EBA&D Aerospace

The Global Leader in Reliable Energetic Solutions

Overview

System Initiation encompasses a wide range of products that are used to create an explosive signal from an electrical input. These products include:

Initiators

Hot Bridgewire Initiators
Semiconductor Bridge Initiators
Exploding Bridgewire Initiators
Laser/Fiber Optic Initiators

Electronic Firing Systems

Laser Initiated Ordnance System
Intelligent Initiation System

Ensign-Bickford Aerospace and Defense Company (EBA&D) designs and manufactures devices tailored to meet a wide range of system requirements for tactical missiles to space launch vehicles. To address different technical, safety and reliability requirements EBA&D employs proven technologies, engineered and adapted to meet the system architecture requirements of our customer. Whether providing the individual electro-explosive device to accomplish a specific function or the electronic firing system to manage an array of functions, EBA&D will work with you to choose an optimal solution.

Initiators:

EBA&D has a compliment of initiators to operate with customer or EBA&D provided Electronic Firing Systems. From receipt of an energy pulse EBA&D initiators provide the pyrotechnic or explosive output to provide the energy to do work. In many cases the initiator is mated with a device such as a pin puller, valve, or cutter to perform a mechanical function on the vehicle. The initiator can also trigger the start of an explosive train for further transmission of energy to initiate stage separation or motor ignition.

EBA&D initiators can be tuned to offer unique performance and system safety characteristics. In addition to the standard, low voltage Hot Bridgewire (HBW) initiators, EBA&D can provide both Exploding Bridgewire (EBW) and Semiconductor Bridge (SCB) initiators offering greater resistance to RF/EMI as well as more exact timing of the ordnance function. EBA&D can integrate any of these initiators with customer or EBA&D supplied devices to perform various functions required by the application.

All EBA&D Explosive Devices and Systems are developed and manufactured at our Simsbury, Connecticut facility. Dedicated facilities are available for production and the design of new components. The manufacturing process for each product line is specifically tailored to employ lean manufacturing concepts.

Electronic Firing Systems:

EBA&D Electronic Firing Systems can initiate multiple ordnance events to meet specific customer system requirements. These integrated firing systems incorporate Electronic Safing and Arming and offer our customers added functionality such as Built-in-Test (BIT). EBA&D has the experience and capability to work with customer and range safety requirements to tailor a system solution which best fits the application.

Laser Initiated Ordnance System—Based on the use of Laser Diodes to supply the initiation energy via a fiber optic transmission harness, EBA&D designs and manufactures Laser Initiated Ordnance Systems (LIOS) for launch vehicle and missile applications. EBA&D's LIOS is launch vehicle flight proven. The LIOS allows the customer to simplify factory integration and checkout due to its Built-in-Test (BIT) capability and inherent safety afforded by the RF/EMI immune fiber-optic path to the laser initiator.