Avon Protection has launched a new conformal military CBRN filter that provides an accurate measure of  usable life span with a unique end of service life indicator.  The MILCF50 filter claims a shelf life of up to 10 years, which far surpasses that of rival filters and promises considerable cost-savings for the company’s exensive global military and first responder customer base.

Avon has based the MILC50’s design and end of life technology on its exclusive conformal filter range for the US army’s M50 and M53 mask series. It utilizes Avon’s state-of-the-art conformal filter design and is designed to fit the new generation of 50 series masks.

By adding extra robust packaging and incorporating an end of life indicator that instantly gauges any moisture ingress, Avon claims that shelf life can be guaranteed for 10 years - double the life span of traditional filters.  And as most military and law enforcement bodies back up their masks with a filter stock ratio of five to one, the cost savings are plainly evident.

Avon’s MILCF50 filter offers full CBRN performance, including protection against chemical, biological and radiological warfare agents in accordance with NATO requirements. It utilizes Avon’s advanced filter design and manufacturing technology, so offers defence against certain toxic industrial chemicals such as chlorine, hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide and organic vapours with a boiling point of above 65 Celsius. The filter is also effective against dust, fumes, bacteria and virus.

The MILC50’s low and contoured profile is a key feature to meet specific combat requirements. These include the ability for 45 degree head and neck movement, without the restriction imposed by many larger standard filters on competing masks, thus minimizing snag hazards and neck strain.

According to John Penton, Avon’s Market Development Manager, “Avon has a strong record of working closely with our customers to meet specific requirements in CBRN and respiratory system protection. These new filters are a ic example of this partnership.  In this case our military and police customers asked us to extend the shelf life of our filter range and to provide an accurate indication of their efficacy over use or long term storage.  Our new robust packaging and service life indicator provides them with just this.”

About AVON Protection Avon Protection, an Avon Rubber p.l.c. company is a world leader in the design, development and manufacture of CBRN respiratory protection equipment. Avon has been supplying respirators to the UK Ministry of Defence and other NATO allies for over 80 years and is the sole supplier of military respirators to the US armed forces, supplying the M50 Joint Service General Purpose Mask. With new conflicts and threat scenarios creating additional daily risks for individuals in military, law enforcement, first responder and emergency service applications, Avon Protection maintains a market leading position by investing in continual research and development to meet changing operational requirements.

For more information, contact: Chris Webb, Press & PR Manager AVON Protection Phone: +44 (0) 1225 896 563 Email:  christopher.webb@avon-rubber.com Website: www.avon-protection.com