DTI Device Technologies Gmbh Protecting wiring- the nervous system of your aircraft
No surprise but all aircraft have a significant amount of wiring- for example, the Airbus A380 has over 320 miles. Of course, small planes have far less but every piece of electrical equipment still has power and in/out data feeds. The wiring is like the plane’s nervous system - it is as vital to keeping the plane flying. Aviation authorities have recognised wiring a.k.a. the Electrical Wiring Interconnect System or EWIS as an important system that needs protection.
Protection is needed as the EWIS is often routed over or through metal.
In particular every aircraft has dedicated penetrations that carry wires, cables, fluid and pneumatic lines. Penetrations are as small as practical but the clearance between wiring and the air frame can as small as a quarter inch. That small gap during the stresses of flight could easily cause chafing which can cause arcing and sparking leading to systems failure or worse total loss. Not exactly a pleasant thought when you are experiencing turbulence at any height.
If your airplane is 10-20 years old, it may be a shock to realise how many hours your EWIS has on it. The EWIS should be inspected regularly. An ideal time is during refit. When refits were done recently for ADS-B, many owner operators / MRO’s, FBO’s took that opportunity to inspect the EWIS for clearance issues and chafing effects like worn insulation or carbon track.
Chafe is a significant issue
Equipment discrepancies are common for all aircraft owners. However, ironically, they are often traced to wiring problems not equipment issues per se. NAVAIR data shows that biggest single reason, at 37% for aircraft not being in service was discrepancies caused by wiring chafe. While your usage may not be as extreme as military flight, G-force and vibration are a factor for all aircraft.
For decades glued-on nylon grommets have been used to protect wiring against chafe. However, this method has always had serious drawbacks: the installation is a long slow costly multi-step process and both the glue and grommet are susceptible to degradation
and dis-bonding which can threaten product / system integrity and performance. In this ‘there is an app for everything’world this anachronistic method cried out for innovation.The innovation came in the form of a polymer encapsulated flexible steel grommet called SpringFast® which is already widely used in military / commercial aerospace and automotive.
In contrast to glued in nylon, it offers superior performance and is lighter with superior retentive strength. It has been designed to be installed or removed in seconds with just finger pressure. No glue! No fixturing! No curing! Its simplicity cuts manufacturing / refit installation costs for OEM’s, MRO’s, FBO’s by 50%! For smaller planes and owner operators it means quick and easy protection without the multi-step mess or hazards of glue. The better way to care for your plane’s nervous system.