This article profiles John Fronabarger, PacSci EMC’s longest-tenured employee and a highly accomplished chemist with over 50 scientific publications and 25 U.S. patents, who continues to contribute to the field of energetics well into his 90s.
Emphasizing the critical importance of reliability in safety and mission-critical systems, we showcases our expertise in delivering highly reliable and safe solutions for space, defense, aircraft, and oil and gas programs, utilizing scientific methods and customized engineering to achieve 99.999 percent reliability or better.
In addition to creating lightweight aerogel-insulated apparel, NASA’s technological innovations have led to the development of a nanosensor array for medical diagnoses, the ResQPOD CPR device, memory foam for better sleep, durable radial tires, and advanced crop prediction systems, demonstrating the wide-ranging impact of space exploration on everyday life.
The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) governs the export of defense-related items and services, requiring businesses to determine jurisdiction, classify items, register with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, assess item intent for exemptions, and apply for appropriate licenses or agreements before exporting, with ongoing responsibilities for document management and compliance.
Ordnance products are one-shot devices that cannot be reversed once activated, and establishing their reliability is crucial for mission-critical systems; statistical methods such as binomial, Bruceton, Langlie, Neyer, stress-strength, and standards-based analyses are employed to determine reliability and confidence levels, ensuring the safe and reliable function of these devices in various applications.
Qualification is performed for ordnance products for reasons such as part geometry changes, performance gaps, obsolescence, and reliability, and the qualification process involves working with sponsors from the Department of Defense, range safety oversight, and commercial and foreign military sales, with test matrices and statistical methods used to determine reliability and confidence levels.
With over 30 years in the pyrotechnics industry, PacSci EMC stands out by specializing in the conversion of electric signals into pyrotechnic ones, using advanced electronics to innovate and ensure mission success in applications ranging from missile defense to satellite release.
We have a rich heritage in designing and manufacturing initiators, detonators, and other Electro-Explosive Devices (EED), with a focus on understanding the no-fire and all-fire levels, which are crucial for device safety and functional performance, and employs the Neyer D-Optimal sensitivity test method to efficiently and accurately determine these characteristics, ensuring the safety and reliability of their products across various industries.
Our pyrotechnic devices, such as Cable Cutters and Pyro Valves, are engineered to function underwater in various applications, including submarines and emergency systems, with the ability to modify standard products like Canopy Fracturing Systems for underwater use.
The development of hypersonic vehicles and related defense systems is a national priority, with over $14 billion budgeted for FY20 FYDP and significant increases expected in the FY22 FYDP, and PacSci EMC plays a role in providing various pyrotechnic devices and Flight Termination Systems (FTS) to ensure the performance and safety of these high-speed vehicles.
