Sleeman Engineering, a division of Bradken UK Ltd, suppliers of Compass® steel armour plate are the leading manufacturers of wear resistant castings whose products are specified by power generation, defence, mining, quarrying and engineering companies throughout the world.

Compass steel armour plate is produced to the highest quality standards, B555 ballistic armour and B300 blast armour are low-alloy quenched and tempered steel. B555 ballistic armour plate, with its low cost / penetration resistance ratio and multi-strike protection capability, it is the ideal solution for light armouring problems and B300 blast armour plate, with its lower hardness and increased ductility and toughness is recommended for the blast protection of vehicle floors and static blast doors.

Their specialised and extensive production facilities have a capacity of 9200 tonnes per year, and are supported by a range of the latest inspection and testing equipment and a continuing programme of research and development designed to ensure that the Company remains in the forefront of casting technology.

COMPASS® BALLISTIC ARMOUR STEEL PLATE

Their B555 ballistic armour and B300 blast armour steel is designed to give consistent performance in a plate that can be cut, drilled, formed and machined and has excellent welding properties. Compass steel armour plate can be supplied from stock in thicknesses from 3mm to 45mm, ballistically certified, as prime plate or cut and worked to customer's specifications in Sleeman's own workshops. Compass steel armour plate undergoes ballistic testing at Sleeman's own UK MoD approved 50m range.

Compass B555 is a low-alloy steel armour plate with strength, hardness and toughness properties above ISO 6831/1V-1970 and US Mil-S-46100B-1977 requirements.

Extensive ballistic testing and experience have shown Compass B555 steel armour plate to be 25% to 33% superior to conventional armour (US specifications Mil-A-12560 or similar). It more than meets the requirements of the high hardness armour plate specifications (US Mil-S-46100B-1977) both in regard to hardness and toughness. Moreover it has exceptional multi-hit capability.

VEHICLE ARMOURING KITS

Sleeman can supply armour in kit form for armoured vehicle assembly line; or as complete conversion kits for saloon cars (including transparent armour), which can be fitted in any commercial workshop.

Compass steel armour is used by the UK MoD and by manufacturers of armoured vehicles around the world. The company has been assessed and registered by the UK MoD as operating quality procedures in accordance with AQAP 4. Compass armour is also used on naval ships for protection of magazines, electronic equipment and other sensitive areas; and also on advanced military aircraft where it affords protection for the pilot and critical controls. Compass B555 steel armour plate is also suitable for earth moving parts of military support vehicles. It may also be used for emergency-fabricated replacement high-strength cast steel gear casings, turrets, treads etc.

LIGHTWEIGHT STEEL ARMOUR FOR VEHICLE BALLISTIC PROTECTION

The ballistic protection / weight as well as cost / penetration ratios of Compass B555 are superior to that of normal armour plate. Hence it is particularly suitable for lighter military vehicles, bullion security vans and stationary guard posts.

Compass B555's ballistic and weight properties have allowed designers to create not only lighter armoured personnel carriers, but also armoured version of Land Rovers and similar vehicles, tractors, buses and trucks, saloon cars and ambulances, with full protection against small arms attack without destroying the essential performance, handling or appearance of such vehicles.

On armoured personnel carriers and scouting vehicles experience has shown that thinner sections of Compass B555 steel armour can be used to achieve the same degree of protection and allow an overall lighter vehicle to be produced.

When the hull has a modern unitised design exterior suitably shaped as deflection surfaces, such vehicles are capable of defeating 7.62mm armour piercing rounds and provide greater load carrying capacity, together with lower weight, fuel requirements and tyre wear than a similar vehicle with conventional armour.

PRODUCTS AND MARKETS

Firth Rixson Castings Limited produces fully heat-treated and machined castings weighing from 1kg to 17000kg. All of the company's sites are accredited to BS EN ISO 9002:1994.

Melting facilities consist of 10 high frequency melting units from 500kg to 6 tonnes capacity. A total of 8 heat treatment furnaces, together with comprehensive machining facilities, are available for the wide range of white iron and steel castings produced for wear resisting, heat resisting and general engineering applications.

Ancillary services such as welding and fabrication, together with final inspection to meet the requirements of national, international and customer specifications complement these manufacturing facilities.

A specialist engineering facility supplies Compass steel products for static and mobile ballistic protection applications. The steel, which is supplied in plate form, can be cut and fabricated to customer requirements in a well-equipped workshop.

TYPICAL PRODUCTS AND MATERIALS

We will measure our success against the expectations of our market, the aspirations of our employees and the performance of our competitors.

Call us now on 01724 272164 for a quote or for more information