Page 9 – Spirit Electronics

Spirit’s Veterans Continue to Support the Military Mission: Veteran Owned, Veteran Driven

Phoenix Business Journal this week named Spirit Electronics as the #10 largest Veteran-Owned business in the City of Phoenix. Our CEO Marti McCurdy, a US Air Force veteran, leads the company, but a heavy veteran team presence also helps drive Spirit’s mission and business growth.

Spirit’s value-added services and supply chain support in aerospace and defense includes delivering qualified high-reliability electronics to the military and prime contractors. While supporting this business mission, we also want to honor the veteran experiences and personal sacrifices that drive our team to succeed.

Our Veteran Experience in Military Service

Spirit CEO Marti McCurdy is a proud veteran of the US Air Force. But our experience in service gives us more than a small business boost. Our veterans have come from all branches of the military, with experience in aircraft to ground missions. We have always found our veterans bring an expert mindset to our business with tactical understanding of product safety and reliability, standards compliance and product requirements. Our veterans know first-hand why their team roles matter to the mission on the front lines.

Continuing to Support Military Programs: the F-35 Lightning II

Our components support mission-critical operations on the ground and in the air, with aircraft like the F-35 Lightning II elite fighter jet. Telling the story of her transition out of the Air Force, Marti explained, “I got out and thought, where are the F-111s? What am I going to do?”

This is one reason why our veterans excel in our aerospace and defense business—we continue to put their technical and hands-on potential to use in direct support of customer programs like the F-35. Spirit supplies components for the programmatic gate array for the F-35 avionics systems. Over 17 Spirit staff members support this program, including Warehouse Manager Jeremy Rolin, who previously supported the F-35 through aircraft maintenance in the US Air Force.

Spirit is one of 1,800 companies that support the F-35 Lightning II production line, and the program brings over $1 billion into our local Arizona economy. Read more about the F-35 Lightning II program.

Supporting Veterans in Our Civilian Workforce

Our veteran staff know the stress involved in career transitions. In fact, knowing how to prioritize, brush off stress, and focus on the team goal is one of the reasons we love our veteran hires. Marti sat down with our veteran team on our podcast to talk about the transition from military to civilian career and how to navigate it successfully.

Marine Corps veteran Thomas Stewart, who manages Spirit’s SMI programs, explained “You deal with a lot of stress in the military, and you’ll deal with a different stress when you get out. I think you have to focus on what you need to do. You learn that in the military, and you learn how to prioritize and focus on how to get the job done.”

“You deal with a lot of stress in the military, and you’ll deal with a different stress when you get out. I think you have to focus on what you need to do. You learn that in the military, and you learn how to prioritize and focus on how to get the job done.”

Spirit Finance Director Chris Sinerius, said he went from operations superintendent in charge of 170 team members to a staff accountant making $15 an hour in charge of nobody. “I think that’s the biggest challenge for a lot of folks is accepting that it’s a start over and that you have to work your way up again, being willing to find those new skills to adapt to the market.”

How can we help our veterans make the transition to a civilian career more easily? Warehouse Manager Jeremy Rolin, who just completed 22 years of service with the Air Force and now works with Team Spirit explains “Spirit actually makes it a little bit easier. The culture was definitely similar but different, in many ways.” Supportive team culture, common goals, and the openness to learning more about military experience and culture have helped our veteran and civilian teammates work together.

We are also no strangers to reserve and guard activations. Many veterans continue to serve while also holding down a civilian career, and activations and deployments can add to the stress and transitions they experience.

Our former teammate Zac Scott is currently on deployment and spoke with Marti about transitioning before he left on deployment.

“This is actually my first corporate job ever,” Zac said. “ I would say coming in here and being welcomed with open arms—that was amazing. It was a hit the ground running and hey, what do you need for us to help you start learning and be an effective member of the team.”

Spirit Gives Foundation Supports Veterans and Their Families

Being no stranger to the stress of the military, the transitions from duty stations or to civilian life, we created a nonprofit foundation Spirit Gives to extend support to veteran families in our community. Our growing foundation wants to reach families in our area who need support to juggle work, life demands, and their children’s needs.

Spirit Gives holds seasonal donation drives and fundraisers to offer support with basic everyday needs like electric bills, school supplies, and mentorship time. For our current campaigns, visit SpiritGives.org.

Honoring Your Service this Veteran’s Day

To celebrate Veteran’s Day 2021, we want thank all of the military veterans on Team Spirit. Your hard work and experiences enrich our mission and help us continue to serve the aerospace and defense industry. We are grateful to you, to the veterans in our families, and to the veterans in our community for your service.

MilesTek Vacuum-Rated Cable Assemblies for Space Applications @ Spirit Electronics

MilesTek TVAC Cable Assemblies Vacuum-Rated Space

A satellite orbiting Earth every 90 seconds cycles from extreme heat to extreme cold temperatures over and over. Whether you’re building a satellite for low-Earth orbit or an assembly for deeper space missions, temperatures, radiation, and the environmental vacuum of space pose unique challenges to electronic assemblies.

MilesTek has designed and produced a range of vacuum-rated cable assemblies tested and qualified to perform in this exact harsh space environment. With the fast-paced shift to commercial and New Space programs, cost-effective assemblies ready to perform in space aren’t just for NASA anymore.

Outgassing and Vacuum Testing

MilesTek made its vacuum-rated cable assemblies with NASA and space applications in mind. The assembly materials must pass testing and meet long-standing requirements for outgassing and total mass loss before they are launched on a satellite.

As with other components, the loss of air pressure in the vacuum of space combined with extremely high and low temperatures can force small amounts of gas out of component materials. Even small amounts of gas in that environment can condense on sensors, lenses, and mirrors to impair visibility or performance.

To prevent outgassing, MilesTek tests its cable assemblies in a thermal vacuum chamber. After cycling the materials through extreme temperatures and vacuum conditions, total mass loss (TMP) measurements are made. Cable assemblies must meet NASA requirements for both outgassing and TML to be considered vacuum-rated. These assemblies perform in temperatures from -55° C to 200°C.

The Full Assembly: Cables, Jackets, and Connectors

As a vacuum-rated cable assembly, every part must be capable of supporting performance. MilesTek’s assemblies include the cable, with special jacketing, and the connector.

For mil-aero applications, MilesTek cables use a twinaxial design with an impedance of 78 ohms. The cable is protected by a UV-resistant PFA jacket to achieve the extreme temperature performance. MilesTek offers four different connector options that use bayonet and threaded mounts to keep cables connected through shock and vibration.

Delivering to Meet the Pace of Space

With new commercial and low-Earth orbit space and new space programs competing for launch schedules, we hear from our customers about the challenges of keeping up with production pace. Current supply chain demands are also pushing out lead times for other space components. But MilesTek’s production model makes sure cable assemblies are in stock and ready for same-day shipping.

Spirit Electronics is MilesTek’s only authorized U.S. distribution partner. With access to MilesTek stock and the ability to manage your component pipeline ahead of your production demands, Spirit can deliver vacuum-rated cable assemblies along with your full bill of materials. For more interconnect products available through Spirit Electronics, download the MilesTek product catalog.

cable connector MilesTek New Space outgassing space electronics Vacuum-rated

TI Space Enhanced Plastic Rad-Tolerant Products Offer Ready-to-Use Space-Grade Solution

TI Space EP @ Spirit rad-tolerant space grade for New Space applications

A new space race is taking off, and Texas Instruments’ space-grade rad-tolerant Space Enhanced Plastics (Space EP) line is positioned to meet New Space mission needs. With private and commercial companies launching space programs and satellite constellations that build on decades of NASA experience, design, and range, we are seeing our customers’ launch schedules and builds pick up speed.

Unlike the deep space missions of the past, our customers are innovating New Space applications for low Earth orbit (LEO) with shorter mission life. But with the influx of innovation comes tight launch schedules and competitive component markets. Customers are weighing decisions to cut production costs and explore commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) alternatives to space-grade components.

New Space Program Risks and Challenges

Spirit’s new test lab and value-added screening services come with decades of experience in radiation and QMLV testing. We know upscreening COTS components poses a significant failure risk. Component failures can delay build and launch schedules, add significant cost to replace parts or even cause full mission failure if a satellite fails in orbit.

This is where TI’s Space Enhanced Plastics line offers a ready-to-use option for reliable space-grade performance. TI already has extensive QMLV product expertise and knows that New Space demands performance while also keeping production competitive, agile, and fast. TI Space EP products mitigate the risk and meet New Space mission goals. You don’t have to sacrifice reliability to meet budget.

Qualified and Reliable Space-Grade Screening

TI Space EP products come with radiation screening, thermal cycling and outgassing right out of the box. There is no need to perform any additional screening. Because TI performs all screening as the OEM, your components arrive with lot data and documentation with full traceability.

In LEO applications, components quickly cycle from hot to cold environments as they orbit the Earth. TI’s parametric testing is performed at room and high temperatures with guard banding for cold temperatures. Products come with 100% temperature cycle characterized to the military temperature range of -55° to over 125°.

Outgassing is performed to ASTM E595, which is essential for plastic packaging that introduces organic compounds. In a space environment, these compounds have the potential to outgas and negatively impact component performance. This is especially true in optics where condensation can obscure lenses and affect sensors.

Plastic Packaging and Material Quality in Space

Plastic packaging offers significant advantages in New Space. Instead of hermetically sealed ceramic, plastic allows more design options and smaller sizing. Plastic reduces product costs without compromising performance. In fact, in our recent podcast interview with TI, GM Gary Reichmuth explained that plastic improves performance because it doesn’t have degradation due to the parasitic loss associated with ceramic packaging.

Plastic isn’t the only material advantage in Space EP products. TI uses gold bond wire to avoid the risks of copper wire. And while pure tin is common in COTS parts, TI Space EP uses less than 97% tin terminations and internal materials to mitigate the risk of whiskering in harsh space environments.

TI Space EP production uses one wafer fab, assembly site, and material set to offer the best control and traceability of materials. While avoiding the variations possible with multiple fabs and sources, this control also allows TI to perform radiation lot acceptance testing on every wafer lot.

Radiation Characterization and Rad-Tolerant Solutions

While radiation hardening is a hallmark in high-reliability, this can add significant expense to any space-grade component. But rather than compromise reliability, TI’s Space EP line considers the shorter mission life span and lower cumulative radiation environment of LEO missions. The result is radiation-tolerant products, characterized with radiation lot acceptance testing (RLAT) to 20 krad. TI tests both the total ionizing dose as well as single event latch up to 43 MeV.

In TI’s experience, radiation performance can vary from lot to lot but also from wafer to wafer inside a lot. TI performs radiation characterization across each lot to avoid this variation, further reducing failure risks. In comparison, COTS products and other manufacturers may only trace back to the wafer lot.

Products in the Space EP Line

The Space EP product family currently includes data converters, power devices, comparators, transceivers, digital isolators, current sense amplifiers, RF synthesizers, linear and low-dropout regulators and supervisors. New space-grade products are expected to release in the next 12-18 months, offering an even wider variety of plastic options available to the New Space industry.

TI Space EP @ Spirit Electronics: TI's Only Authorized SDB Reseller

Spirit is uniquely positioned as TI’s only authorized SDB reseller, and we offer award-winning experience managing full BOM, logistics, and program support for LEO space programs. For agile production and build timelines, we can manage your component pipeline to make sure you launch on time and meet your mission goals. TI’s Space EP rad-tolerant products are reliable and high quality out of the box, and Spirit can get that box to you.

LEO low Earth orbit New Space radiation-tolerant space electronics Space EP space grade TI

Ep. 27: Texas Instruments Space EP: Rad-Tolerant Products for New Space and LEO Missions

Get the inside scoop on industry news and technology!

In this podcast, Marti speaks with Gary Reichmuth, Texas Instruments General Manager for Aerospace & Defense, about TI’s approach to rad-tolerant products that meet the needs of New Space.

Ep. 27: Texas Instruments Space EP: Rad-Tolerant Products for New Space and LEO Missions

Marti speaks with Gary Reichmuth, Texas Instruments General Manager for Aerospace & Defense, about TI’s approach to rad-tolerant products that meet the needs of New Space.

TI has a long history in the space industry, with parts currently hurtling into the unknown beyond our solar system on the Voyager missions. But “New Space,” the recent shift from government space programs to commercial and private space launches and innovation, is exploring applications much closer to home.

When it comes to satellite constellations and low Earth orbit (LEO) missions, programs need to build and launch on tighter timelines to stay competitive. New Space programs need to build at lower cost in higher volume while still meeting the minimum radiation tolerance and harsh environment requirements for mission success.

TI’s Space EP rad-tolerant products fit this perfect niche of cost-effective parts without compromising on performance. TI’s expertise in design and experience in space allows them to make ready-to-use plastic-packaged ICs with enhanced performance and reliability screening.

Listen to Marti and Gary talk about:

(1:50) TI’s history in space

(2:30) Changes in space missions and the Space EP product line

(4:20) Rad-tolerant vs rad-hard and TI’s radiation testing

(6:50) New Space applications for Space EP products

(10:14) Engineering and reliability testing with the Space EP line

(13:10) TI’s screening, especially radiation, and avoiding program risks

(18:47) Wafer lot variations and risks

(21:24) Space EP product family growth–new products are coming!

The TI Space EP line fills the gap between expensive rad-hard deep-space components and off-the-shelf unknowns. The last thing you want is to lose money and time in a failed product or missed launch schedule. The Space EP products significantly reduce this risk.

Spirit Electronics is an authorized distributor working closely with Texas Instruments for the Space EP line and their full range of products. Get a quote at Spirit for TI products for your mission.

Laura Bowling Retires, Celebrating 29 Years Working at Spirit Electronics

Laura Bowling Retires after 29 years with Spirit

Every employer dreams of retaining star employees for their whole career, but we really think it was Laura who decided to keep us. Over time, Spirit has changed, shifted gears, and started to grow exponentially. Being our constant, and the keeper of our history, loyalty, and values, Laura’s hard work and heart for service have given us our team foundation.

Laura started with Spirit Electronics in March 1992. Our business was conducted by phone and over fax machines. When customers ordered parts, POs were sent and received by fax, and then Laura and the team had to track them manually. Customer requirements were fewer, and the DOD had just decided to open up the military supply chain to using commercial off-the-shelf parts with upscreening.

Following the growth and changes of the industry, the Spirit team grew up and down with the ups and downs of the market. Laura and team responded to challenges like counterfeit prevention, cybersecurity implementation, and supply chain delays. Laura saw Spirit through our AS9100 Quality Management certification. In her podcast interview, she says “It’s quality every day, and that’s infused into everyone here at Spirit.” Laura remembers with a laugh how a warehouse employee suddenly moved to Texas, and all the AS9100 preparation materials disappeared with her.

Laura has many stories of our small business challenges. But even though small, Spirit still kept up with industry trends toward automation and improvement. While shifts to customer portals, emails, and automation have streamlined the industry, Laura does miss the personal interaction pre-automation. Laura has represented every one of our prime customer accounts at one point in her career, as well as supporting many other smaller customers.

Laura helped to implement our ERP system, JDE Edwards, to manage ordering and inventory. It was a rocky start with such a massive system, but Laura says she’s been impressed with it. “There was a lot of behind the scenes to get that updated,” says Laura, “but now we’re actually beginning to dive into it more, and I see great things for Spirit because we have JDE.”

The last 4 years have seen major shifts in Spirit’s business. CEO Marti McCurdy acquired the company, and our team has moved to a larger renovated facility, adding test services and contract manufacturing to our long-standing distribution business. “It’s been insane growth,” says Laura, “but good growth.”

Sticking with us for so long, Laura has really set the tone for our team with her hard work and dedication. What’s kept her motivated? “Supporting the troops, and supporting the vision our customers have for new directions,” says Laura. “We support their mission.” Supply chain delays and challenges have made this hard, and often all Laura could do was look for the best solution for her customers. But Laura’s determination has earned Spirit awards for multiple years running from customers like Raytheon and Boeing.

Join us in sending Laura off with well wishes on our LinkedIn page.

Want to work for a company worth 29 years of your career?

Careers Laura Bowling Retirement Team Spirit

Ep. 26: Our Team Member Laura Bowling Retires After 29 Years of Service at Spirit

Get the inside scoop on industry news and technology!

In this podcast, Spirit is bidding a fond farewell to our teammate Laura Bowling, who has worked with the company an impressive 29 years, starting in March 1992.

Ep. 26: Our Team Member Laura Bowling Retires After 29 Years of Service at Spirit

This week, Spirit is bidding a fond farewell to our teammate Laura Bowling, who has worked with the company an impressive 29 years, starting in March 1992.

Many teammates have come and gone in that time, and the company has moved facilities, added services, and changed ownership. But Laura has always been there for us.

The most meaningful parts of her career that have kept her going when chip supplies were tight and lead times got long? The Mission. Laura explains that we support the military mission of our customers, and the people she has met during her time have been the best part of the job.

Laura reminisces with Marti about starting out sending POs by fax and tracking parts by hand back in the early 90s. She helped to implement our ERP system, which brought many automation opportunities. The company went through ISO and AS9100 certification to implement quality management. And yet with each challenge or risk, the work has been successful and a worthwhile effort.

We’re not sure if we’re ready to send her off, but we know she’s ready to take this next big step in her career and enjoy the sunrise sipping her tea from her porch.

Laura, we can’t thank you enough for serving with us and for showing us what it takes to build a meaningful career one day and one customer at a time. Best wishes!

Ep. 25: Your 4 Pillars of Protection from EMP & HEMP with Transtector and PolyPhaser (Part 2)

Get the inside scoop on industry news and technology!

Whether you’re concerned about facilities, high-reliability military equipment, or your local community networks, electromagnetic pulse (EMP) could disrupt your day-to-day capabilities. From leaving you without power to leaving you without data or sensitive equipment, having a plan to address EMP now protects you from equipment loss in the future.

Ep. 25: Your 4 Pillars of Protection from EMP & HEMP with Transtector and PolyPhaser (Part 2)

Whether you’re concerned about facilities, high-reliability military equipment, or your local community networks, electromagnetic pulse (EMP) could disrupt your day-to-day capabilities. From leaving you without power to leaving you without data or sensitive equipment, having a plan to address EMP now protects you from equipment loss in the future.

Add in high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP), which can generate 3 separate strong EMP events, and our vulnerability becomes much more complicated.

We’re returning for Part 2 this week around HEMP protections with Dan Rebeck and Adam Perone of Transtector and PolyPhaser. As Adam explains, electricity is everywhere on the battlefield. While the military market is investing in protecting communications and equipment, other markets such as facilities maintenance and utilities could benefit from getting ahead of the risk now.

Dan dives in again to explain the four pillars of protection you can implement to guard a system against HEMP and EMP: surge protection, grounding, shielding, and filtering. And listen in for an extra bonus pillar: backup power.

In Part 2, you can hear about:

(2:02) Who is the HEMP & EMP protection market?

(6:15) 4 Pillars: surge protection

(9:02) 4 Pillars: shielding

(9:55) 4 Pillars: grounding

(12:40) 4 Pillars: filtering

(14:05) The 5th Pillar: backup power

(16:53) MIL-STD-188-125 and product testing

(19:18) Dept of Homeland Security (DHS) guidelines and commercial infrastructure

(24:00) Infrastructure applications

(27:10) Emerging trends toward implementation

You can find the Guidelines from the Dept. of Homeland Security for protecting against EMP events here.

If you missed Part 1, be sure to listen to episode 24, where Dan and Marti talk about what EMP and HEMP are and what risks they pose.

For individual components or full system customizable solutions, you can work with Spirit as an authorized reseller for Transtector and PolyPhaser to protect your product or your facility from HEMP & EMP. If you want to learn more about what you can do to take action today, contact us at spiritelectronics.com.

The Four Pillars of Protection You Need Against EMP/HEMP Damage in Ep. 24

We’re talking high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) on this week’s episode 24 of Spirit: Behind the Screen. HEMP is a particularly devastating type of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) caused by a nuclear detonation above the Earth’s atmosphere. Dan Rebeck, HEMP/EMP product expert with Infinite Electronics, explains this generates 3 EMP waves: a “triple whammy” that can damage electronic systems in our power grid, data networks, communications, and critical infrastructure.

HEMP/EMP Solutions Consider Your Whole System

HEMP events aren’t the only type of EMP capable of damaging electronics. Natural EMP events like lightning or solar flares or other man-caused events like local sabotage could also compromise sensitive electronics.

You might picture electronics being fried by a lightning zap, but minor damage from an EMP can also compromise an electronic system’s reliability over time. You may not notice minor damage until later when a system fails.

But Dan doesn’t leave us with a doomsday scenario. Infinite brands Transtector and PolyPhaser offer products that you can implement as system-level protections against HEMP and EMP to meet government recommendations. Dan breaks these product categories down to the Four Pillars of Hardening.

How you use the Four Pillars will depend on the electronics you need to protect from EMP/HEMP, how critical your systems are, and what kind of outage risk you can tolerate. Personalized solutions can protect everything from our nuclear codes to residential homes.

Grounding

Grounding offers a connection to the Earth, allowing a surge of electromagnetic energy to drain out to the ground. The best example of this is lightning, which is electromagnetic energy that moves through a system looking for a connection to the ground. Grounding directs the energy to the Earth ground and away from sensitive electronics connected to a network through power or data lines.

Surge Protection

Surge protection, according to Dan, is the most important pillar of the four. A surge protector is a neutral part of an electronic system during day-to-day operations. But when it detects a high voltage greater than what the system can handle, it kicks into action. The surge protector opens a low-impedance path that connects to the Earth ground. This path diverts the high voltage to the ground, protecting electronics connected downstream in the system.

Filtering

“Filtering changes the wave shape of the pulse coming into your facility,” says Dan. “It can slow the EMP down a little bit and can give your surge protector a chance to take more of it away from the system.” Filtering doesn’t stop the EMP. It disrupts it to weaken the EMP to make it possible for your other protection measures to handle the wave.

Shielding

In theory, you could build a full shield to stop an EMP from entering an electronic system. But most of our systems need outside connections to power and data to function. Our electronics need to receive and communicate data in order to operate.

Shielding a building or system to protect against EMP must be used in tandem with the other pillars to be effective. Transtector and PolyPhaser offer surge protection that can be mounted to a shield for higher protection needs. Shielded boxes and cabinets can also provide protection to strategic parts of your system.

HEMP/EMP Protection that Works for Your Application

These Four Pillars can work together to harden your system against damage from a HEMP/EMP event. The exact products you need to put in place around your electronics depends on your applications, how critical your operations are, and how much downtime you can tolerate.

Spirit is an authorized reseller of Transtector and PolyPhaser products, and we can work with you to design a hardened solution to protect your electronics from HEMP and EMP.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our podcast interview with Dan Rebeck publishing September 20. In the meantime, you can hear all about HEMP and EMP in Part 1.

Electrmagnetic Pulse EMP filtering grounding HEMP PolyPhaser shielding surge protection Transtector

Ep. 24: Electromagnetic Pulse Risks and Protections with Dan Rebeck of Transtector and PolyPhaser

Get the inside scoop on industry news and technology!

The chambers are whirring and ovens firing in Spirit’s on-site test lab. What’s the buzz around adding so many options for testing under the same roof as authorized electronic component distribution and circuit board assembly?

Ep. 24: Electromagnetic Pulse Risks and Protections with Dan Rebeck of Transtector and PolyPhaser

Here’s Part 1 of our HEMP interview. But no, we’re not talking THAT kind of high! High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse is a special type of electromagnetic pulse (or EMP) that could easily smoke our infrastructure. This kind of HEMP could wreak havoc on our power grids, communication, and critical electronic operations, leaving us in the dark and vulnerable.

In this episode, Dan Rebeck from Infinite Electronics brands Transtector and PolyPhaser teaches us about the basic risks posed by EMP and HEMP. EMP is something many of us are more familiar with. Whether it’s a lightning strike, a solar flare, or a localized device detonation, the electromagnetic field generated by these common events can easily damage electronics. HEMP on the other hand, is generated by a nuclear detonation at extremely high altitudes, and can generate multiple EMPs that would affect electronic systems on a wide scale.

Dan talks with Marti about why it’s important to understand the risk of EMP/HEMP, and the basic protections available on the market for critical electronic systems.

Listen to Dan and Marti talk about:

(3:00) Threat of EMP/HEMP to daily life and national security

(6:56) What HEMP is and how it compares to EMP

(9:25) The types and severity of damage EMP/HEMP can cause

(13:05) What government or community infrastructure could be affected

(16:25) Customizing a solution to protect from EMP/HEMP

(17:45) Surge protection, grounding, filtering, and shielding

(21:05) What you can do to protect your household from an EMP/HEMP event

Stay tuned for Part 2 with Dan and Marti next week covering the unique product solutions and how Spirit and Transtector/PolyPhaser can help with implementation.

While it sounds like a doom and gloom risk, you can protect your electronic operations and even your household from EMP/HEMP with the four types of protective measures Dan describes. If you’re interested in surge protection, grounding, filtering, and shielding solutions for your business or your product, you can get a quote for products and tailored solutions at Spiritelectronics.com.

Ep. 23: Which Electrical Tests Do I Need for My Component?

Spirit’s Sean Macdonald is chatting with Marti this week on our Spirit: Behind the Screen podcast about how to determine the electrical testing and ranges you need to run a successful component test program.

Tailor Electrical Tests to Application Requirements

Product applications in aerospace and defense run the gamut from a missile performing for mere seconds to a satellite surviving in low earth orbit for 5 years. The test and qualification needs for parts on these applications vary wildly. That’s why Spirit’s testing services start with an in-depth discussion around what your application is and in which conditions you need your components to perform.

Sean talks about two approaches: the data sheet vs the source control drawing. You may be working from a source control drawing that details tests and ranges you’ve been measuring for years. Or you may be working from a product’s data sheet that offers performance specs, but you need to know if the product can truly perform at the extremes.

“We can screen to that type of depth within each component, but in a lot of cases that tends to be overkill,” says Sean. “It’s a lot more cost and effort and time than what might be required. So our preference is to really engage with the customer and understand exactly what is your mission.”

Understanding Requirements to Drive Efficiency

When working to specs and standards, there can be an “it’s always been done this way” mentality. If your electrical test parameters are chosen just because your workflow has always run that way, you may be running more tests than needed for your specific application.

With the right testing partner, you can find ways to tease out electrical performance in the exact range that you need to eliminate extra cost and shorten your production schedule. Spirit can even produce a custom data sheet and part number to support your unique test flow.

“We certainly understand the amount of time and engineering support and effort and internal cost for our customers to develop these types of data sheets,” says Sean. “We’ll put the technical data sheets and documentation in place for you. Your procurement team just needs to order this dash part number, and that tells us to perform all of the specified screening.”

More Tips in Episode 23!

Listen in to this week’s episode for more insight on how to streamline electrical testing and give your production schedule and budget a boost. And if you’re interested in working on a custom workflow, you can reach out to Spirit for a quote or check out our full offering of test services.

Behind the Screen Test Program