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

ASTM D2303 – Inclined-Plane Tracking and Erosion Tester

Overview The LEC-2303 test system provides a safe, simplified test system for the performance of ASTM D2303 – Inclined-Plane Tracking and Erosion (also in compliance with the IEC 60587 test standard). This test system is capable of performing one or more tests at a time and removes the need for constant sample monitoring with automated trip detection. […] Read more

Arc Damage Analysis

Summary of Electrical Arc Damage Analysis Electrical wire failure can impact aircraft airworthiness. Lectromec can help you define your separation requirements with lab data matching your system configuration Data generated can be used for EWIS certification to requirements such as 25.1707 Lectromec has the knowledge, equipment, and capabilities to performed electrical arc damage analysis of […] Read more

Aircraft wire degradation and looking in the arc

August 15, 2014 Michael Traskos

Those who have witnessed electrical arcing and aircraft wire degradation first hand know the feeling of the intense heat radiating from the arc location, the screeching sound (AC arcs), and the bright flash that leave you visually stunned for several moments. The problem with recording these events is that the arc flash is often so bright […] Read more

The Impact of a Short Circuit on Conductor Performance

March 17, 2020 Laura Wishart

Over-current and shorting are an ever-present risk to power wires and cables. The hope is that circuit protection can quickly respond to over-current conditions fast enough to prevent any damage to the circuit components. Wire conductors have a temperature rating, limited by the plating, because that is the established temperature for long-term reliability. But what happens when a single wire is exposed to repeat over-current conditions? Does the latest generation of circuit protection sufficiently protect the wiring? Read more

SAE Wire and Cable Committee Meeting Update – Fall 2019

November 3, 2019 Michael Traskos

The SAE wire and cable committee held their fall 2019 meeting in San Diego this year. As with every committee meeting, a lot of technical areas were discussed, progress was made, and some new ideas/problems are emerged. As we do after all these meetings, we put together a highlight of some of the talking points from the meeting.

High Voltage Impact the Aircraft Wiring System

March 18, 2019 Michael Traskos

For aerospace applications, high-voltage power is a rapidly growing interest and being addressed across several industry technical committees. The basic idea is that the power generation is increasing the supplied voltage and creating a need for the electrical wiring interconnects systems (EWIS) to have components designed to sustain these higher voltages for the entire length of the aircraft life. Just as it should not be expected for a connector to operate in a 300°C environment if it is only rated to 150°C, a connector should not be expected to perform perfectly with voltages exceeding its voltage rating. Read more

International Test Standards for Aircraft Wire Tests

January 15, 2019 Michael Traskos

Frequently, Lectromec’s articles have focused on wire and cable testing from US-focused standards such as the SAE and US military (MIL) documents. While these are standards frequently cited, there are other standards organizations that support the aerospace wiring community. Thankfully, many of the standards share a common base and, as is the case with many of the SAE standards, these have been harmonized with European standards. In this article, we will review some of the European wire/cable test standards, variation from similar test methods, and their availability in Lectromec’s lab. Read more

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

AS4373 – Testing Aerospace Cables – Part 1

January 10, 2017 Michael Traskos

When testing aerospace wire, there are several test standards that might be considered; however, the one that is most commonly referenced is the SAE AS4373 “Test Methods for Insulated Electric Wire” which covers a wide range of mechanical, electrical, environmental, and workmanship tests. In this first article of a two part series, we describe the […] Read more

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