Material Guide
As an Indian company our goal has always been to use Indian made raw materials and accessories, to that end we’ve identified and continue to source the best available materials from Indian manufacturers and are on a constant look out for new better materials.
1. FABRICS
1000D 2 PU Coated Nylon 66
NYLON 66
All our products unless specified otherwise are manufactured using a material called 1000D Nylon. This material is considered one of the best for use on products that see a lot of rough use in extreme conditions. The properties of this material that make it popular among combat gear manufacturers is the fact that it is weaved using a very specific Nylon namely Nylon 66, making the fabric extremely lightweight and very durable, making it capable of taking a lifetime of rough use. Originally used to reinforce vehicle tyres during WWII making the tyres less prone to punctures.
1000 D (D being Denier)
The D in 1000D (Denier) denotes the density of the material when woven together. Nylon 66 comes in a variety of deniers such as 1000D-500D being used mainly in the Carriage industry going as low as 60-30D that’s primarily used in the garment industry. Lower the Denier thinner the material, and thus lower the durability. Unlike other manufacturers who opt for cheaper polyester materials at Armasen Tactical 1000D Nylon has been our go to material from day one for its weight to durability ratio and we plan to maintain that till the day something better comes along.
PU Coating
Now let’s talk about PU coating. The fabric in itself maintains a high level of water resistance and toughness ,however as per our specifications the fabric is coated with two additional layers of Polyurethane that acts as a bonding agent between the pores of the fabric ensuring a much higher level of resistance to water and also adds a layer of abrasion resistance . The product in itself cannot be considered waterproof as there are always chances of water entering through stitching if submerged for longer periods of time, however the combination of 1000D Weave + two layers of Polyurethane gives the contents inside the product a much higher chance of withstanding constant weathering.
T90 Taffeta
To ensure form meets finish the entire 1000D fabric is lined with a Synthetic Taffeta layer that acts as a barrier between the content of your backpack and the primary nylon fabric while also ensuring a clean finish on the inside. A vast majority of manufacturers skimp out on the small things. A simple layer of T90 not only adds another layer of protection for the contents but also covers the multiple points of stitching (especially MOLLE) required to tactical products.
RIPSTOP
Ripstop is a technical Square Pattern weave used on fabrics by manufacturers to ensure higher durability. Materials with this particular weave are widely used by Combat gear manufacturers across the globe. The materials can change from cotton to polyester to nylon. The weave pattern, however, remains the same. The only change being the size of the weave, ranging between 5mm-8mm. The crosshatch weave, as it’s popularly known as, increases the fabrics resistance to tearing and ripping. Making it ideal for use in the defence industry.
2. THREADS
All our products are stitched together using a combination of 6 Ply and 3 Ply Corded Nylon Thread. A little bit about corded thread. Corded thread is produced by twisting multiple threads together to form a cord which is then layered with a coating to ensure it feeds smoothly through our machines , this process ensures the thread holds a higher tensile strength and can handle greater stresses, not to forget these corded threads are made using Nylon which adds its own characteristics of durability and toughness to the thread. Depending on the type of product and its required weight capacity 3 Ply , 6 Ply or a combination of both are used to reinforce the stitch.
3. WEBBING & BINDING TAPE
NYLON WEBBING
Webbing is often the most distinguishable part of a Military Product as webbing loops and MOLLE panels are a standard on Tactical gear around the world. Used as attachment points for pouches and accessories or as compression points, webbing takes a vast amount of the load put on any tactical product. To that end a variety of types and sizes of webbing are used on our products with sizes ranging from 1inch, 1.5 inch, 1.75 inch all the way upto 3 inches.
The sizes are subject to type of application and expected load capacity for that product. The one thing that stays common on all our products is the strict use of Nylon webbing. The width and thickness may differ subject to application but for its absolute capacity to handle a beating makes nylon webbing a go for any product that sees rough usage on a regular basis. Quite often seen on Climbing equipment because of its incredible capacity to withstand high tensile loads Nylon webbing maintain a tensile strength ranging from 300Kgs upto 1000 Plus Kgs.
We’re constantly experimenting with different types of webbing to maintain a good strength to weight ratio on our products so the design on the webbings may differ batch to batch , the capacity however remains the same.
BINDING TAPE
Once assembled all stitching channels are covered in binding tape that ensures better finish and adds an additional layer of reinforced stitching through the product. It also ensures sharp internal components don’t cut through the stitching increasing the life of the product.
6. ZIPPERS
In our quest to use all Indian materials one of the areas where we’ve faced a roadblock is the lack of high quality zipper manufacturers in India. To compensate for that we’ve stuck to the tried and tested YKK zippers and source our zippers and sliders from their military grade range of products. Sizes vary from 3-5-8 subject to its use and load requirement , however with their vast background in military grade accessories YKK rarely disappoints when it comes to being a notch higher than others.
7. VELCRO/ Hook & Loop
With the number of Attachments and IDs used in day to day Military operations velcro is one of the most widely used materials on the surface of combat gear. The ease of use makes velcro one of the most popular fasteners around the world, however not all types of velcro are made equal. Hook and loop used in textiles, Footwear and Military gear follow different specifications of use while maintaining the same stick on , rip off fastening,
Where they differ is in the number of hook and loop per Sq inch of material , the number of rips it can take and how loud it is while being used. To ensure longevity in our products we’ve opted for industrial grade velcro that covers the basic requirements of heavy duty products. We use velcro on a variety of platforms from our cummurbunds to our cover flaps not to mention its stitched onto our molle webbing allowing the user to swap between pouch attachments and ID/Morale Patches. This heavy reliance on velcro has ensured we’re using the best available while also being on the lookout for better higher qualities whenever available.
8. CUSHIONING
A combination of 10-12 mm dual density foam and 3-6 mm EVA(Ethylene-vinyl acetate) which is a high density foam used in our products remain gold standard for outdoor adventure and combat grade gear. Closed cell foam( foam with air pockets) is used to cushion various points of our products, especially in shoulder straps that hold shape after compression. EVA is used in products that need to fit ergonomic standards but still require a set level of cushioning. Its density ensures it comes back to shape after use.
9. BUCKLES AND ADJUSTERS
Plastic/Polyacetal Buckles and adjusters
Widely seen on backpacks and other carriage equipment , plastic / polyacetal buckles are some of the most popular accessories seen on backpacks. While we cant currently compete with our western counterparts for the type and variety of buckles available in India we have identified and continue to work closely with a variety of manufacturers to constantly improve on the quality and utility of buckles that we use.
Metal Buckles
The two industries that constantly require high quality metal based buckles and adjusters are the Parachute/ Climbing industry. These buckles are rated to handle loads much higher than what is reasonably expected from jumping out of an aircraft or falling off a rock simply because a life is on the line . We’ve gone and incorporated a variety of parachute and climbing grade buckles and adjusters into our products that can handle weights in excess of 1000Kgs(1.10 Tons). We like to believe that “Overkill is Underrated” although our products may never have to handle those kinds of weight stresses.
- Climbing Grade QR Buckle
- Climbing Grade Para Slider buckle
- Parachute Grade Delta Buckle
- Parachute Grade D Ring
