- High-speed imaging shows dramatic impact in slow motion
- First series comprises as many as 14 episodes
SVI Engineering, leading specialist manufacturer of armoured products, has released the sixth episode in its innovative Shoot Through series of videos, this time demonstrating the devastating effect of an AK47 round on a window lifter motor (watch Episode 6 here).
“A window lifter motor – which is, of course, positioned inside a door panel, out of sight – is the sort of component that may well be in the firing line during an attack on an unarmoured vehicle. Question is, how will it stand up to a single AK47 round?” asked Jaco de Kock, CEO of SVI.
As shown in the footage captured by a Photron Fastcam SA4 high-speed camera – kindly supplied by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and set at 30 000 frames per second – the 7.62×39 mm conventional steel-core round easily penetrates the window lifter motor, striking the integrated steel shaft and sending plastic debris flying.
“Though we managed to hit the steel shaft – which is surely the most resilient element of the window lifter motor – it proved no match for the AK47 round. I think there’s a better chance of winning the lottery than of such a component stopping a bullet. So, it’s best to rather invest in an SVI-armoured vehicle,” quipped Nicol Louw, SVI Business Development Director.
‘Shoot Through’ Series Background
Conceived to both inform and entertain, the full Shoot Through video series – an episode will be published on SVI’s YouTube channel approximately every two weeks – sets out to answer whether various (mostly standard) automotive components can stop a round discharged by a firearm.
The subject of the first episode in SVI’s Shoot Through series was a ventilated steel brake disc from a Toyota Land Cruiser 79 bakkie, while the second episode featured a Volkswagen Polo engine block, the third a shock absorber, the fourth a Polo cylinder head and the fifth a seatbelt mechanism.
The Company
SVI is an original equipment manufacturer that has specialised in armoured vehicles since 2004. The company is a market leader in Africa, serving the private, corporate, security, mining and governmental segments. SVI holds a Level 2 B-BBEE certification and its quality management system is certified to ISO 9001:2015 by TÜV Rheinland.
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