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.
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.
At PacSci EMC, regulatory requirements such as those from BATFE, OSHA, PHMSA, DOT, and export licensing coverage must be followed to ensure the safety of people, facilities, and the environment when working with explosives, and specific training guidelines are crucial for individuals and operations. Pyro devices are chosen for their speed, reliability, and versatility, and they are used in various applications from aerospace and defense to oil and gas operations, with different types including CADs, EEDs, PADs, linear explosives, and specialty devices that serve specific functions and require precise design and qualification considerations.
Engineers looking for affordable yet excellent engineering programs can consider San Jose State, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Prescott, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and New Mexico State University as hidden-gem universities with strong engineering training and job placement opportunities.
