Product/Service
Spring-Fast® Grommet Edging Selected for Boeing C-17
Farnborough, England (July 24, 2000) – <%=company%>'s new Spring-Fast® grommet edging has been selected for use on the Boeing C-17, providing protection against wire chafing and wear throughout the military airlifter.
The easy-to-install composite grommet edging will be installed around structural openings inside the C-17, cushioning the contact between electrical wiring and metal airframe.
"This order is a major aerospace market breakthrough for Spring-Fast®, which we developed in response to the growing need for reliable and simply installed edging to protect aircraft wiring and tubing," Nicholas Petri, DTi president, said. "We look forward to widening its use on military and civil aircraft, both on new production aircraft and for retrofit."
Boeing's order is the first direct aerospace contract for Spring-Fast®, which originally was developed by DTi for the electronics industry. The product is widely used today in computers, network switching systems, hospital equipment and other applications.
Spring-Fast® quickly snaps into place, using only the pressure applied by the installer's fingers. Once mounted, it remains indefinitely in position.
The edging replaces traditional nylon grommets, which require toxic adhesives to install. Nylon grommets eventually can dry out and become brittle – cracking or falling off the installed surface and leaving wires exposed to sharp-edged metallic surfaces.
Spring-Fast® is a composite of polymer encapsulated spring stainless steel enhanced by a sacrificial cushion. It has been approved by the U.S. Defense Department and Federal Aviation Administration for all aircraft applications.
DTi is based in Marlborough, Massachusetts, U.S.A,. and operates a 9,000 square-foot Class A manufacturing facility for the production of Spring-Fast®. The company is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, and has established an international sales and support network.
