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Aerospace

The supreme discipline of transmission technology

»The use of slip rings in the aerospace industry is the supreme discipline in the field of transmission technology: No other development does more to foster our inventive talent.«

Safe in the air

Rotary joints used in the aviation industry are mainly compact special designs that have to work reliably even under extreme conditions. These include extreme temperature fluctuations, shock, vibration and radiation. Special requirements also apply with regard to documentation, qualification and product specification. The close cooperation with our customers – already during the development phase – is thus a key success factor.

Air traffic control at airports (ATC)

Our slip rings are used around the clock for air traffic control (ATC). They reliably transmit all radar signals to communicate the exact position, direction, and speed of aircraft in airport airspace. They play a crucial role in ensuring safe and efficient air traffic. At all times.

Helicopters

Challenge in mid-air: The sophisticated slip rings used in helicopters generally transmit data for laser seeker heads or infrared cameras. Depending on the application, helicopters also operate under extreme conditions. The data transmission for an infrared camera, for example, is complex and requires a high transmission rate, especially during real-time video transmission.

Inflight entertainment

Slip rings can also be found on board passenger aircraft, where they make inflight entertainment possible. Thus, airline passengers are able to use the Internet during the flight or while away the time watching the latest movies. Some airlines also offer the possibility to stream entertainment content via their own app on the passenger’s personal end device (smartphone, tablet or laptop).

Large white radar dome surrounded by trees under a clear sky

Space surveillance from earth

In space, unique conditions prevail that regularly pose major challenges for the engineers. Here in particular, it is absolutely crucial that every component works perfectly: Whether subjected to a vacuum or extreme temperature fluctuations, during the development and manufacture of tailor-made slip rings for the conditions in outer space, we view frontiers as hurdles to be overcome.

To guarantee safety in spaceflight, slip rings are also used on the ground: for example, in the space observation radar TIRA (Tracking and Imaging Radar). With a radome diameter of 47.5 meters, the system located in Wachtberg in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia is the world’s largest ground radar system outside the USA. TIRA is the only system that can depict objects such as satellites in high resolution from Earth. The system is used to gain precise measurements of space debris, prevent evasive maneuvers for operative satellites or create an image of an object that has gone out of control.

We set great store by close cooperation with our customers – already during the development phase. This enables us to achieve excellent results.