WrapSense utilises a proprietary nanocomposite which is specifically designed only to react to liquid hydrocarbons.
The nanocomposite is applied as a coating to a substrate which also contains electronic circuitry that can capture the data and feed the information back, identifying the presence of a leak.
By using Trackwise’s IHT flexible printed circuit technology, 26m-long strips of WrapSense can be produced.
“Previously, we were daisy-chaining small segments together”, explained Direct-C’s Chief Science Officer, Stephen Edmondson. “This is time-consuming and requires many links, each of which is a potential failure point. Trackwise’s IHT FPC eliminates these issues.”
The Trackwise IHT technology uniquely enables multilayer FPCs of unlimited length to be constructed. Therefore, multiple wires can be replaced with a single FPC, saving space and weight, but also increasing reliability and repeatability and reducing assembly time.
Trackwise offers cost-effective, high-volume UK production of FPCs and the company is also very experienced in the aerospace and other high-reliability markets, making it a perfect match for Direct-C’s requirements.
Edmondson added: “We do make very long lengths of WrapSense – for example, we just completed a 350m run for a German refinery. Trackwise’s IHT FPC would enable us to scale-up easily as well as improve robustness and reduce installation costs.”