TE Wire & Cable Thermocouple Solutions Blog

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.

Yesterday, I attended the 10th Annual Wasatch Front Materials Expo (that’s WFME for you acronym lovers). This was my first visit to the SAMPE Utah chapter’s show, which is a four-hour blitz of an event.

I enjoy the more intimate aspects of these smaller shows. The exhibitors have small, simple table top displays. Although it’s only a few hours long, it seems like you have more time for one-on-one conversation with attendees. As always, it’s interesting to rub shoulders with the various exhibitors and attendees, swap war stories and share tips and tricks. (More on that in another post.)

It’s the ugly stuff bad dreams are made of: You load up your parts in the autoclave or curing oven and then plug the thermocouple wires into the jack panel.  

Everything looks good and the door closes.

Oh no! Not again!