Ceradyne

Ceradyne, Incorporated

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Ceramics, Defense, Industrial manufacturing
Founded	1967
Headquarters	Costa Mesa, California , United States
Area served	Nuclear power, oil and gas, solar energy, automotive, defense
Products	Ceramic systems and components, ballistic armor, industrial ceramic parts
Owner	Avon Rubber
Parent	Avon Rubber

Ceradyne, Incorporated operates as a fully owned subsidiary under the British firm Avon Rubber. The company specializes in producing sophisticated ceramic systems and components serving sectors such as nuclear power, oil and gas, solar energy, automotive, and defense.

Background

Established in 1967, Ceradyne broadened its product portfolio in 2004 through the acquisition of ESK Ceramics based in Kempten, Germany. The firm manufactures ceramic parts utilized in industrial settings like silicon foundries and nuclear fuel pellet production, as well as cutting-edge ballistic armor designed for both personnel protection and vehicle defense. Its lightweight ceramic armor provides enhanced mobility compared to conventional steel armor, offering a significant tactical advantage. By 2007, Ceradyne was delivering approximately 25,000 armor sets each month to the Pentagon.

In December 2007, the U.S. Army approved Ceradyne’s armor for use in military vehicles, leading to its integration by Oshkosh Truck into HEMETT crew cabs. The company also supplied ceramic Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts (E-SAPI) incorporated into the Army’s Interceptor body armor system and developed blast-resistant elements for the Ceradyne BULL MRAP/MMPV vehicle program.

In January 2008, Ceradyne secured a $9.6 million contract from UNICOR (Federal Prison Industries), supporting inmate employment and skills development initiatives through body armor production.

Ceradyne became a wholly owned subsidiary of 3M on November 28, 2012, focusing on advanced materials technology. Subsequently, on January 2, 2020, Avon Rubber purchased Ceradyne’s advanced ballistic protection division and associated brand from 3M for $91 million, marking a strategic ownership transition within the defense ceramics sector.

Product recall

In November 2012, Ceradyne initiated a recall of thousands of SPEAR Generation III ballistic armor plates distributed to U.S. Special Operations forces due to identified "safety defects." The Department of Defense reported that fewer than five percent of tested plates exhibited flaws. According to United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), no injuries were linked to the defective armor.

IMP/ACT

The following table outlines Ceradyne’s IMP/ACT (Improved Multihit Protection/Advanced Composite Technology) plates, which feature a stainless steel crack arrestor positioned between the strike face and backing layers to confine cracking caused by bullet impacts. This technological advancement improves multi-hit resistance while decreasing overall weight, providing a competitive edge in body armor manufacturing. Comparable crack arrestor designs are employed in Russia’s GOST 6A-rated GRANIT plates constructed with titanium.

Bullet	Bullet Construction	MassNote 1	Velocity	Plate Weight	Multi-hit Spacing	Hits Per Plate (typical)
5.56×45mm M193	Ball, lead core	55-grain (3.6 g)	3,300-foot-per-second (1,000 m/s)	3.7-pound (1.7 kg)	1–2-inch (2.5–5.1 cm)	12
5.56×45mm M855/SS109	Ball, steel tip with lead core	61-grain (4.0 g)	3,300-foot-per-second (1,000 m/s)	3.7-pound (1.7 kg)	1–2-inch (2.5–5.1 cm)	12
5.56×45mm M995	Armor-piercing, tungsten carbide core	52-grain (3.4 g)	3,280-foot-per-second (1,000 m/s)	3.9-pound (1.8 kg)	2–3-inch (5.1–7.6 cm)	8
7.62×39mm PS	Ball, steel core	122-grain (7.9 g)	2,400-foot-per-second (730 m/s)	3.7-pound (1.7 kg)	3–4-inch (7.6–10.2 cm)	8
'\'\'\'7.62×54mmR LPS\'\'\	'Ball, steel core'	'148-grain (9.6 g)'	'2,800-foot-per-second (850 m/s)'	'4.2-pound (1.9 kg)'	'3–4-inch (7.6–10.2 cm)'	'6'
'\'\'\'7.62×39mm BZ\'\'\	'Armor-piercing incendiary (API), steel core'	'119-grain (7.7 g)'	'2,400-foot-per-second (730 m/s)'	'4.2-pound (1.9 kg)'	'3–4-inch (7.6–10.2 cm)'	'6'
'\'\'\'7.62×51mm M80\'\'\	'Ball, lead core'	'149-grain (9.7 g)'	'2,850-foot-per-second (870 m/s)'	'3.7-pound (1.7 kg)'	'4–5-inch (10–13 cm)'	'6'
'\'\'\'7.62×51mm M61\'\'\	'Armor-piercing, steel core'	'151-grain (9.8 g)'	'2,850-foot-per-second (870 m/s)'	'4.9-pound (2.2 kg)'	'3–4-inch (7.6–10.2 cm)'	'4'
'\'\'\'.30-06 Springfield M2 AP\'\'\	'Armor-piercing, steel core'	'166-grain (10.8 g)'	'2,850-foot-per-second (870 m/s)'	'5.2-pound (2.4 kg)'	'3–4-inch (7.6–10.2 cm)'	'3'
'\'\'\'7.62×51mm M993\'\'\	'Armor-piercing, tungsten carbide core'	'Template:Convert 127 gr adj=on'	'Template:Convert 3120 ft/s m/s adj=on'	'Template:Convert 5.8 lbs kg adj=on'	'Template:Convert 5-6 in cm adj=on'	'3'

Note 1: Size medium triple curve plate weight includes spall cover; designed to withstand specified threats at indicated multi-hit spacing when paired with NIJ IIIA soft armor vest.

References

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/3m-buying-ceradyne-for-43-premium-2012-10-01