Industrial Bulletproof Lenses Made with New PC

Covestro’s “extremely” impact-resistant PC used for safety glasses, face shields.

 

A serious occupational hazard with significant consequences for both employees and employers is the occurrence of eye injuries. According to the CDC, about 2000 workers/day in the U.S. alone suffer job-related eye injuries and require medical treatment. OSHA estimates the cost of such injuries—lost production time, medical expenses, worker compensation, to be over $300-million/yr. As such, advancements in eye protection are welcome and warranted. Check out OSHA’s eye and face protection eTool.

 

The development of a reportedly “extremely” impact-resistant PC from Covestro (U.S. office in Pittsburgh) for eye protection of workers appears to be an excellent breakthrough. Lenses made of the new Makrolon 3207 are lightweight and have the transparency of glass, meeting the strict requirements of MCR Safety, Collierville, Tenn., a prominent supplier of personal protective equipment. MCR’s new Crew Glasses and U.S. Safety series of safety glasses and face shields, which feature lenses made with the new PC, are also certified according to American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z871.1 standard.

 

Lenses made of the Makrolon 3207 PC are "industrial bulletproof" and, according to Covestro, have passed tests with 45-gram solid steel bullets fired at the lenses at speeds of 150 to 400 ft/sec. The company says such extreme test conditions are needed in order to cover all of the loads that could possibly occur during routine work and lead to eye injuries: falling or flying objects, sparks, metal slivers, wood chips, nails, or contact with harmful substances.

 

MCR has developed its new US Defense safety glasses primarily to meet the more stringent product safety laws in Asia, where these glasses are also produced. Says MCR Safety’s product manager David Smith, “These goggles are tough, offer premium optical quality and impact resistance, plus offer good UV protection.” He says the company, which has over 40 years of experience in setting industry standards in the personal safety equipment arena, looked for a world-class product and a partner that could deliver it, referring to the new PC and Covestro.

 

“Another advantage of Makrolon 3207 is the high design freedom. This allows for thinner lenses and thus greater comfort with lower production costs,” says Covestro’s Paul Lin, key account manager Taiwan.