Sensata Technologies is the world’s largest manufacturer of aircraft circuit breakers. We are integrating our proprietary arc–fault circuitry with our electromechanical circuit breakers to create an industry-leading portfolio of arc–fault circuit breakers (AFCB) which will be suitable to retrofit into older aircraft and to install into new production aircraft.


Arc–fault conditions on aircraft wiring and electrical systems have been an industry concern for many years. Until recently, the technology to protect against these conditions was not available. Numerous studies by the US military have documented issues related to electrical wiring in military aircraft. More recently, a task force on Aging Aircraft has been formed to look at all aspects of aging commercial aircraft. This task force has made numerous recommendations related to electrical system improvements, including the adoption of arc–fault circuit breakers.

Key considerations in arc–fault detection are being addressed at the industry level by commercial aircraft OEM’s, the military, and regulatory agencies. An industry group under the auspices of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has undertaken the development of product performance specifications and associated documentation for aerospace arc–fault circuit breakers (AFCB). Sensata Technologies has taken a leadership position within these groups to develop products and specifications that meet the emerging needs for arc–fault protection while also addressing performance and logistic concerns of the aerospace industry.


Arc–fault detection has become a key concern for airlines, aircraft manufacturers, the military, and regulatory agencies such as the FAA, due to electrical incidents on airplanes and the findings of the FAA’s Aging Aircraft Task Force. Existing circuit protection devices are only designed to detect over–current (I²t) conditions. However, many serious electrical incidents are caused by low-level arc–faults, which present generation circuit breakers are not designed to detect or protect against.

Newly developed AFCI technology will provide supplemental detection and protection against various AC and DC arcing conditions. Sensata Technologies has coupled solid–state sensing with traditional over–current (I²t) sensing to provide a breakthrough product family that addresses both anomalous circuit conditions.


Sensata Technologoes has developed a small, lightweight package configuration based around the proven Klixon® commercial and mil-spec circuit breaker designs. A key feature of the Sensata product is the marriage of the traditional over–current trip features of today’s circuit breakers with new supplemental arc–fault detection and protection features. Sensata provides a product that offers a newly enhanced feature and does not compromise today’s proven level of circuit protection. Moreover, these new products have been designed for retrofit into aging aircraft as well as new production airplanes.

Sensata has also successfully developed multi–phase arc–fault circuit breakers by integrating proprietary arc–fault circuitry into the industry’s leading multi–phase circuit breakers.

Sensata has the industry’s broadest portfolio of traditional circuit breakers. Sensata plans to leverage its portfolio of single–pole and three-pole circuit breakers, augmenting these designs with supplemental arc protection. We have developed innovative ways to actuate these circuit breakers while minimizing the size of the package.


Many new aircraft and space applications utilize electronic over–current protection in the form of Remote Power Controllers (RPC) or Solid State Power Controllers (SSPC). Sensata’s proprietary AFCI circuitry can also be applied to these devices.

If you desire to incorporate Sensata’s AFCI technology into these applications, please contact us.