Tristar Plastics has been working with a defence contractor on a new bomb release mechanism for military bombers.

Historically, the release mechanisms were unlocked using an electrically charged squib.



This charge would set off a mini explosion in the bomb rack, disengaging the locks and releasing the weapons. However, the squibs can fail to fire for a number of reasons, leading to a dangerous hanging bomb. In addition, the turnaround time between sorties to put new squibs in the rack is said to be very long. The new design incorporates a high-pressure nitrogen pump and an accumulator.

The pump must maintain a 4,500psi charge at all temperatures and flight levels in order to ensure the proper disengagement of the locks.

The key components are the Tristar Ultraflon polymer seals and bearings, which have met all flight and environmental testing requirements.

This eliminates the squib replacement problems during sortie turnarounds.

Tristar's engineering team has worked closely with the customer, continually improving the geometry of the parts and maximising the wear life of the seals throughout the mechanism's engineering design lifecycle.

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