Ace Link Armor Wins PCI AW Defence & Security PPE Innovation Award for Thermacore System
Defence & Security PPE Innovation Award
Ace Link Armor, in collaboration with AXFILIA, has been honored with the Defence & Security PPE Innovation Award by PCIAW – the Professional Clothing Industry Association Worldwide. The award was presented as part of the PPE Innovation Awards, recognizing Thermacore® as a breakthrough technology in the field of ballistic protection and wearer comfort.
This recognition places Ace Link Armor among a select group of innovators whose technologies deliver mission-critical advancements to the global defence, law enforcement, and security sectors.
Traditional bulletproof vests, although essential for personal safety, can often feel like a burden in sweltering conditions. The heat trapped between the body and the vest, coupled with the lack of breathability, can lead to excessive sweating, discomfort, and even heat exhaustion for the wearer. Such challenges not only affect personal well-being, but also hinder performance and focus in critical situations. Ace Link Armor innovative Heat Dispersion system is an advanced Heat Dispersion Technology that addresses these issues to provide optimal protection and unparalleled comfort, even in the most extreme climates.
What Is PCIAW and Why This Award Matters
PCIAW (Professional Clothing Industry Association Worldwide) is one of the world’s most respected international organizations dedicated to professional, protective, and technical clothing. Its PPE Innovation Awards celebrate solutions that demonstrate:
- Genuine technological innovation
- Measurable benefits for end users
- Real-world applicability in demanding operational environments
Winning a PCIAW award means that Thermacore® was evaluated and endorsed by an independent panel of industry experts, confirming its relevance, effectiveness, and readiness for operational use.
Thermacore®: Solving One of Ballistic Armor’s Biggest Challenges
For decades, ballistic armor design has faced a critical trade-off: protection versus thermal comfort. Traditional multi-layer body armor systems often:
- Trap heat and moisture
- Severely limit breathability
- Increase fatigue and heat stress
- Reduce wearer performance in hot and humid climates
The Thermacore® Heat Dispersion System was developed to directly address these challenges. What happens inside of a bulletproof vest?
- Tendency to overheat
- Sweat production due to physical activity
- High weight of the vest
- Minimal to zero breathability due to multilayered construction of the vest
- Retained heat and humidity creates a hot and muggy microclimate for the wearer.
What’s ThermacCore Heat Dispersion Technology target? Effective Decrease of the core body temperature, proactive reduction of perspiration and improved heat dispersion from the body to the outside.
Rather than relying on active cooling, electronics, or external airflow, Thermacore® introduces a passive thermal regulation system into ballistic armor. Using advanced materials with high thermal conductivity and engineered heat-transfer pathways, the system efficiently moves excess heat away from the body and disperses it to the exterior of the vest. This approach leverages fundamental physical principles—such as the second law of thermodynamics and Newton’s law of cooling—to deliver a consistent, reliable cooling effect without adding complexity or failure points.
Our body’s comfort zone is remarkably narrow: with a core temperature of approximately 37°C (98.6°F), fluctuations of merely 2°C (3.6°F) can lead to fever or hypothermia. This delicate balance highlights the importance of maintaining optimal body temperature, especially when wearing protective gear like bulletproof vests in challenging environments. Our revolutionary vest, equipped with advanced heat dispersion technology, caters to this diverse array of individual needs, ensuring users remain comfortable, safe, and focused in any climate.
Why Thermacore® Was Recognized as a Defence & Security Innovation
In awarding Thermacore®, PCIAW recognized the system as a mission-critical innovation because it:
- Introduces a new category of passive thermal regulation for body armor
- Significantly reduces heat stress and perspiration
- Improves endurance, focus, and operational effectiveness
- Functions without power sources, electronics, or mechanical components
In defence and security environments—where reliability, simplicity, and durability are non-negotiable—these advantages are decisive.
A Shared Achievement with AXFILIA
This award also reflects the success of the close technological collaboration between AXFILIA and Ace Link Armor. By combining advanced material science with deep expertise in ballistic system design, the partnership delivered a solution that does more than meet industry standards—it redefines them.
Thermacore® demonstrates how innovation in protective equipment can directly translate into improved safety, performance, and survivability for the end user.
How Thermacore is different from other “cooling” technologies?
Thermacore stands out from other “cooling” technologies due to its unique and innovative combination of heat-storing features with the exceptional thermal conductivity of aluminum and graphene. As the first product of its kind, Thermacore harnesses the high-performance properties of these advanced materials to deliver a long-lasting effect of noticeable thermal improvement for bulletproof vest wearers.
Unlike conventional cooling solutions, which often provide temporary relief or rely on external factors like airflow or moisture, Thermacore’s cutting-edge design ensures consistent temperature regulation, even in the most demanding environments. This makes Thermacore the go-to choice for individuals seeking unparalleled comfort and performance in their protective gear.
Looking Ahead
Winning the Defence & Security PPE Innovation Award marks an important milestone—but it is only the beginning.
Ace Link Armor continues to expand testing, development, and integration of Thermacore® across current and future ballistic protection platforms. Our ongoing mission remains clear:
To deliver uncompromising protection while dramatically improving comfort, endurance, and operational performance.
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