Dow Corning® Active Protection System Wins Celebrated R&D 100 Award
MIDLAND, MICHIGAN, USA: Dow Corning® Active Protection System was recognized as one of the 100 most technologically significant products introduced in the past year, earning this "smart fabric" the R&D 100 honor.
Sponsored by R&D Magazine, the R&D 100 Awards began 45 years ago and provide a mark of excellence known to industry, government, and academia as proof that a product is one of the most innovative ideas of the year.
The patented Active Protection System is a unique technical textile that provides an unprecedented combination of defense and comfort for personal impact-protection applications. It remains soft and flexible under normal conditions, but hardens instantly upon impact to absorb and distribute energy over the entire protective area. When the impact force is removed, the material immediately returns to a flexible state.
The Active Protection System also recently received the Techtextil Innovation Award - which is awarded for outstanding achievements in research, materials, and product development - another testament to the fabric's pioneering advance in impact protection technology. This prestigious textile-industry award was presented in June at Techtextil in Frankfurt, Germany.
Because it offers the versatility of a textile, the Active Protective System provides many exciting design possibilities for manufacturers. It can be integrated easily into garments using traditional cutting and sewing techniques. It can also be layered to help protect any part of the body with maximized protection without compromising the appearance of the final article.
While Dow Corning envisions an entire range of products tailored to specific application requirements, their initial focus has been on uses that require high levels of impact performance and comfort. The fabric's unique combination of benefits makes it particularly suitable for use in high-performance protective apparel and equipment.
In October 2006, Rukka, a Finland-based manufacturer of sports apparel, launched the first commercially available product to use Active Protection System fabric: the SRO Anatomic motorcycle riding suit. This product was also honored with an Innovation Award from Avantex, the International Forum for Innovative Apparel Textiles.
"The Active Protection System marks a huge leap forward in personal impact protection," says Nigel Ryan, impact protection program manager. "We believe it is the most effective and versatile technology available today - a true 'fabric of the future' that can substantially improve the quality of life for people all over the world in many different ways. We are honored that the Active Protection System was recognized as one of the year's most important innovations."
Dow Corning has been a leader in silicone material science for over 60 years. To learn more about the Dow Corning Active Protection System, go to www.activeprotectionsystem.com. Visit www.dowcorning.com/textiles to learn more about Dow Corning's full range of innovative products, services, and technology solutions for the textile industry.
For more information about R&D 100, visit rdmag.com.
About Dow Corning
Dow Corning (www.dowcorning.com) provides performance-enhancing solutions to serve the diverse needs of more than 25,000 customers worldwide. A global leader in silicon-based technology and innovation, offering more than 7,000 products and services, Dow Corning is equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company and Corning, Incorporated. More than half of Dow Corning's annual sales are outside the United States.
Dow Corning is a registered trademark of Dow Corning Corporation.
