The A380 program, is an industry forerunner and catalyst for major technological innovations in the aeronautical field, it is the first aircraft of a new generation offering higher performance. The enhancements in its design have resulted in substantial changes both technologically and economically. These have resulted in the reduction of fuel consumption, lowering operating costs and more environmentally friendly aircraft. To achieve these new levels of superior performance composite materials have been adopted from Military Helicopters and Stealth Aircraft where they are widely used. This use of composite materials is expanding rapidly with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner which is a substantial user of composite materials in airframe and subsystem componentry. It is to be noted that this new migration to composite materials for the external structures of airplanes exposes all the internal components (flight systems, connectors, cables, …) to new and severe environmental conditions, such as lightning strikes which induce extremely high currents in the internal cable harnesses.
SOURIAU has pre-empted and supported this material evolution with research and development activities in composite materials and their behavior since the end of the 1980’s. This
has resulted in SORIAU achieving a substantial technological leadership position in the formulation and industrial processing of composite materials. For 20 years SOURIAU has optimised the advanced high pressure molding and the adhesion of nickel plating. This experience has resulted in the company being selected to partner with BOEING in the definition of the composite connector requirements for the 787 Dreamliner. In addition to the standard tests specified for the MIL-DTL-38999 connectors (shock, vibrations, electrical performance,…), limit testing has been performed on our MIL-DTL-38999 metal plated composite connector as defined by Boeing and the products exhibited outstanding reliable performance through life testing.
Originally developed for military applications, the MIL-DTL-38999 tests do not take into account these new environmental conditions hence new extended tests have been evolved.
The composite connectors were successfully tested against deicing fluids used at airports, showing that SOURIAU’s nickel plating can withstand these aggressive fluids. Moreover, an
accelerated aging of connectors was simulated by sandblasting, emphasising the excellent properties of SOURIAU’s control of composite materials. The test was then continued to the
connector’s destruction to determine the operating limits. The results satisfied Boeing requirements.