SPARTANFORD, SC — Echelon Materials today announces the receipt of a $750,000 Letter of Intent from Gibbs International, Inc. to fund the manufacture of the only loom to mass produce TiTek for the commercial armor market.
This $750,000 funding is conditioned on Echelon Materials raising an additional $450,000 that are needed for market entry, working capital and operating expenses.
With today’s increasing threats of high-powered rifles, and with heavy, rigid and uncomfortable armor as the norm, TiTek is finally the protection those in Law Enforcement and the military deserve. TiTek’s defeat mechanism is cutting-edge – it’s a patented fabric that weaves tiny, sharp-edged titanium discs into the plane of the fabric using the very kevlar threads that comprise the fabric. These discs present their sharp edges to the incoming round and cut it to shreds as it passes. Once shredded by the TiTek fabric, debris from bullets is easily captured by the armor package’s backing layers that employ existing materials, such as aramids or polyethylenes. Compared to traditional armor that “stops” the bullet by applying counter-force; TiTek-infused armor uses the bullet’s own energy to cut it apart, destroying it and making it easier to stop.
In addition to body armor, TiTek’s flexibility and lightweight allows for other applications, and not limited to, vehicles, aircraft, buildings, furniture, shields, and clothing.
“In testing the TiTek material, we have seen 7.62 M80 rounds turned into shrapnel - not a piece over the size of a 17-caliber BB - with bits and pieces spread over a 9-inch diameter in an armor pack weighing 1.9 lbs. per square foot,” said Bob Muller, Echelon Materials’ CEO. “This means that lightweight, flexible, breathable, rifle protection weighing up to 75% less than current Level IV plates is possible with TiTek, making that protection easier and more comfortable to wear,” added Muller.
“We are excited to partner with Mr. Muller and the Echelon team” said Jimmy I. Gibbs, Gibbs International Chairman and CEO, “this revolutionary technology and the production loom can’t come soon enough as this industry is in a desperate need of better and more efficient solutions that can fill the gap which currently exists in the market and the increasing need for protection.”
About Gibbs International
Gibbs International is a global leader in the textile industry. It operates as a dealer for pre-owned textile equipment and spare parts. The company also engages in the resale, development, and demolition of used equipment in various industries that include textiles, power generation, chemical processing, and more. Throughout the years the Gibbs vision has diversified into alternative energy, industrial real estate, smart metering solutions, and natural resource markets.
About Echelon Materials
Echelon Materials has developed a new, patented fabric (U.S. Patent 7,100,490) with applications within the ballistic armoring industry.