MIL-DTL-23659 Initiators, Electric, General Design Specification ForThis specification furnishes general requirements for design and establishes uniform methods for testing electric initiators and electric initiator subassemblies. The purpose of the testing program is to determine the electric characteristics, soundness of mechanical design, output, and resistance to deleterious service environments. For purposes of this specification the term electric initiator includes items classified in FSC 1377 such as hot wire initiators, exploding bridgewire initiators, exploding foil initiators, conductive mix initiators, etc. Electric primers are not covered in this specification. All requirements for in-line initiators used in safety sensitive, non-interrupted energetic materials train applications are contained in Appendix A. Requirements for all other initiators are in the main body of this document.

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MIL-DTL-23659F

as possible service conditions.

4.3. Engineering Design Tests. The engineering design tests are conducted to

determine the technical characteristics as indicated by the initiator design. Determination

includes the measurements of the inherent structural, electrical, or other physical and chemical

properties, and may utilize data obtained from previous tests. These tests are characterized by

controlled conditions and the elimination of human error in judgment, as much as possible,

through the use of environmental chambers, measurement techniques, and statistical analysis.

These tests include all the tests in Table I, an explanation of which is given in paragraph 4.3.1.

The engineering design test shall be conducted at a Government laboratory or, if by a

contractor, shall be witnessed and the test procedures approved by Government personnel as

assigned by the Safety Authority.

4.3.1. Explanation of Table I. The following is an explanation of the working procedure

to be utilized when working with Table I.

a. A total of 416 initiators are to be tested and all are ultimately destroyed in the

minimum 50 millisecond all-fire test, or the cook-off test, or the 40 foot drop test. Reading from

left to right along the top row, the 416 initiators are divided into 21 groups consisting of 50, 6, 6,

20, 20 etc. For example:

b. The first group consists of 50 initiators. Reading down the first column it is seen from

the "X" designations that this group of 50 initiators is to be subject to the following tests in the

sequence given:

Dielectric withstanding voltage

Radiographic

Leakage

Resistance

Static Discharge

Resistance

Stray Voltage

Resistance

Power current or Stimulus 70�F

and finally destroyed in the Minimum 50 millisecond all fire test at 70�F. Note that some tests,

such as resistance are repeated.

c. The second group consists of 6 initiators. Reading down, it is seen from the "X"

designations that this group of 6 initiators is to be subject to the following tests in the sequence

given:

Dielectric Withstanding Voltage

Radiographic

Leakage

Resistance

and finally destroyed in the 40 foot Drop. Similar reasoning applies to each of the 21 groups.

d. The total in the right hand column is the number of initiators subject to that particular

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