Archives
Resistance to Electrical Arcs
When wires are damaged in in service electrical arcing may occur, current “jumping” across a gap that would normally be insulated buy distance or an insulating material. This electrical activity can further damage the wire and potentially damage surrounding wires, cables, equipment, structure, and fuel lines. Arcing is often associated with severe electrical failure and […] Read more
Resistance to Flame Propagation
This test evaluates the ability of cable insulation to resist flame propagation when exposed to fire; for a high quality cable insulation, the flame should extinguish quickly and not spread along the length of the cable. A flame is applied to a finished cable affixed in the test apparatus and maintained for 30 seconds. Upon […] Read more
Relative Thermal End Point Time and Temperature Index
The chemical composition of a wire’s insulation degrades at elevated temperature; this test provides data to establish curves describing the rate of degradation with respect to the exposure temperature. Samples are divided into four groups; each group is exposed to a selected temperature for defined time intervals. The time intervals are determined by an estimate […] Read more
Resistance to Hot Water
This test evaluates the ability of a wire or cable to withstand extended exposure to hot water while connected to a relatively low voltage source. A coiled test sample is secured into a saltwater bath maintained at 85 degrees Celsius; both exposed ends of the sample remain outside he water bath. One exposed end is […] Read more
RF High Potential Withstanding Voltage
This test measures the ability of a high frequency connector to withstand a specified RF voltage and frequency. The connector is mated to the appropriate receptacle and connected to the test circuit. A specified RF voltage and frequency are applied between the center contact and the connector body, stabilized, and maintained for one (1) minute. […] Read more
Shell to Contact Resistance
This test measures the resistance between each grounding contact and the shell of a connector. This quality is imperative to the functionality of the connector as current leakage between contacts and the shell can lead to severe malfunction. The voltage drop is measured between each grounding contact and the shell while carrying a one (1) […] Read more
Seal
This test evaluates the quality of a sealing component part. This test may identify defects in the sealing material or due to the manufacturing process used to form the seal. Testing may be performed upon receipt of samples to verify initial quality, or as post-test evaluation to evaluate component performance under other test conditions. There […] Read more
Unbalanced Pair to Ground Capacitance
A capacitance unbalance bridge is used to measure the pair-to-ground capacitance of a wire pair inside of a multi-pair cable. Read more
Tensile Strength and Elongation of Extruded Insulation, Sheath, and Jacket Materials
This method is intended for use in determining the tensile stress of insulation and sheath compounds. It is applicable to the usual grades of rubber and thermoplastic compounds used for insulation and sheaths. The specimen shall be a piece of the insulation or sheath taken from the inspection unit. The die used to make the […] Read more