Purchasing Management 360 Blog

The electrical system in an aircraft is a complex web of components and circuits that play a vital role in ensuring the safety and functionality of the vessel. This system includes the DC alternator, a pivotal apparatus that supports many flight operations. In this blog, we will explore how DC alternators and their control units benefit aircraft electrical systems, with a focus on piston engine aircraft.

Solenoid switches are compact yet powerful devices that play a crucial role in various electrical applications. Despite finding use in numerous industries ranging from automotive and aerospace to manufacturing and healthcare, these types of switches do not receive the recognition they deserve. As such, this article will delve into how they work and where they can be employed.

Circuit breakers are assemblies that may be found in a number of buildings and spaces, serving to protect circuits from the harmful effects of electrical overload conditions, faults, and other such issues. Circuit breakers can range in use from one’s personal home to an aircraft, and they are often paramount for safety. In order to provide protection from hazards, circuit breakers break circuit contact connections when current rises above certain levels or a surge occurs. While this is the basic role of circuit breakers, there are specialized types known as smart circuit breakers (SCB) that perform the same roles while having various additional capabilities that can be highly advantageous for more rigorous operations. In this blog, we will discuss how smart circuit breakers differ from other options, and the various benefits that they provide.

Winches are common mechanical devices that may be found on the back of a truck or in an industrial setting, and they are used to pull in and let out rope through the use of a spool and hand crank. Despite being designed to be very rigorous and reliable, winches will eventually reach the end of their service life as electrical or mechanical failure occurs. While mechanical failure is a possibility, it is much more unlikely than electrical failure. Contactors and solenoids are two components that may be found within a winch assembly, and both are known for being more vulnerable to failure when faced with stress or damage. In this blog, we will discuss the difference between contactors and solenoids, allowing you to better determine what is needed for your various operations as winches may only take one or the other.

Optoelectronics is a subcategory of electronics concerned with light-detecting or light-emitting devices. Optoelectronics are a rapidly developing field of technology that involves using electronic devices for detection, sourcing, and the manipulation of light energy for generating useful results. More than that, optoelectronic devices are transducers, which means that they can convert one form of energy to another, usually electrical energy into light, and vice versa.

Thermistors, or thermally sensitive resistors, are ceramic semiconductors that are capable of exhibiting a resistance change in response to shifts in temperature. Commonly used as temperature sensors for applications ranging from refrigerators to aerospace applications, thermistors are an important component for countless systems. To help you better understand the functionality of thermistors, their types, and their benefits, we will discuss them more in detail in this blog.

Electronics have quickly become the backbone of countless processes in our daily lives, allowing us to easily communicate over long distances, improve work productivity, have instant access to news, and so much more. Despite electronics coming in various shapes and forms, almost all rely on conductor and cable components that ensure their proper functionality. These components, alongside many other electronic parts, are often sensitive to strain which results from bending, pulling, tugging, or sheathing. As strain can quickly degrade the health of various components, it can be very useful to have a basic understanding of cable strain relief and protection.

While many are familiar with how peripherals such as mice and keyboards may be used to control a single computer, some may not know that such devices can extend control over multiple computers simultaneously. Commonly being relied on for data centers, the simultaneous management of multiple devices can permit a more efficient workflow if the same task needs to be conducted for multiple devices. To make such control possible, a hardware device known as a KVM switch is used.

While wireless internet and network connectivity has become widespread and commonly used by many, ethernet switches still remain an integral part of most data networks. As the most common form of network switch, ethernet switches may range in size with small to large variations being available, and they are also found in industrial control settings where they can excel with their robust performance qualities. In this blog, we will go over ethernet switches and how they assist the various networking devices and electronic hardware that they are implemented in.

Switches are extremely commonplace electronic devices, allowing for control to be assumed over a system in order to actuate various processes, switch between power modes, and much more. The rocker switch in particular is a very popular form of switch featuring a mechanism that may rock between two or more positions when actuated. Also known as see-saw switches, rocker switches will often have a side raise when another is depressed, allowing it to visually and mechanically alter between two states with a central pivot point. Depending on one’s particular needs and the application in question, there are a number of rocker switch types that may be used.