Lighter body armor results in lower quality protection

Lighter body armor results in lower quality protection

N.I. Teijin Shoji, Inc. is an ambitious company that sells compound textiles of synthetic fibers for women clothing to apparel companies, as well as for interior applications to converters in the United States. The company also offers sheet sets of woven materials for heat-resistant clothing, including bullet resistant materials. In recent time, they have agreed to pay $1.5 million to resolve seriousaccusations under the False Claims Act in connection with the companies’ importation and sale of defective Zylon fiber. This material was used as the key ballistic ingredient in bulletproof vests that were defective.Best vest

The Teijin companies imported the fiber on behalf of the Zylon manufacturer, Toyobo Co. Ltd. of Japan. The United States alleged that the Teijin companies were aware that the fiber degraded quickly over time and that this degradation rendered bulletproof vests containing their woven Zylon unfit for use. The government further alleged that, despite this knowledge, the Teijin companies did not inform the United States of any degradation concerns or stop selling Zylon fiber for use in ballistic applications.In the year 2002, Teijin purchased Zylon fabric back from a Canadian weaver to whom it had sold the fiber;they would then sell it directly to American body armor manufacturers.For fear of possible liability, the weaver itself had refused to sell the fabric. As part of a larger investigation of the body armor industry’s use of Zylon in body armor, this settlement will keep the whole industry on its toes. The United States has already accrued $59 million plus in settlements with eight other contributors in the Zylon body armor industry. Moreover, the federal government has pending lawsuits against Toyobo Co. and several of the vest manufacturers. As part of current agreements, Teijin will be involved in the government’s impending investigation.