DRDO develops bio-suits using sealant used in submarines

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Thursday displayed a bio-suit it had developed for use by medical, paramedical and other personnel engaged in fighting COVID-19.

“The suit has been prepared with the help of the industry and subjected to rigorous testing for textile parameters as well as protection against synthetic blood,” a DRDO statement said adding that it had used a sealant used in submarines to enhance the safety of the bio-suit.

The DRDO said it has transferred the technology to a vendor who has a manufacturing capacity of 7000 bio suits per day.

Another vendor is being brought in with experience in garment technology and efforts are on to ramp up the capacity to 15,000 suits per day.

India is facing a severe shortage of personal protection equipment as it gears up to face the challenge posed by the outbreak of COVID-19 which has claimed 53 lives till Thursday.

The DRDO is making all efforts to ensure that these suits are produced in large numbers and serve as a robust line of defence for the medics, paramedics and other personnel in the frontline of combating COVID-19.

The DRDO has prepared a special sealant as an alternative to seam sealing tape based on the sealant used in submarine applications.

Presently, bio suits prepared using this glue for seam sealing by an industry partner has cleared test at Southern India Textile Research Association (SITRA) Coimbatore. This can be a gamechanger for the textile industry.

The DRDO can mass produce this glue through the industry to support the seam sealing activity by suit manufacturers.