A brand new tool made for the Air Force looks right at home in a set of Star Wars. Known as the TEC Torch, it can melt solid metal in a matter of seconds. The TEC Torch is a handheld thermal breaching tool and burns at 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Engadget.
The TEC Torch is the product of a collaboration between the US Air Force and Energetic Materials & Products, Inc. It can easily slice through steel bars and half-inch solid metal in a matter of seconds.
Although originally made for Air Force for quick, effective, and discreet breaching, the torch also has many civilian uses. For one, firefighters benefit greatly from torch. It is much faster than bolt cutters and less dangerous than explosives. The TEC Torch can also be used for salvage operations and can even work underwater.
The torch has two parts: the handle and the cartridge. Each weighs less than a pound. The thermite cartridges have proprietary metals and metal oxides that have an aluminum shell that combusts when ignited, Popular Mechanics reported.
Each cartridge has an electric igniter that is engaged using an electric current. The current is provided by a 9-volt battery. All it takes is a push of a button to get the TEC Torch going. Once switched on, the a bolt of fire from molten metal vapor from the cartridge flies out, eating away at anything within its range.
The TEC Torch can be connected to an extension cord. It is in this way that underwater operations can be carried out. Folks who are more safety conscious can also use the torch this way. While each cartridge only lasts a few seconds, that should be enough time to break through most metal locks, pipes, and other things that you might come across.
