The US Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center has awarded General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems a contract to upgrade its portable prototype cryofracture system and perform additional design and procurement to interface the system with a rotary kiln incinerator.

The company’s current cryofracture process has already been used to destroy over one million munitions at US Army depots across the country. Technicians submerge munitions in a liquid nitrogen cryobath for a period up to 30 minutes, depending on the type of material, and then fracture the munitions in a hydraulic press.

Once integration and testing are completed, the prototype cryofracture system will be scheduled for delivery to Crane Army Ammunition Activity in Crane IN for future installation and prove-out with live material.

“We have extensive experience and proven capabilities in the effective, thorough destruction of well over 500,000 small to medium size munitions using our cryofracture systems at installations such as the Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona and the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in Oklahoma,” says Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “We are extremely pleased to be awarded this contract to continue the cryofracture project at the Army’s Crane facility. The upgrades to the system will significantly increase their ability and capacity to safely and cost-efficiently destroy munition stockpiles onsite.”

GA-EMS’ cryofracture systems offer an efficient and safe munition size reduction process to utilize incineration systems to avoid the use of hazardous open pit munitions destruction. Its engineers are designing, procuring and integrating equipment to upgrade the Army’s portable prototype cryofracture system and expect to conduct final testing of the prototype using inert munitions before the contract’s scheduled completion at the end of 2019.