Aerospace proximity sensors reduce downtime and maintenance costs

Honeywell IHM Series Aerospace Proximity Sensors benefit from the company’s 30 years’ expertise in designing for defence and commercial aircraft. These devices are now available through TTI Europe. The series reduces downtime and maintenance costs by detecting more internal failure modes accurately and reliably in extreme environments than competitive products on the market, thanks to a proprietary circuit. These Proximity Sensors feature enhanced vibration and EMI specifications, which help to increase flight hours and reduce system maintenance. A hermetically-sealed, all-welded stainless steel construction provides exceptional robustness and durability in harsh environments, eliminating any potential for contamination. Due to their non-contact design technology, the sensors detect the presence or absence of a target regardless of the often very dirty conditions in which they operate, thereby eliminating mechanical failure mechanisms, increasing revenue and reducing maintenance costs by increasing MTBFs and so minimising downtime. A further feature of the sensors is the optional third output state to indicate the health of the sensor (whether operating optimally or failed), which again reduces maintenance time and delayed flights, helping to lower overall maintenance costs across the lifetime of the aircraft. As the series offers a platform approach, engineering investment in product is lowered, and speed to market is increased. Suitable applications for the series include cargo loading latch detection; door status (open/closed position; locked status); evacuation slide door-lock mechanism; flight controls (flat/slat, spoilers); landing gear (uplock, downlock and Weight on Wheels); and TRAS (stowed or deployed status).