News & Blog

6^th November 2023, Melksham, UK: Avon Protection, a global leader in mission-critical solutions, is pleased to announce a significant milestone in its commitment to innovation within the defence industry. The renowned Artis research and development laboratory, located in Melksham, UK, has been brought into the Avon Protection brand, aligning the lab's legacy of quality with the Avon Protection name.

In a world where the safety of operators is paramount, Avon Protection continues to stand at the forefront of technological innovation. "Our equipment protects over 3.5 million users around the world each day, in large part because we have continued to innovate and improve comfort and safety levels for operators no matter how extreme their environment or how daunting their task," emphasized Steve Elwell, President of Avon Protection. "Our latest cutting-edge developments are the result of deep investment in materials and technology innovation, an integral part of our identity, to better support those who protect us, every day."

Under this new banner, Avon Protection reinforces its dedication to providing cutting-edge solutions that enhance and exceed the needs of its customers. The lab is at the centre of this commitment. Its material innovation scientists are dedicated to providing rubber and polymer research and development capabilities across various industry sectors, including defence, transport, and oil and gas. Their product and process development leverage these capabilities to guarantee the creation of new materials that meet the requirements for both product performance and processability. From 50 series respirators to EXOSKIN CBRN boots and gloves, their tailored material solutions are extensive and versatile.

Avon Protection's lab is fully equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, enabling comprehensive rubber compound development, rigorous physical and mechanical testing, assessment of temperature and environmental effects, chemical analysis, defect investigations, and the characterization of properties and in-rubber performance of novel filler materials and other ingredients. These advanced capabilities empower defence industry leaders to develop superior, sustainable materials for their critical applications.

“Our legacy of delivering more than 100 years of experience in rubber and other polymer materials to the world as Avon Protection signifies our deep-rooted dedication to innovation. It’s ingrained in our DNA to think about our customer’s needs and innovate relentlessly to meet and exceed them with our mission-critical solutions” Martin Spencer, VP Engineering at Avon Protection said. The breadth of services delivered by our talented team not only supports our product development aspirations but also allows our customers to develop better materials for their product applications. This is provided with the quality, expertise and excellence the Avon Protection name is known for around the globe.