oSIST prEN 16448-3:2012

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
oSIST prEN 16448-3:2012
01-september-2012
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Protective Clothing - Body Armour - Part 3: Knife and Spike Resistance, Requirements
and test methods
Schutzkleidung - Körperschutz - Teil 3: Widerstand gegen Messer und Dorne,
Anforderungen und Prüfverfahren
Vêtement de protection - Protection du corps - Partie 3 : Résistance à couteaus et
broches - exigences et méthodes d'essai
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 16448-3
ICS:
13.340.10 Varovalna obleka Protective clothing
oSIST prEN 16448-3:2012 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

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oSIST prEN 16448-3:2012


EUROPEAN STANDARD
DRAFT
prEN 16448-3
NORME EUROPÉENNE

EUROPÄISCHE NORM

June 2012
ICS 13.340.10
English Version
Protective Clothing - Body Armour - Part 3: Knife and Spike
Resistance, Requirements and test methods
Vêtement de protection - Protection du corps - Partie 3 : Schutzkleidung - Körperschutz - Teil 3: Widerstand gegen
Résistance à couteaus et broches - exigences et méthodes Messer und Dorne, Anforderungen und Prüfverfahren
d'essai
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee CEN/TC 162.

If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which
stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language
made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom.

Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are aware and to
provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without notice and
shall not be referred to as a European Standard.


EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels
© 2012 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 16448-3:2012: E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

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Contents Page
Foreword .5
Introduction .6
1 Scope .7
2 Normative references .7
3 Terms and definitions .7
4 Requirements .7
5 Test methodology .7
5.1 Test equipment .7
5.2 Knife/Spike missile .7
5.3 The engineered test knife and spike .8
5.4 Velocity measurement .9
5.5 The Composite Backing Material .9
6 Preparation of test equipment . 10
6.1 Selecting test knife/spike . 10
6.2 The tip sharpness test . 10
6.3 Installing the foam damper into the missile . 11
6.4 Installing the Test Knife/Spike into the Missile . 11
6.5 Preparing the Composite Backing Material . 12
6.6 Calibrating the Composite Backing Material . 12
6.7 Mounting the armour sample . 12
7 Testing . 12
7.1 Protection levels . 12
7.2 Knife resistance testing . 13
7.3 Spike resistance testing (optional) . 14
7.4 Test Procedure for Knife Protection Levels K1 and K2 . 14
7.5 Knife test strikes . 14
7.5.1 General . 14
7.5.2 E1 Test Strike No. 1 . 15
7.5.3 E1 Test Strike No. 2 – 30 . 15
7.5.4 E2 Test Strike No. 31 . 15
7.5.5 E2 Test Strikes No. 32 – 40 . 15
7.6 Test Procedure for Spike Protection Level (Only as an addition to knife protection) . 16
7.7 Spike test strikes . 16
7.7.1 General . 16
7.7.2 Test Strike No. 1 . 16
7.7.3 Test Strike No. 2 – 10 . 16
7.8 Additional Test Strikes at Specific Points of Weakness. 16
7.9 Additional Test Strikes on Female Armour . 16
7.10 Additional 45° Angle Test Strikes . 17
7.11 Method for taking out the knife from the test specimen. 17
7.12 Measurement of Penetration into Composite Backing Material (Knife Test only) . 17
7.13 Measurement of Penetration into Composite Backing Material (Spike Test Only) . 18
Annex A (normative) Knife and Spike drawings and Conversion sheet . 19
A.1 HOSDB P1/B Test Knife . 19
A.2 HOSDB SP/B Test Spike . 19
A.3 Conversion Chart for P1/B Knife Penetration Depths from Cut Length . 20
Annex B (informative) Tip sharpness calibration . 21
B.1 Conversion Chart for Modified Rockwell values to CATRA Force Values . 21
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B.2 Operation and Calibration of Mitutoyo ATk F1000 Hardness Tester When Used as a
Sharpness Tester . 21
Annex C (informative) Examples of sources for material . 23
C.1 Packs and Components of the Composite Backing Material . 23
C.2 Component Parts of the Composite Backing Material . 23
C.3 Damping Disc Material . 24
C.4 HOSDB Engineered Knife (P1B) and Spike (SP) . 24
C.5 99.997 % Pure Aluminium for Knife Sharpness Test . 24
C.6 140 g/m² Polyart® Paper . 24
C.7 1.043 kg Spherical Steel Ball . 24
Annex D (informative) Test Sample Size Templates . 25
D.1 Test Sample Size Templates . 25
Annex E (informative) Example of cutter for cutting out dampers . 28
E.1 Example of cutter for cutting out dampers . 28
Annex ZA (informative) Relationship between this European Standard and the Essential
Requirements of EU Directive 89/686/EEC, Annex II . 29

Figures
Figure 1 — Knife missile . 8
Figure 2 — P1B knife . 8
Figure 3 — SP/B spike . 9
Figure 4 — Typical Test Apparatus for Knife and Spike Testing . 9
Figure 5 — Composite Backing Material . 10
Figure 6 — Installing the Knife/Spike into the Missile . 12
Figure A.1 — HOSDB P1/B Test Knife . 19
Figure A.2 — HOSDB SP/B Test Spike . 19
Figure D.1 — Small size . 25
Figure D.2 — Medium size . 26
Figure D.3 — Large size . 27
Figure E.1 — Examples of how a cutter suitable for cutting out dampers may look . 28
Tables
Table 1 — Description of Knife and Spike Protection Levels . 13
Table 2 — Energy/Velocity Comparisons . 15
Table A.1 — Conversion Chart for P1/B Knife Penetration Depths from Cut Length . 20
Table B.1 — Conversion Chart for Modified Rockwell values to CATRA Force Values . 21
Table B.2 — Conversion of HRC values to indentation depths (mm) . 22
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Table C.1 — Component materials and Code Number . 23
Table C.2 — Manufacturer Details and Component Parts . 23
Table ZA — Correspondence between this European Standard and Directive 89/686/EEC. 29

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Foreword
This document (prEN 16448-3:2012) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 162 “Protective
clothing including hand and arm protection and life jackets”, the secretariat of which is held by DIN.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document has been prepared under a mandate given to CEN by the European Commission and the
European Free Trade Association, and supports essential requirements of EU Directive(s).
For relationship with EU Directive(s), see informative Annex ZA, which is an integral part of this document.
EN 16448 consists of the following parts, under the general title Protective clothing - Body armour:
 Part 1: General requirements
 Part 2: Ballistic resistance - Requirements and test methods
 Part 3: Knife and spike resistance - Requirements and test methods
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Introduction
Body armour is worn by individuals and by groups of employees who are at risk of assault. Body armour is
generally designed to prevent serious and fatal injuries to the torso from the anticipated threats. Body armour
can be designed to provide bullet resistance or stab resistance, or a combination of both. The wide range of
threats in different operational situations, the variable risk of assault, and the ergonomic requirements of
wearers, influence the specifications of body armour. This series of European Standards recognises the
potentially rapidly changing needs of users and manufacturers, by being divided into separate parts for Part 1:
General requirements, Part 2: Bullet resistance and Part 3: Knife stab resistance
It should be recognised that no body armour can provide complete protection from injury in all situations.
However it has been found that the incidence and severity of injuries is reduced by appropriate body armour.
Personal protective equipment produced exclusively for use in National armed forces and in police forces
engaged in the maintenance of law and order is excluded from the requirements of Directive 89/686, but may
never-the-less, be assessed in part according to this European Standard, providing additional necessary
requirements relating to specific operational needs are identified.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
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1 Scope
This European Standard specifies the minimum general requirements and test methods for body armour
intended to provide torso protection against assaults by edged weapons.
The standard targets products aimed for the civilian market, for example for different types of guards.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are
indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 16448-1, Protective Clothing - Body Armour - Part 1: General requirements
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
fair strike
strike that impacts the armour at an angle of incidence no greater than ±5° from the intended angle of
incidence, no closer to the edge of the protective insert than 50 mm, no closer than 50 mm from the edge of
the tray holding the backing material and no closer to a previous strike than 50 mm and with the energy within
the specifications required for the intended level of protection.
4 Requirements
The knife resistance armour shall pass the tests in this document, with the test limits according to the class of
protection stated by the manufacturer.
The classes are defined in EN 16448-1.
Knife or spike resistant body armour shall also meet the requirements described in EN 16448-1.
NOTE Compliance with EN 16448-1 and -3 does not imply that the body armour provides ballistic protection.
Compliance with EN 16448-1 and -2 of is necessary for ballistic protection. For dual-purpose body armour i.e. Ballistic +
Stab, compliance with EN 16448-1, -2 and -3 is required.
5 Test methodology
5.1 Test equipment
The test shall be performed using a guided rail drop tube assembly, which shall enable the knife/spike missile
to fall under the influence of gravity and strike the armour sample at a pre-determined point of impact. The
guide rails, situated inside the tube, shall prevent the knife/spike missile from rotating about its vertical axis
during its descent. These rails shall also ensure that the test implement strikes at the correct orientation so
that any weakness in the armour design can be fully determined. The drop tube assembly shall be rigidly
secured to a supporting wall or frame, and care shall be taken when installing the system to ensure that the
tube is mounted vertically.
5.2 Knife/Spike missile
The knife/spike missile shall consists of a separate steel and alloy knife and spike holders of mass
0,65 kg ± 6,5 g (including the knife or spike) housed in a nylon missile casing of mass 1,25 kg ± 13 g. The
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casing shall be designed to ensure minimal friction between the missile and the inner walls of the tube during
its falling motion (figure 1). The missile length shall be sufficient to ensure that part of the body remains inside
the drop tube throughout a test drop impact. The nylon body shall be replaced if it becomes damaged in a way
that may influence the friction between the missile and the falling tube or the missile and the inner parts of the
missile, on in any other way may affect the test results
The knife/spike holder shall be free to slide vertically within the nylon body casing. However, sandwiched
between the base of the knife/spike holder and the nylon casing, shall be two 50 mm diameter discs of
Plastazote® foam. As the knife/spike holder is forced into the casing under load, the foam is increasingly
compressed.

Figure 1 — Knife missile
5.3 The engineered test knife and spike
The engineered test implements used in this standard are described as P1/B for the knife and SP/B for the
spike (figures 2 and 3). Each armour sample shall be tested using either the P1/B knife for knife resistance or
both the P1/B and SP/B for knife and spike resistance. Detailed manufacturing drawings of each of the test
implements are given in Annex A.
A certificate of the steel used in the knives shall be available from the manufacturer.
NOTE The engineered test knife has been designed by British HOSDB to replicate the broad spectrum of knives
used in assaults on Police Officers. The spike represents a typical spiked implement that is considered to be a greater
threat to Prison Officers than to Police Officers.
Dimensions in millimetres

Figure 2 — P1B knife
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Dimensions in millimetres

Figure 3 — SP/B spike
5.4 Velocity measurement
A suitable method of accurately measuring the velocity of the missile at 25 mm ± 2 mm before impact shall
be employed (figure 4). Recommended types of equipment for velocity measurement include:
 Photoelectric light screens; 100.0 4.5
 Laser/light sensor diode light screens.
If light screens are used the base length of the timing sensors shall be a maximum of 50 mm. The measuring
equipment shall be calibrated so that it is capable of measuring the velocity to an accuracy of ± 0,2 m/s.
Dimensions in millimetres

Key
1 Velocity Measuring Equipment
2 Knife or Spike
3 Body Armour Mounted on Composite Backing Material
Figure 4 — Typical Test Apparatus for Knife and Spike Testing
5.5 The Composite Backing Material
The composite backing material is supplied in packs measuring 400 mm x 33 mm and consists (from the
3
strike face down) of four layers of 6 mm RA110 neoprene, followed by a single 30 mm layer of 33 kg/m
Plastazote® foam, backed by 2 layers of 6 mm natural rubber to BS 2494D (figure 5).
A list of suggested manufacturers and suppliers is given in Annex C.
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Key
1 4 Layers of 6 mm RA110 Neoprene
2 1 Layer 30 mm Plastazote® foam
3 2 Layers of 6 mm 2494D Rubber
Figure 5 — Composite Backing Material
6 Preparation of test equipment
6.1 Selecting test knife/spike
For compliance testing, a total of 40 P1/B test knives shall be selected at random for knife resistant testing. If
spike resistance is required, 10 SP/B spikes shall be selected in addition to the knives. A new knife/spike shall
be used for each test strike. A visual check shall be made to ensure the overall finish of the knife/spike is
clean and free from rough edges, and that it meets the general requirements of the technical specification
given in Annex A.
In particular the knife shall be visually inspected to ensure that:
 the edge and tip are undamaged;
 the edge and tip are geometrically centred on the knife, not off-centred;
 the edge is grinded all the way;
 there are no visual sign of burning to the tip.
NOTE Signs of burning on the tip may indicate that the temperature of the metal has been too high during
grinding, which might affect the hardening.
6.2 The tip sharpness test
Prior to testing, the knife/spike shall first be subjected to a tip-sharpness test
This standard addresses two methods of assessing tip sharpness:
The first method consists of a standard Rockwell Hardness Testing Machine, Mitutoyo model ATK-F1000, with
a modified indenter holder to accept the knife or spike. The machine shall be pre-set to give minor and major
loads of 3 kg and 5 kg respectively as detailed in Annex B.2.
1
The knife/spike shall first be wiped with heavy duty degreaser solvent wipes to remove any traces of lubricant
and allowed to dry. From this point onwards, care shall be taken to not soil the blade again, for example by
handling them wearing clean cotton/linen gloves. The tip sharpness shall then be tested by applying the load

1
Suitable degreasing wipes can be purchased using the order code: 28635 or
70683 from: www.screwfix.com. Free phone: 0500 414141.

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at the knife/spike tip into a small sample block of 99.997 % pure aluminium that has been machined to a
smooth surface finish.
A list of suggested suppliers of pure aluminium is given in Annex C.
Operation and calibration instructions for the sharpness test are given in Annex B.2.
The test value from a new, unused blade shall lie between – 100HRC and 140HRC. These values can also be
expressed in terms of indentation depth in the aluminium test block, produced by the major load application,
and will correspond to depths of 0,40 to 0,48 mm as detailed in Annex B.
A second method of determining tip sharpness has also been established. Both the P1/B knives and SP/B
spikes may be tested for tip sharpness at the Cutlery and Allied Trades Research Association (CATRA). The
Rockwell values of –100HRC to –140HRC compare (approximately) with CATRA values of 4,5 N force to
0,66 N force.
These tip sharpness values can be converted into the values on the Rockwell scale using the Table shown in
Annex B.1.
The tip sharpness test may be performed by an external accredited laboratory already when the knives are
purchased. In that case a written certificate shall be delivered from the manufacturer describing the method
2
used and the result of the test . For a non-destructive test, 10 % of the delivered items shall be randomly
picked up and tested. All of these shall be within limits
6.3 Installing the foam damper into the missile
3
The damping material shall consist of two discs of 50 mm diameter x 30 mm thick, 33 kg/m Plastazote®
foam. Both discs shall be fitted into the nylon sabot behind the knife/spike holder and are held in place by two
socket head cap screws. To assemble the dual mass components, first insert both discs into the cavity of the
nylon sabot. Slide the knife/spike holder into the cavity, compressing the discs until the screw holes appear in
the guide slots of the nylon sabot. Insert and tighten the socket head cap screws. When fitted correctly, the
discs shall remain under compression with their total thickness reduced by 5 mm ± 0,5 mm.
The foam dampers (cylindrical shaped) inside the drop mass are cut out of a foam sheet with thickness of
30 mm. The surface of the foam cylinders need to be smooth and care has to be taken during the cut to obtain
such smooth surface (without tears and cuts inside this foam damper).
NOTE Dampers can be cut out from a foam sheet with high precision by using a cutting die or rotating knife mounted
in a pillar drilling machine. An example of a suitable cutter can be found in Annex E.
The dampers shall be renewed after a maximum of five strikes. A description of the damping material can be
found in Annex B.3.
6.4 Installing the Test Knife/Spike into the Missile
A socket head cap screw is located on the knife/spike holder of the missile (figure 6). This screw should be
loosened to allow the base of the test knife/spike to be fully inserted into the knife/spike-fixing. The screw is
then tightened firmly to hold the knife/spike securely.

2
High Speed and Carbide (contact
details in Annex B) have agreed to stock limited supplies of P1/B knives and SP/B spikes with
certified tip sharpness courtesy of the Cutlery and Allied Trades Research Association (CATRA) of
Sheffield.

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Figure 6 — Installing the Knife/Spike into the Missile
6.5 Preparing the Composite Backing Material
The composite backing material pack shall be placed in a room held at a temperature of 20 °C ± 3 °C an
...