Optimizing Stand-Off Distance and Sealing Methods Using Additive Manufacturing for Engineering Support Explosive Tasks

Abstract. The paper deals with the issue of additive manufacturing (3D printing), in combination with the design of accessories for demolition work in the performance of engineering support tasks. The paper discusses the solution of the stand-off distance for cut charges and also the possibility of sealing improvised charges. In this context, improvised charges are charges using plastic explosives and 3D printing accessories, which are similar in their properties to standardized charges such as SEMTEX Razor 20. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the design of the stand-off distance in terms of effectiveness and user-friendliness in terms of preparation and use. The second objective is to compare the results of explosions of sealed and unsealed improvised explosive charges. The benefit of this study is the assessment of the possibility of replacing standardized explosive charges with their available equivalents, which are commonly available in military practice and widely usable for engineering support tasks. The effectiveness of 3D printing material for the stand-off distance and as a sealing layer replaces the complexity of the logistics chain for the supplied material and allows for unique creation that can be applied precisely to the destructed object. The limitation is the cutting effect of the shaped chargé jet and slug, which is determined by the composition of the filament for 3D printing, in this case CooperFill.