Air Heater for Aircraft ECU

We have a client that makes ECU’s (Environmental Control Units) for the aerospace industry. If you have a smaller aircraft sitting on the tarmac nobody is going to run out an HVAC system to regulate the cabin. They will however supply a generator that can power your onboard climate control. A pre-installed electric air heater will provide warmth to the cabin before the pilot fires up the engine.

Project and Challenges

Our task was to design and manufacture a custom aircraft cabin heater. Originally our client provided us with a specific ‘box’ size dimension within their ECU where the heater needed to fit. While working with us the client realized they could get a truly customized solution. We worked through 50+ changes to the heater as well as the mounting body. This included nut plates, holes (sizes, locations, quantities), tolerances, shape, and the addition of a flange.

Solutions and Their Impact

The end result was a custom self-regulating electric air heater that fits the desired space on its own expandable platform. By working closely with our client we were able to better understand their needs. This allowed us to create an elegant solution ideally suited for the application.