TMT Labs

Over the years, TMT has taken on many design challenges that have included design, development, and manufacture of cables, cable terminations, and cable-related hardware. Although testing is the core of TMT's work, we do have the necessary engineers, technicians, and fabrication equipment to make design ideas a reality. TMT has participated in many rope and cable design and development programs that have involved many different manufacturers and customers. During these programs, we have developed an appreciation for the design tradeoffs between the customer's needs, the manufacturer's abilities, and the technically perfect cable. These experiences and the use of our Cable Solver Analysis & Design Software give us a unique advantage in designing ropes and cables that are right for the customer, within the abilities of the manufacturer, and have the greatest chance of survival in their ultimate mission. During our many years of testing, we have terminated thousands of ropes and cables, so we have spent a lot of time and effort understanding and designing mechanical terminations for both wire-strengthened and fiber(textile)-strengthened cables. On numerous occasions, we have designed custom terminations that have incorporated unique fixturing or form factors for proper mounting to the customer's hardware. We have also designed special full-strength terminations for fiber-strengthened cables. Although not a cable manufacturer, we have built specialty cables and pendants that required special cable knowledge and expertise. One such example is the solar panel coordination cables that we build for the aerospace industry. These cables require a very specific length and stretch characteristic as well as small and lightweight end terminations. Our special blend of test equipment and cable knowledge allowed us to meet our customer's demands. Just as we have terminated almost every cable that we have tested, we have also built every test machine that we use to test these cables. Our test machines typically apply tension using servo-controlled hydraulic cylinders. Our solid-state controllers allow automated fatigue testing. To date, we have built machines in capacities ranging from a few pounds to 400,000 pounds! Our design and manufacturing services include : Computer-aided design of electro-opto-mechanical cables Design and manufacture of special cable terminations and splices Integration of cables and cable-related hardware Design and manufacture of cable test and handling equipment Design and manufacture of special mechanical test equipment