Cable Installation Simulator

Damaged airframe assemblies can lead to compromised signal integrity and failures over time, along with additional testing, maintenance and replacement costs. Because nearly one-third of cable failures occur during installation, W. L. Gore & Associates designed a simulator to evaluate the stress of routing on cables and minimize the risk of damage or failure.

Before routing through our simulator, we test brand-new cable assemblies to verify insertion loss and VSWR over a given frequency range to get a baseline performance. The simulator’s design includes four mandrels that simulate routing an assembly around the internal structure of an airframe. They replicate MBR (minimum bend radius) conditions the assembly will encounter in an aircraft.

Several routing guides are also used to induce torque into the assembly as we pull it through the simulator. Next, we pull the assembly through an abrasion bar that mimics routing across sharp edges or through access holes in the airframe structure. 

After we feed the assembly through all of these components, we connect it to a VNA (vector network analyzer) and test its insertion loss and VSWR performance. Then, we compare these results with the baseline results. Depending on the final comparison results, we may route the assembly through the simulator multiple times and re-test it to verify its durability. 

With our simulator, aircraft manufacturers and installers can be confident they’re getting a cable assembly solution that withstands complex installation, performs reliably throughout aircraft service life and reduces the total cost of ownership.