5 takeaways on aircraft wiring from a recent SAE committee meeting

May 24, 2015 Michael Traskos

The three-day SAE 8A (Wire Installation) & SAE 8D (Wire and Cable) committee meeting was held in Melbourne, Florida on the famous Space Coast. The focus of the meeting was aircraft wiring. It was collocated with the AE-7 power committee and the solid state power control/switching committee (AE-8B) to promote intercommunication between the areas of […] Read more

A new standard for EWIS design: IPC-D-620

May 19, 2015 Michael Traskos

As EWIS (Electrical Wiring Interconnection System) engineering is becoming a more mature field, additional standards and requirements are being developed. The latest of these EWIS design standards is the IPC-D-620, “Design and Critical Process Requirements for Cable and Wiring Harnesses.” This pending standard, coupled with the design requirements of IPC (Institute of Printed Circuits) documents, […] Read more

Trends in aircraft wiring and risk assessment with John Ashour

April 28, 2015 John Gilroy

The purpose of the Lectromec Podcast is to keep you informed of trends in the rapidly changing aerospace industry. Once a month we interview leaders and seek their insight on topics related to Aircraft Electrical Wiring Interconnection System (EWIS), wire testing, and risk assessment for aerospace. Today’s interview is with the President of InterConnect Wiring […] Read more

Wire & Cable meets Lectromec: A summary of the interview

April 24, 2015 John Gilroy

Last week Michael Traskos, President of Lectromec and noted EWIS expert, sat down with Mary Gannon, Senior Writer from Wire & Cable Tips, for a podcast interview. This article summarizes the interview. Read more

Introduction to aircraft electrical power distribution systems

April 17, 2015 Omid Orfany

The trend in modern aircraft design is away from mechanical systems (hydraulics, pneumatics, etc.) and toward electrical components, or Aircraft Electrical Power Distribution Systems. There are several benefits of the modern design (particularly weight savings). However, as with any airplane design, no system can be fielded before it can be proven safe, reliable, and able […] Read more

What do the results of arc track resistance testing mean?

April 9, 2015 Michael Traskos

Wire manufacturers must ensure that their products can withstand a wide variety of tests. One important test for aerospace professionals is called the “arc track resistance”test. This test is significant because an unconstrained electrical arc can impact the safety and reliability of the Electrical Wiring Interconnection System (EWIS). In this article we will define the […] Read more

Aircraft EWIS failure trends

April 1, 2015 Michael Traskos

The process for identifying an EWIS problem on an aircraft often follows these steps: At some point during aircraft operation a system malfunctions and the pilot reports the malfunction. Maintenance starts by replacing the system component. Depending on schedule and criticality, the maintenance action is scheduled. Often, the first action to be taken is the […] Read more

Aircraft wire inspection? Time tested guidelines

March 18, 2015 Carina Cannon

Performing routine aircraft wire systems visual inspections is a critical aspect of maintaining aircraft airworthiness and extending the component lifecycle. A visual inspection is the first step in assessing the condition of a component or determining what future steps need to be taken. This article discusses recommended techniques based on MIL-HDBK-522, which provides EWIS inspection […] Read more

Overlooked but critical: Impact of storage on aircraft EWIS components

March 9, 2015 Emma Schwoerer

Aircraft maintenance engineers do not pay much attention to the impact of storage on electrical components. This article discusses several aspects of storage in the general category of the electrical wire interconnection system (EWIS), or aircraft EWIS components. We will examine the stowage of connectors, waveguides, harnesses, as well as capping and stowage of terminal […] Read more

Perspectives on arc fault protection

February 27, 2015 Michael Traskos

Lectromec has published several articles and a white paper on our web site that discuss the hazards of electrical arcing and how they can be mitigated. In order to broaden the discussion, this article will try to give our readers some insight on systems that offer solid state protection, generally called arc fault circuit protection […] Read more

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