7/24/2000 – Order is aerospace breakthrough for new protection against wire chafing and wear

Farnborough, England (July 24, 2000) – Device Technologies, Inc.'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 the 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 wire bundles,” Nicholas Petri, DTi president, said. “We look forward to widening its use in the military and civil sectors, 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 ISO 9001:2000-certified company is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, and has established an international sales and support network.

Press contact:
Jeffrey Lenorovitz
The InfoWEST Group
Tel. US: +1 703 560-6330
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e-mail: jleno@infowestgroup.com