TE Wire & Cable Thermocouple Solutions Blog

The molds or tools used for forming and mass producing composite parts can be made of many materials. However, for mass production of complex high performance aerospace composite parts, the material has to be hard enough to maintain its dimensional and surface finish characteristics. The most common material for commercial and military programs that I have seen during my plant tours is invar (64FeNi), a high performance metal with low coefficient of thermal expansion.

As any aviation composites manufacturer will agree, failure is not an option in the curing process. Superior quality is a "must have" for parts used in the latest aerospace and aviation technologies.  

No question about it: 2015 has been a very busy year for aerospace composites manufacturers. We have every indication that we'll all be even busier in 2016. In my travels all over the globe, many of the challenges that composites manufacturers face have proven to be universal. Top of the list are improving quality and reducing waste, both of which are extremely important to building a more robust and profitable bottom line.

TE Wire will showcase autoclave thermocouple assemblies for demanding aerospace autoclave applications including a new prototype for invar tool temperature measurement. 

Ever been to a butcher shop where huge slabs of meat are hanging for the customers to see? The butcher wants everyone to think of nothing but a juicy steak cooked to perfection.  Sadly, as any composites manufacturing facilities manager knows, not all things hung from a ceiling are placed there to inspire lofty thoughts of leisurely afternoons grilling dinner for the family and taste bud-tickling enjoyment.

Sometimes, it’s a cautionary reminder of a process gone terribly wrong.

Anyone who has been through the scramble of providing the required documentation for Nadcap audits knows the related headaches.  Take my word for it, from what I've been told by several aerospace composites manufacturers, it ISN'T pretty.

Our high-performance AccuClave Thermocouple System is being used by aviation / aerospace composites manufacturers worldwide for a number of reasons. Perhaps the single biggest reason beyond their 100% tested, zero failure quality is for their ease of traceability.

No matter how many times you travel in one of those big beautiful birds flying the friendly skies, you cannot help but admire the beauty and strength of the aviation / aerospace composites that are incorporated into their sophisticated design.

There's no getting around it: Baltimore has taken a serious publicity hit in the news recently. Unless you've been hiking in the Outback or hiding under a rock, the rioting and unrest of the past few days has finally settled down. The curfew is lifted and the kids are back to school. Thankfully. 

For those of us in the aviation and aerospace composites industry, we're looking forward to visiting Baltimore for a very different reason: SAMPE Baltimore 2015. Rest assured, SAMPE organizeers are working closely with Baltimore officials & CVB to ensure a safe experience for SAMPE Baltimore attendees.

Last week, during the MRO Americas Show in Miami, Regina Kenney from Aviation Week dropped by for a brief interview on how to improve composite curing quality in aviation applications. 

I must admit, Pat Durkin has some great stories to tell. That's the way it is when you're on the road as much as we are. And I'm sure my fellow globe-trotting associate will admit that as we travel the world sharing our autoclave curing experience with composites manufacturers, we both have a love/hate relationship with travel. But we do it for very good reasons.