Weight

Verification of a wire/cable’s weight is important for several reasons Provides a quick evaluation to determine if the insulation/conductor are made of the right material. Determining an aircraft’s center of gravity is based on knowledge of weight distribution. Installation of overweight wire may impact this. If performed on multiple samples, it can be used to […] Read more

Inherent Viscosity Measurement of Polyimide

Polymers degrade over time. Degradation in internal integrity could lead to mechanical failures and, in operation critical environments, serious accidents. Measuring the inherent viscosity, or the molecular weight of polymers, is a thoroughly proven and effective technique to assess the polymers’ internal integrity. Through an exclusive agreement with DuPont, Lectromec now brings the inherent viscosity […] Read more

Strippability and Adherence of Insulation to the Conductor

This test may also be referred to as simply the “Strip Force Test.” The purpose of this test is to measure the level of difficulty to remove the insulation from the conductor. The insulation should not be easily removed from the conductor, however, it should be able to be removed with the usage of a […] Read more

Resistance to Pinch

During initial construction or maintenance operations, it is possible that wires/cables may become pinched as equipment is placed back into the vehicle. Wires/Cables with good insulation adhesion are less likely to be damaged during this pinching. The resistance to pinch test provides a means to quantitatively assess a wire’s performance. In the resistance to pinch […] Read more

Resistance to Ozone

For some wire/cable insulation/jacket types, the polymer degradation can be tied to ozone exposure. Long term exposure can cause the insulation to become bridle and easily crack. There is also potential for conductor/shield corrosion with ozone exposure. For those using wire/cables in locations with potential for ozone exposure, understanding the impact of prolonged ozone exposure […] Read more

Maintenance Aging

A well-designed connector will easily mate and de-mate throughout the course of its service life. Further, the insertion and removal force of the contacts should not change much from the initial installation. The maintenance aging test evaluates this. The connector is mated and de-mated a dozen or more times. After the mating and de-mating cycles, […] Read more

Electrical Engagement

When using connectors in wire system design, the regular and consistent contact between contacts on both sides of the connector is crucial. To determine this, the electrical engagement test examines the mating length of the connector contacts. For test performance, the counterpart plugs and receptacles are wired to provide a complete series circuit through all […] Read more

Comparative Tracking Index of Electrical Insulating Materials

One of the items that comes up regularly when reviewing the performance of materials is the resistance to arc tracking. This may be one of the properties of polymers and plastics that have the largest number of tests methods for evaluation. No different in this regard is the ASTM D3638 test method for comparative tracking […] Read more

DC Resistance

This test is to measure the direct-current (dc) resistance of resistors, electromagnetic windings of components, and conductors. It is not intended that this test apply to the measurement of contact resistance. When the test is performed, it is necessary to define the test temperature as the DC resistance may impact the results. DC resistance shall […] Read more

Fuel Immersion – Secondary Support

Components that degrade in fuel exposed environments, when located inside of the fuel tank, may break off and create FOD that clogs fuel pumps. Thus, it is necessary to verify the performance of any secondary support product prior to use in these environments. For the fuel immersion test, the specimen are tightened around a mandrel […] Read more

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