Pyrotechnic Cord Cutter & Wire Cutter

Key Features

How Pyrotechnic Cord Cutters and Wire Cutters Work

These cutters (or guillotines) primarily consist of a body (usually stainless steel) with an eyelet (to thread the cord or wire through), an end cap or anvil, a piston/cutter blade, shear pin(s) and an electrically fired actuator. The body housing the piston/cutter blade, provides for installation of the cartridge, and attachment of the anvil. The anvil is removable to facilitate removal and installation of either the guillotine or wire bundle. Lugs, for attaching the guillotine to the releasing structure, are an integral part of the guillotine body. Capacity may be increased with minor changes in the housing or actuator. We have a wide range of operating temperatures we can design to along with offering a long storage life. Our cutters are also space rated, environmentally sealed and include an extremely high demonstrated reliability.

After initiation, in this case most often electrically initiated, a pressure cartridge fully confined inside produces gas pressure which breaks a shear pin, thereby driving the cutter blade down the shaft to forcibly slice the target material (in this case cords and/or wires, including Kevlar, Vectran or Zylon) and stops against the anvil. In a matter of milliseconds the target material is instantaneously severed and released. Time from input of firing energy to completely severing the target material is on the order of several milliseconds.

Environmentally sealed, the cutter contains fragments or gasses from leaking externally or into any flow passages. Cuts neatly and with precision.