Insulation Concentricity and Wall Thickness

Measuring the insulation concentricity and wall thickness is a quality assurance test that can identify uniformity issues. Wires with non-uniform insulation (or cables with non-uniform jackets) will have an unbalanced insulation wall thickness that can make the wire/cable more susceptible to mechanical or electrical failure. This test can be performed on wire gauges ranging from […] Read more

Wrinkle Test

This test is used to evaluate the quality of insulation and its ability to withstand wrinkling. Wrinkles can occur to insulation when bent back and forth frequently, eventually causing the insulation to deteriorate. The particular concern here is on tape wrapped insulations. During the fabrication process, an adhesive is used to hold the tape wrap […] Read more

Impulse Dielectric Test

The impulse dielectric tests can be thought of a production line means of checking for insulation/jacket breaches in wires/cables. In this test, a voltage is placed on the specimen and the specimen is pulled under a ‘chain mail’ curtain connected to ground. The test is performed at a higher voltage than the standard dielectric tests […] Read more

Age Degradation

Some wire insulation types have well-defined accelerated aging processes, whereas others are rather non-active in terms of standard aging (heat, strain, and humidity). This procedure provides a vetted process for assessing the age degradation process for polyalkene wire. For non-polyalkene insulated wire/cable types, see Thermal Index. Life cycling of polyalkene wire is a three-step process […] Read more

Time/Current to Smoke

When placed under heavy electrical load conditions beyond the designed current carrying capacity, wire/cable will heat and cause damage to the conductor, wire/cable insulation, and potentially other components. At what electrical load the wire begins to degrade and produce smoke varies depending on the conductor material, conductor plating, and insulation. Those wires/cable able to handle […] Read more

Conductor Solderability

Soldering is a common method for wire termination and the adhesion of the solderability is critical for both mechanical and electrical performance. Certain conductor platings, such as tin and silver, are more solderable and thus used for these applications. The solderability of a wire conductor examines how well a solder adheres to a conductor. Any […] Read more

Thermal Index

The long-term thermal stability of wires and cables is important for reliable aircraft performance. Wires used at temperatures at or above the temperature rating can quickly degrade and create the need for premature rewiring of systems. The thermal index test (also known as the Relative Thermal Life and Temperature Index) is based on multiple cycles […] Read more

Humidity – Connectors

Exposure to humidity is among the most common means of electrical equipment degradation. The humidity testing offers a means of assessing the potential for a in-service connector and/or crimped contact degradation due to heat and humidity. The problems are most pronounced on components with significant imperfections in the component plating. This test seeks to assess […] Read more

Resistance to Oil: Insulation and Sheath

This method is intended for use in determining the effect of oil on oil-resisting insulation and sheath of insulated wire and cable. The procedure may be used for determining the resistance of insulation and sheath to oil at any desired temperature. The tensile strength and elongation, or other characteristic used for determining the degree of […] Read more

Thermal Shock

Temperature cycling can cause rapid degradation of wire/cable insulation integrity. This can manifest and insulation splits, cracks, and/or delamination. Often an overlooked test method for assessment, the thermal shock test proves and excellent means of assessing the construction quality of a wire or cable. The test focuses on a single high-temperature to low-temperature exposure and […] Read more

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