CPI Thermal Switches are solving fire and heat detection applications for a large variety of Military and Non-Military Applications.  Typically used for these applications is our Rod & Tube line of Thermal switches owing to several important operational characteristics. For one, these switches are certified to RTCA DO-160C which represents the harshest conditions you are likely to encounter in an avionics application. The list of specific testing area’s includes the following:

• Vibration – 10hz to 2000hz over multiple hours and 3 different axis.
• Humidity – 95% relative humidity at 65C over ten 8 hour cycles
• Sand & Dust – 99% Silicon Dioxide <.045mm diameter, under high temperature, humidity and wind, six sides exposed.
• Salt Spray – 5% Salt Solution with atomized fallout rate of 0.5 to 3.0 ml/hour per 80 cm2 for 50 hours
• Temperature & Altitude – Switch energized for up to 2 hours at 85C, altitude testing to 70,000 feet.
• Shock & Crash Safety – Sine and half sine shocks at 15G and 30G repeated up to 18 times for 11 milliseconds each.

Thermal Switches Made for The Avionics Industry

Just one of the many avionics applications CPI has been designed into include the new Diamond Aircraft DA42 L-360 used by Embry Riddle Aeronautical University as a trainer. This twin engine propeller plane from Austrian company Diamond Aircraft was chosen because it offered so many advantages over prior-generation designs. This includes an all-composite construction, state-of-the-art Garmin G1000 glass panels, and reliable Lycoming 180-horsepower engines. While each new DA42 L-360 comes equipped with an advanced glass cockpit, the ERAU fleet has been upgraded to include an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) traffic and weather system.

One other important part of the DA42 is the CPI X2003-506 thermal switch used in the engine compartment fire detection systems. “The X2003 is really made for fire detection applications,” says Pete Gagliardi, CPI’s regional sales engineer, “a slow make/break device with a set point from 0F to 1750F that is ultra reliable and accurate.”

A Look at CPI Rod & Tube Thermal Switches

The X2003 thermal switch belongs to a class of stand alone Rod & Tube style, bi-metal Thermal Switchproducts where contact movement is achieved via differences in the coefficients of expansion of two materials, in this case the outer tube and the inner rod. This family of switches is characterized by very rapid response time and very high temperature sensing which operate completely independently of any external control system. The switch has seen many deployments in aircraft over the years, where remote sensors and control systems are not a good or reliable option.

These thermal switches can be procured in multiple rod lengths and multiple contact configurations. They have been used in helicopter engine exhaust, plastics extrusion, aircraft brake applications, among many other demanding applications for the industrial, aerospace, and military industries.

CPI Thermal Switches Fly Safely in Aircraft Applications.

In addition to fire detection, CPI thermals have a long history of success in military and non-military avionics applications.  Here are just a few:

Especially popular for fire and heat detection on aircraft are our rod and tube thermals because of their ability to operate with set points up to 1750F.

Snapstat thermal switches boast a set point range: 0°F-300°F (-17.8°C-148°C) and are perfect for panel or pcb mounting. They have also been qualified in a hermetically sealed option that has dielectric resistance up to 5000 VAC.

For more information call a CPI engineer today.

This blog was originally published at https://www.cpi-nj.com/cpi-thermals-help-young-pilots-fly-safe/

Every day in the US, you’ll see outriggers used in thousands of vehicle applications. Sometimes referred to as “stabilizers,” these small but powerful hydraulic systems do exactly that: provide stability and compensation for abnormal or uncentered loads during performance of some task.

What tasks you may ask? Well here’s a few:

You utility company repair guy has these on his truck as he hangs precariously over your rose bushes in a bucket. No worries because with outriggers deployed he can extend as far as the boom allows to the right or left without fear of tipping over.

Large fire engines will need to deploy that ladder off to the 10th story of a high rise that is on fire. The lateral forces on the fire truck as the ladder rises are huge and without an outrigger to stabilize them, scenes of fireman saving people from the upper floors of a burning building would be all but nonexistent.

Backhoe/Loaders, Cranes, diggers and all manner of construction and mining vehicles. These all employ hydraulic stabilizers of one type or another for stability during digging operations.

Key Safety Parameters of Outrigger Operation

To make sure that larger outriggers are deployed safely and to full extension, limit switches are often used to detect travel and lock-in-place stability.

Commonly used in outrigger limit sensing are CPI’s E1127 for some applications and E1092 for others. The CPI switches have a number of characteristics that made them perfect for this application.

1.  CPI switcCPI 1092 Waterproof Switch – Simulated Roller Actuatorhes were small enough to be mounted inside the outrigger tube there by protecting them from outside damage.
2.  CPI switches are truly waterproof thereby protecting the switch from a harsh and potentially wet outdoor environment.
3.  CPI switches are IP68 rated.
4.  CPI switches are pre-wired in custom lengths and available with a waterproof connector reducing assembly time.
5.  Slotted mounting holes (for adjusting actuation points)
6.  Low-pretravel and large overtravel
7.  Flat, simulated roller, and nylon roller actuators for maximum flexibility in mechanical actuation.

Can CPI solve Your Outrigger switch problem?

In addition to these qualities, CPI limit switches present one of the most robust switch designs in the world, surviving repeated operation in harsh conditions and over a very wide temperature range, with models available that  are guaranteed to operate down to -40F without freezing up.

Flexible stock mounting brackets and compact size complete the value proposition.

Call CPI today to discuss your outrigger application.

This blog was originally published in https://www.cpi-nj.com/outstanding-outriggers-use-cpi/

 Military hardware never stops evolving, because threats never stop evolving. Yet proven technology like CPI thermal and waterproof switches continue to be designed into modern hardware. It comes back to survivability and endurance, and we pretty much own that.

Whether for flight or for ground programs, we offer a variety of switch and sensor products that are qualified to the demanding requirements of the aerospace and military industries.

CPI Thermal Switches for the Military

CPI has supplied reliable thermal switching solutions to various major aircraft manufacturers worldwide for applications in ECS, APUs, compressors, galley equipment, and much more. Our most common aerospace designs have been qualified per RTCA DO-160C and MIL-STD-810.

One interesting aspect of our thermals is their ability to detect cold as well as hot. With programmable set points down to -40F our switches have been used to activate heating systems that preserve electronics operation in cold weather. Our switches won’t freeze up or suffer from sticky contacts thanks to our proprietary design and materials.

General Product Features – Thermal Switches

• Hermetically sealed designs available
• Glass-sealed MIL connectors
• Setpoints available from 0F to 1750F (depending on model)
• Thread and surface mount designs
• Various probe lengths
• Meet the requirements of RTCA DO-160C

Waterproof Switches for the Military

Due to their compact size and low profile, our Waterproof Momentary Switches are a popular choice for push-to-talk (PTT), laser sighting, and field night vision applications. These same switches mounted in our robust bracket & actuator designs have provided solutions for tank turrets (M1 Abrams), engine kickdown (HMMWV), and various limit switch applications for the HMET programs. Our most demanding application yet, cab position indication for the LTAS chassis, employs our J4 Plunger Switch capable of withstanding high vibration. These units still function with the plunger encased in hardened sand and/or ice.

 Waterproof Switches for ground applications 

• Completely waterproof – rated to IP68 / MIL-STD-810
• Hardened stainless steel actuators (J4 Plunger Sw.)
• Cold temperature rating down to -61F (Neoprene covered switches)
• Electromechanical endurance over 5 million cycles
• Various actuator and mounting configurations
• Fits in tight spaces

Customizations Available

• Custom wire lengths
• Sealed terminations include MIL-compliant connectors
• Wire harnessing and abrasion protection
• Customized mounting / actuators

CPI Switches Started out with the US Military

Back around 1945, our first thermal switches were actually produced for the US military. We’ve come a long way since then, but the standalone reliability of our products has remained our “raison d’etre.”

Please call our engineering team today and we can guide you to the final solution to your switching or sensing challenge.

This blog was originally published at https://www.cpi-nj.com/cpi-switches-help-military-vehicles-survive/