Author(s)

Malcolm Gull

Abstract

Machines for high explosive component manufacture - how to specify Malcolm Gull A WE Aldermaston Abstract Components are manufactured from energetic materials such as high explosive - so how do you ensure that the machines are Tit for purpose'. AWE have a long history of machining components from these materials and to date no life threatening incidents haveoccurred, so howistliisachieved. Simply, AWEoperatesavery strict safety culture that includes the buildings, equipment, operating procedures and most importantly people. This paperfocuses on the equipment aspects and more specifically describes how AWE specify machinetoolsfortheprecisionmacliiningofsecondary explosives It gives the case history of a machine that started out in life as a standard computer numerically controlled (CNC) lathe before being modified for use in an explosive process building process building. Introduction Explosive machining is a class of operations that involves the cutting of explosiv

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