One of the most common means for wire failure is through insulation chafing. In operating conditions, wires/cables are exposed to various sharp edges on aircraft that can quickly deteriorate the insulation integrity. This test assesses the wire/cable’s insulation durability to sharp edges at ambient temperature.
The sample is abraded until failure. The failure is identified via a detection circuit connected to the scrape abrasion jig and sample under test. Once conductivity is detected between the two, the test is halted and results recorded.
When this test is performed on shielded cables/harnesses, the typical test modification is to attach the detection circuit to the sample shield. This can be changed based on the client’s need.
There are several parameters that can be adjusted to the client’s particular needs including:
- Weight on Sample
- Abrasion Frequency
- Abrasion Jig
- Number of Trials
- Temperature (see Scrape Abrasion at Temperature).