Around the late 1960s a polyimide film with a resistance to high heat called Kapton was developed. This material appeared stable over a wide range of temperatures and was gas, steam and water tight. These properties allowed it to be used across many different applications and environments.
Since Kapton was considered a good electrical isolator the electronics industry started implementing it in the manufacturing of wires as the insulation material. It was also used as an insulation and protective layer on sensitive electronic components.
Over the next few months InterConnect Wiring will be answering various questions about this wire insulation type which has been used on many aircraft platforms including the F-16, the UH-60 and the F-15. We will also advise when replacement of this wire is necessary.
Here is a photo of a harness bundle with Kapton wires that InterConnect removed from a UH-60A for the Army National Guard Rewire Program. This old wiring harness would later be replaced with a new harness bundle manufactured by InterConnect using TKT insulated wire.
