Electrical Fault and Fire Prevention and Protection

June 3, 2016 Michael Traskos

The prevention of electrical fires is a common goal for most aircraft systems. Advisory Circular (AC) 25-16, “Electrical fault and Fire Prevention and Protection”, released in 1991, can be considered one of the precursors to the Electrical Wiring Interconnection System (EWIS) regulations. Although the document is now 25 years old as of last month, AC 25-16 provides a wide variety of recommended practices that are commonplace in the EWIS design and installation. Here we review some of the key points addressed in AC 25-16 and considerations with modern EWIS design with respect to electrical fault and fire prevention and protection. Read more

High-speed footage of wire failure near fuel line

May 13, 2016 Michael Traskos

Introduction As with most fields, the more we learn about a particular topic, the better our understanding of its complexity and the finer details involved. One area Lectromec has done extensive research in is the potential impact of wire failure and electrical arcing (you can find several blog posts and white papers here). In this […] Read more

Latest news on aircraft wire from the SAE’s Spring 2016 Wire and Cable Committee Meeting

May 5, 2016 Michael Traskos

he Spring 2016 SAE AE-8A and 8D wire cable standard and wiring installation guidance committee meetings were held last week in Denver, Colorado. The continuing process of wire improvement, both in terms of product and installation, was held over a three-day period covering dozens of topics critical to improving the reliability of EWIS. The following are some of the updates from this meeting. Read more

EWIS component test listing now available

May 5, 2016 Michael Traskos

Find information and pricing for aerospace electrical component tests for qualification, verification, and performance assessment. Read more

A case study addressing EWIS sustainment needs

April 10, 2016 Michael Traskos

This white paper is a case study on recent work performed by Lectromec for the U.S. military to achieve Electrical Wire Interconnection Systems (EWIS) sustainment of an aircraft fleet. Read more

Joint Services Wiring Action Group (JSWAG) Spring 2016 updates

March 25, 2016 Michael Traskos

The Spring 2016 Joint Services Wiring Action Group (JSWAG) meeting was held in San Diego last week. Lectromec had the fortune to be able to attend this great meeting that included participants from all branches of the U.S. military as well as several foreign organizations. For those not familiar with the work of the JSWAG, […] Read more

What do advanced arc fault circuit protection devices protect?

March 16, 2016 Michael Traskos

The use of circuit protection devices is a fundamental part of circuit design; it is difficult to think of systems without them. For the aircraft industry, thermal circuit protection devices have been the primary circuit protection components for decades, and there is good reason for this: flight crew and maintenance personnel are familiar with their operation, and they are reliable and relatively low cost. Read more

11 improvements to MIL-HDBK-522 for aircraft wire systems

March 2, 2016 Michael Traskos

One of the best handbooks on EWIS routine inspection for aircraft wire systems is the military handbook MIL-HDBK-522, Guidelines for Inspection of Aircraft Electrical Wiring Interconnect Systems. The first version of the handbook was released in 2010 and provided a good starting point for EWIS inspection guidance. This guidance has been updated with the release […] Read more

4 aspects of wiring selection for special aircraft applications

February 4, 2016 Michael Traskos

Not all wires are created equal. Through the years, Lectromec has learned the best practices for wire selection that would ensure the Electrical Wire Interconnect Systems’ (EWIS) longevity. There are thousands of wire standards for the aerospace industry. These include: the National Electrical Manufacturers’ Association (NEMA) standards, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standards, as […] Read more

Aircraft wire systems: Bent pin analysis

January 29, 2016 Michael Traskos

Previous Lectromec articles have focused on certain parts of system design such as the physical separation between systems. In particular, the articles have focused on the wiring. In this article, we will switch our attention to a different, but no less important, area: the Electrical Wiring Interconnect Systems (EWIS) connector assessment. Specifically, we will examine […] Read more

By: Michael Traskos