AS4372 – Building a Wire/Cable Specification
While it is possible to start from scratch and develop an independent set of tests and performance requirements, there are existing standards that can be used to expedite the process. Read more
By: Michael Traskos
Selection of Zones for Degradation Testing
Maintenance zones within an aircraft are not homogeneous. They vary from the extreme Aircraft areas within the aircraft (engines) to more benign areas (inside pressure and temperature-controlled areas). And because of this, the components within each of these zones will age at different rates. Naturally, different components are selected for each of these zones; those components better able to handle the severe environments are installed in those environments, and lower requirements are placed on those parts installed in benign environments. Read more
Solder Sleeves and Splicing in Shields
Shielded cables are necessary. They provide necessary EMI protection to ensure signal fidelity, and in some cables, such as coaxial cables, the shield is integral for signal transmission. Trying to use only non-shielded cables in any modern design would encounter such a significant impact on performance, it may not be possible except for a limited number of applications.
Because of this need for shielded cables, there is a wide range of components and supporting technologies to ensure proper use and reliable transmission of data. One of these technologies is a device to help with shield termination.
Read moreLight Weight and Normal Weight Wire Constructions
Saving weight is a large part of any aircraft design. Naturally, the electrical system is not exempt from the goal of shaving off a couple of pounds. This often comes in the form of looking for lighter connectors, lighter clamps, and also lighter wire constructions. Those that have done this have undoubtedly come across two classifications of wire construction: “Normal weight” and “light weight”. Of course, if the EWIS has to go on a diet, then the “light weight” construction looks like a good substitute for the “normal weight”… after all, why would the wire be called “light weight” if not for satisfying weight requirements. Read more
Notch Testing and the Impact of 1000 Cuts
How much damage can a single wire take? Does the failure of a wire’s insulation require one large trauma (think of dropping a hammer on it), or is it possible for the insulation to fail due to 1,000 small cuts? That has been a question plaguing wire system sustainment for decades. Identifying one large trauma can be easy, but to catalog all the minor traumas is impossible. Read more
Infographic – The Journey of An Aerospace Wire
From beginning of its life, aircraft wire and cable undergo thousands of hours of testing to ensure their reliable performance. To grasp how this process evolves, Lectromec has put together this infographic. Looking for help along the process? We can help with that too.
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Understanding Life Prediction Technology
To understand the basis for wire life prediction, there are parts of the process that must be understood from a fundamental perspective and how these fundamentals are applied to the long-term reliability and life prediction of the components. This article will cover some of these basics, the research that has gone into this field, and how it is used as part of EWIS sustainment and service life extension projects. Read more
Review of EWIS for Sustainment
We measure everything that matters. In the last decade, the efforts of organizations to measure EWIS has been progressively increasing. Perhaps this is because wiring is now considered a system, or because regulations and requirements have emerged, or it may be due to a better understanding of the EWIS maintenance costs. Whatever the reason for better EWIS maintenance issue quantification, it has been a positive because there is data available to substantiate aircraft maintenance actions. The old saying is, “You can’t beat something with nothing”, and for too many years, EWIS maintainers were trying to take on EWIS maintenance without supporting data. Read more
Top 5 Articles from 2019
The team here at Lectromec would like to start this article thanking all of our clients for trusting us with your EWIS component and system testing/certification needs and we look forward to supporting your goals in 2020.
At the end of every year, Lectromec rummages through that year’s publications and articles to find the most popular ones. In 2019, this required going through 26 articles. Here are the top 5 Lectromec publications of 2019.
Read moreS&T 2019 – Meeting Report
To get the most from the industry, it is necessary to learn and share with the community as much as possible. Some would call it reciprocity, others, seeking to work to a common goal. Whatever you want to call it, the S&T Electrical Systems and Wiring Inter-Agency Meeting was held earlier this month in snowy Cleveland OH in December 2019. The following are a couple of the areas presented and discussed during the meeting. Read more