Mechanical Initiation below the Shock Regime Workshop
MSIAC is hosting a workshop on Mechanical Initiation below the Shock Regime which will take place from the 19th to 23rd of April 2027 in Warsaw, Poland. The workshop is a focused technical forum dedicated to advancing the understanding of how energetic materials can be initiated under sub-shock conditions, specifically at lower load levels and over longer exposure durations than those associated with classical shock initiation. The workshop aims to bring together experts from government, industry, and academia within MSIAC member nations to exchange knowledge in an open, unclassified environment.
Through a structured program of technical presentations and in-depth discussions, the workshop addresses key aspects of mechanical initiation, including underlying physical mechanisms, threat-relevant scenarios, experimental methods, and predictive modeling approaches. Particular attention is given to non-shock initiation phenomena involving reactions transitioning to detonation as well as realistic munition threat conditions including spall, bullet interactions, drops, and handling-induced loads.
The central objective is to consolidate the current state of the art by aligning expert perspectives on dominant initiation mechanisms and evaluating the effectiveness and limitations of existing laboratory and full-scale test methodologies. In parallel, the workshop critically reviews commonly used predictive models, assessing their validity, cross-applicability for different threat scenarios, and identifying gaps that must be addressed to developmore robust, physics-based models.
Building on this foundation, the workshop aims to define a coherent methodology for assessing mechanical initiation risk across the full munition lifecycle, from manufacturing to disposal. This includes linking mechanisms, models, and test approaches into a unified risk evaluation framework.
The outcome of the workshop will be a set of actionable recommendations for the international explosives safety community. These will encompass identified initiation mechanisms, validated modeling strategies, appropriate testing methodologies, and a proposed approach for lifecycle risk assessment. All findings will be documented in a MSIAC Limited report, providing a valuable reference for ongoing research, safety assessment, and policy development in the field of energetic materials.
Detailed information on the organizational aspects of the workshop will be published shortly which will also include a formal call for abstracts for technical presentations. In addition, a technical package will be released ahead of the event to support participants in their preparation. Registration to the workshop will be open to all citizens of MSIAC member nations and is free of charge. Attendance to the workshop is subject to approval from your national MSIAC Steering Committee Representative / National Focal Point Officer. For further inquiries, please contact [email protected].
If you would like to stay informed about this workshop, you can leave your contact details using the form below. We will use this information to notify you when new details become available (programme, practical information, and registration opening).Providing your contact details does not commit you to attend. Your data will only be used to inform you about this workshop and will be processed in accordance with applicable data protection regulations.
