Automated Engine Harness Testing

To some it may come as a surprise to discover that many modern fighter aircraft can contain in excess of 20 miles of wiring where the equivalent figure for a large commercial airliner will be closer to 100 miles. While the amount of wiring installed on an aero-engine represents only a small percentage of these totals, it is fair to say that on no other part of an aircraft will the wiring be subjected to such harsh environmental conditions. Excessive vibration, extreme changes in temperature, atmospheric pressure and humidity, along with possible contamination and degradation from fuel, lubricants and hydraulic fluids, all contribute to the most hostile conditions imaginable for the conductors, insulation and connection devices (connectors, contacts and so on) that make up these harnesses. With the introduction of significantly more complex electronic engine management and fly-by-wire systems increasing the complexity of engine (and entire aircraft) wiring, it is becoming increasingly important to use test methods that will reliably identify the problems created in such environments.