Test Equipment

The design of specialized test equipment is a very delicate process requiring time, effort, and attention to details, which Lectromec’s staff is fully prepared to conduct. Test equipment designed and built by Lectromec can be found in the laboratories of a number of well-known and respected companies around the world. Lectromec has been designing high […] Read more

About

Lectromec, founded in 1984, is a Northern Virginia based laboratory and engineering firm specializing in full life cycle support for wire system component testing and system engineering services. We have worked with aerospace industry, foreign and domestic militaries, and governments to serve their electrical wiring interconnect system (EWIS) testing and risk assessment needs. This integration […] Read more

7 considerations for aircraft wire separation

March 30, 2014 Michael Traskos

The development of a safe, reliable, and easy to maintain Electrical Wire Interconnection System (EWIS) is a challenging task. The considerations range from selecting each EWIS component, to matching the load and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) requirements of the connected devices, to ensuring your design can maintain performance across multiple zone environments. EWIS design takes a […] Read more

Building an aircraft electrical wire testing program: Selecting tests, Part I

February 7, 2013 Michael Traskos

This article, which focuses on test selection, is a continuation of a discussion on wire selection that was started in the Determining the Right Wire for your Application article. The series could be used as a basis for understanding electrical wire testing. A quick scan of the wire tests on WireFacts.com demonstrates that there are […] Read more

HV Connector Failures and Part Selection

June 2, 2023 Michael Traskos

With the current shift toward hybrid and electric aircraft, deeper understanding of high voltage connectors and their potential failure modes is required. In this article, we discuss failure modes and selection criteria for high voltage connectors on aircraft. Read more

Fluid Immersion Testing of EWIS Components

January 31, 2023 Michael Traskos

From fuel to hydraulic oil to sodas, aircraft wires and cables are exposed to a wide range of fluids and, generally, the insulations must not show degradation that would impact their airworthiness. Material compatibility is important for all parts of the aircraft and the wiring system is no exception. The means to assess material compatibility between fluids and wires/cables is done with fluid immersion testing.

Fluid immersion testing is straightforward but requires a lot of materials, a lot of prep work, and a lot of hands-on attention to detail. The fundamental idea of fluid immersion testing is for components to be submerged in the fluid and observed for any changes to the material or components. Some test details and the impacts of the test results are covered here.

Glycol and Silver-Plated Conductors

September 14, 2022 Michael Traskos

In this article, we discuss silver’s susceptibility to corrosion when exposed to glycol, its impact on aircraft, and ways to mitigate potential degradation. Read more

ICA Guidance for HIRF and Lightning Protection

February 21, 2022 Laura Wishart

The advisory circular 33.4-3, issued by the FAA offers guidance for developing adequate ICA for an aircraft’s HIRF and lighting protection functions. Read more

Should Polyimide Insulated Wire be Trusted?

September 25, 2018 Michael Traskos

The history of polyimide insulated wire is one that has numerous opinions and a lot of misconceptions. After several incidents involving polyimide wire on aircraft in both military and commercial, many within the aerospace industry refused to put any polyimide insulated wire/cable onto the aircraft they design/maintain. As is often the case with components involved in incidents, a lot of facts and myths get jumbled together. Read more

Testing the Performance of AFCBs

July 16, 2018 Michael Traskos

Arc Fault Circuit Protection has been a technology that dates back to the 1990s. Despite this not being a new technology, the breath of its implementation is still limited. The device owes its inception to arcing events that occurred on in-service aircraft. Because of these events, the wiring community sought to create wiring that was arc track resistant, and the circuit protection community sought to cut off the arcing event before too much energy was released. This has been captured in the requirements of AS5692 for AC circuit protection, and AS6019 for DC protection Read more

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