small scale prototype of a titanium alloy shock absorber system showed unexpected results when it could survive the five attempts with explosions in increasing intensity. BAE Systems is currently seeking to develop technology for real-world applications and is expected to deploy on battlefields within the next decade.

Marcus Potter, head of ground transportation at BAE Systems, said: "This unique alloy can make a big change to the combat vehicles involved in campaigns. Compatibility with Unexpected change situations are extremely important in order to maintain the effectiveness and application of titanium alloy that will give armed forces the necessary flexibility and survival ability to accomplish their tasks. service in areas of many challenges ".