Getting the Right Data

May 2, 2018 Michael Traskos

How important is it to have the right data on your wire and cable products? For those seeking qualification to a product standard, having test data that matches the requirements is important. Without this data, qualification cannot happen. But what about the products that fall outside of industry standards? How many tests are necessary to […] Read more

Latest Developments in Wire and Cable – SAE 8A 8D Spring 2018

April 18, 2018 Michael Traskos

It is not often that you find more than two people in a room with a passion for aerospace wiring systems. One of the exceptions is the bi-yearly gathering of wiring system component and EWIS experts for the SAE 8A/8D committee. Last week, Chicago, Illinois was the host for this event that covered a wide […] Read more

When to Pull the Component – End of EWIS Component Service Life

March 30, 2018 Michael Traskos

What is the end of life for a wire, cable, connector, or any Electrical Wiring Interconnect System (EWIS) component? This is a straightforward question that should have a straightforward answer, but often, this is an unanswered question. Regulatory guidance such as Fuel Tank Ignition Source Prevention Guidelines from the FAA think of wiring as something […] Read more

Shield Grounding and EMI Protection – Part 2

March 20, 2018 Michael Traskos

EMI, the concept of electromagnetic interference, is a relatively simple one to convey: radiated energy from other sources induces a voltage in another circuit. But like many things, the simplicity of its description belies the true complexity of mitigating it. Shielding of signal wires, wire harness shielding, shielding of power wires, induced noise studies are […] Read more

Shield Grounding and EMI Protection

March 5, 2018 Michael Traskos

The push for more electric aircraft is driven by weight savings and the availability of reliable electrical components. This is made possible with greater power generating capacity, however, this comes with an increased challenge of ensuring reliable data transmission. More power flowing through the aircraft means higher levels of electromagnetic interference (EMI). Aerospace environmental test […] Read more

Correcting Bad Wire System Guidance

February 20, 2018 Michael Traskos

Consider a common aircraft wire: how many requirements and standards must be considered during its design and fabrication? A simple back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests at least 30 various requirements and standards. For an aircraft wire harness, that number can easily jump to 50. Without a doubt, between each of these standards and requirements, there can be […] Read more

What is an EWIS Qualified Wire?

February 2, 2018 Michael Traskos

This is a question that Lectromec regularly receives. The reason for this question is that a parts-supplier or system-integrator is looking to find wires in compliance with EWIS requirements. Since there are so many ways to evaluate any component, the important question to consider is if a defined requirements list for aerospace wire exists? Here, […] Read more

Connector Failure Rates – Part #2

January 26, 2018 Michael Traskos

In Lectromec’s previous article, we introduced a basis for estimating connector failure rates. The framework utilized the failure information available from military handbook MIL-HDBK-217. In this article, we continue to review the parameters of the failure rate function and implications on how slight changes in the environment can have a dramatic impact on a connectors […] Read more

Connector Failure Rates – Part #1

January 17, 2018 Michael Traskos

Coming up with failure rates of electrical components is always a difficult task. Historically, when failure modes and effects analyses were created for aircraft systems, the level of detail of EWIS component failures were severely lacking. Some organizations would create a single failure number for an entire circuit, regardless of the wires or connections made […] Read more

What Are You Missing from Your Risk Assessment?

January 8, 2018 Michael Traskos

Creating maintenance action plans for vehicle sustainment is a heavily detailed process involving the collaboration between multiple groups. If any group has a less detailed (or flawed) analysis, the potential impact could be felt for years/decades to come. A structured process for assessment is outlined in the mechanical subsystems integrity program (MECSIP) outlined in military […] Read more

By: Michael Traskos