Life Cycle

Exposure to temperatures greater than a wire/cable’s rating can occur for a variety of reasons such as burst air duct, over current, or equipment failure. For well-designed wire/cable systems, the short duration elevated temperature exposure should not impact the insulation integrity. This test is performed to ensure that the wire temperature rating is not at […] Read more

Dielectric Withstand Voltage – Connectors

The connector is among the most vulnerable parts of the electrical system to the dielectric breakdown. The repeat mating and demating of connectors can wear couplings and pins and can introduce damage to the protective insulating inserts as well as contaminates. This test examines a connector’s dielectric strength at a given voltage level. In particular, […] Read more

Voltage Proof Test

This test (often called the dielectric voltage withstand) determines the dielectric integrity of the cable insulation. Dielectric integrity is determined by placing the wire/cable in a water bath. An AC voltage potential is applied across the insulation between a wire/cable conductor and the ground. This test is typically run as part of posttest assessment procedures […] Read more

Corona Extinction Voltage

High voltage spikes onto wires/cables can progressively degrade the insulation performance and lead to an insulation breach and/or create conductive paths through the insulation. Wires/cables with consistent insulation systems and without air gaps or voids in the insulation will typically have a higher corona inception voltage and a higher extinction voltage. The higher the voltage […] Read more

Tensile Strength and Elongation of Conductors

This method is intended for use in determining the tensile strength and percentage elongation at break of conductors (minor changes are necessary if the test is to be performed on a finished wire or cable).This test may be used on conductors either before application of insulation or after application with the insulation removed. The insulation […] Read more

Cold Bend Test

This test determines the resistance of wire insulation to cracking at low temperatures while being bent around a mandrel. Using a special cold chamber, we can condition the specimen at the low temperatures that can be experienced during flight and study how it reacts to extreme conditions. This is a very good way to determine […] Read more

Dry Arc Propagation Resistance

The dry arc-resistance test for wire insulation provides an assessment of the ability of an insulation to prevent damage in an electrical arc environment. In service, electrical arcs may originate from a variety of factors including insulation deterioration, faulty installation, and chafing. It has been documented that results of an arc-propagation test may vary slightly […] Read more

Low Fluoride Off Gassing

During the degradation process of ETFE and XL-ETFE, fluorine gas is released from the insulation into the environment. While the outgassing is not a problem in open or well-ventilated areas, when stored or used in enclosed areas, the fluorine outgas may react with moisture to form a highly corrosive acid (hydrofluoric acid). Numerous system components […] Read more

Insulation Crosslink Proof

This test is to be used to evaluate the cross-linking of certain types of wire insulation. In this test, the sample is exposed to a temperature above the wire rating for a short duration. If the sample insulation has not been properly cross-linked, then the elevated temperature and mechanical stressing of this test will cause […] Read more

Resistance to Fluids

Regardless of the particular application on an aircraft, at some point in a wire/cable’s service life, it will become exposed to fluids. These may be fuel, hydraulic fluid, cleaners, deicers, and/or a variety of other fluids. It is critical that the wire/cable insulation is not adversely affected with exposure to these fluids. In particular, the […] Read more

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