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Pushing the Boundaries: Adapting Interconnects to Harsh Environments
Sandrine Hermant Marketing Manager
Camille Saugey Marketing assistant
Axon' Cable
breakdown voltage) of the insulated wires. Furthermore, the phenomenon of thermo-oxidation degrades the insulating materials even more over the long term. Adapting an interconnect to harsh environments requires a thorough knowledge of the materials that make it up and a detailed understanding of the customer's needs.
Designing interconnect solutions for harsh environments means adapting them to meet extreme conditions. Several options are possible: push the limits of the materials used, adapt the use of these materials, and design the final product accordingly. Upstream, the use of simulation tools and the gray matter needed to interpret are essential. Reinforcing the most fragile part of the connection, usually the connector cable interface, is also mandatory.
Mastering materials
Combining miniaturization requirements with resistance to continuous high temperatures are increasingly common demands for applications in aeronautics and oil research. Wires insulated with high temperature thermoplastics such as PEEK, thermoplastic polyimide (TPI), or PTFE are suitable for continuous temperatures up to 250-260 °C. However, beyond a certain temperature limit, the intrinsic properties of the insulation materials drop, impacting the mechanical properties (elongation, tensile strength) and also the electrical properties (insulation resistance,
Diablax280, an insulating material designed by Axon' Cable, for high temperature insulated wires, has a better dielectric strength than PEEK and TPI at 280 °C continuously for 20,000 hours. Dielectric strength is the maximum value of the electric field that an insulating material can withstand before undergoing an electric breakdown. Resisting high temperatures does not necessarily mean resisting during a long period. It can mean withstanding peak temperatures from a few minutes to a few hours. This is the case, for example, in environments such as oil refineries, offshore platforms, or military applications where the integrity of electrical circuits must be maintained for a few hours in the event of a fire. In this type of
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