How We Control Quality on Every Armor Plate
When you buy an armor plate, you are trusting every material inside it and every step it went through before it reached you.
This post walks through the quality control system we use on our newest plates. It follows the documentation and traceability practices that the NIJ 0101.07 compliance program expects from armor manufacturers. We will not share proprietary details like exact materials, suppliers or build specifications, but we can show you how the system works and why we built it this way.
Why traceability matters
An armor plate is only as good as the materials that go into it. If a batch of ceramic or a lot of polyethylene ever turns out to have a problem, a manufacturer has to be able to answer one question quickly: which plates did that material go into? Without good records, the honest answer is "we're not sure." Our system is set up so we never have to give that answer.
It starts at the receiving door
Every material shipment is inspected, measured and weighed when it arrives, before it goes into inventory. We check the count against the packing list, compare the supplier's paperwork to our purchase order, and look for shipping damage. If anything doesn't match, the material is set aside until the problem is resolved. It does not go into production in the meantime.
Material codes
Every material we use is assigned an internal material code. That code appears on our purchase order, the supplier's invoice and packing list, our receiving record and our build paperwork. It gives each material one consistent name from the day we order it to the day it becomes part of a finished plate, so any auditor can follow it all the way through.
Ceramic quality reports for every batch
Our ceramic manufacturers issue quality reports for every production batch shipped to us. The reports document the measured properties of batches against the specification. We keep every report on file, and we match the batch number on the report to the batch number on the ceramic before any of it is used.
Batch stamps on the ceramic
Each ceramic strike face carries a stamp that identifies its production batch. The link between a plate and the ceramic batch it was made from is marked on the part itself, not just written on paper. If we ever need to check a ceramic piece against its quality report, the batch is right there.
Batch labels on the polyethylene backers
Our polyethylene backers are pressed and then labelled on every piece. The label carries the batch number and the individual serial number for that backer, along with the quality record for it. We record the batch and serial number of every backer that goes into a plate.
The build sheet
Every plate is built from a controlled build sheet. Before work starts, the builder completes a pre-build check and confirms that the measuring tools, including the scale, are in calibration. Each component has its own inspection form, and the batch or lot number of every material is written down as it is used. If any material or step does not meet the specification, production stops and the material is set aside.
Quality checks along the way
Plates are inspected at several points during the build, not just at the end. The ceramic, backer, adhesive, foam and covers are each inspected before assembly. The plate is inspected again after bonding, and it gets a final visual inspection (includes measurements and weighing) before release. The ballistic label is checked before it goes on, and the serial number on the label has to match the serial number on the build record.
A note about custom armor
Custom armor is a little different. If a customer wants a 6mm built in trauma pad, the plate will be thicker and slightly heavier than spec. If the customer wants an 8 ounce crack arrestor on a ceramic tile array plate, then the weight and thickness are also impacted. Custom work requires this flexibility and materials combinations of known, well tested relationships dominate here. For example, if a lab tested layup A involves 10mm alumina ceramic from manufacturer X and a 100 ply UHMWPE layup from manufacturer Y - then that materials combination can be applied to a 10.25" x 12.25" armor plate or a 9.75" x 12.25" custom layup (as long as the material passed the master layup). This is also what the NIJ permits when conducting initial type testing. Note that we are phasing out most custom work in 2027.
The manufacturing record
When a plate passes its final checks, we complete a release form for it. That form records the plate's serial number, its finished weight and dimensions, and the batch or lot number of every material in it: ceramic, backer, adhesive, crack arrestor, foam and covers. The plate is then entered into our running manufacturing record and released to finished goods. Those records are kept for the life of the product.
If you have questions about how we build and track our armor, email us at info@gilliamarms.com. We are always happy to talk about it.