Tecom uses hi-rel connectors from Harwin for avionics and IFE systems

Posted by John McHale
SALEM, N.H. 26 April 2011. Tecom Industries in Thousand Oaks, Calif., selected Datamate J-Tek connectors from Harwin in Salem, N.H., for their antenna systems used in commercial avionics and in-flight entertainment. Tecom will also use the connectors for military aircraft systems.
Tecom Industries has contracts with Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and Brazilian Airlines for wireless internet on commercial aircraft. The company has chosen Harwin's Datamate J-Tek connector for its reliability, lightweight, small packaging and pricing, says Bill Neukomm, vice president at Harwin.
The demand for in-flight connectivity for entertainment and business applications is driving the development of lighter, lower profile and more cost effective antenna systems in commercial air transport, while defense aircraft manufacturers are keen to include reliable, lightweight commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) antenna products in their latest-generation airplanes, Neukomm says.
Datamate comes in a variety of different styles including Datamate Mix-Tek which enables users to configure signal, power, and coax contacts in one connector body shell. The Datamate J-Tek product selected by Tecom includes jackscrews for extra connection security. Other options include Datamate 101-lok, a fast, secure mating system, and Datamate Trio-Tek, which can be semi or fully auto assembled.
"The Datamate high performance/high reliability connector range is approved to meet the exacting requirements of avionics, space, and other high-rel markets, yet is priced in-line with commercial connector systems," says Dave Timmons, Harwin's western regional sales manager.
The commercial avionics market for Harwin is particularly strong, he continues. The company's connectors are all over the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which should start deploying later this year, Neukomm adds.