News

In August, Kulite exhibited at the 39th Annual Small Satellite (SmallSat) Conference. Traditionally held in Logan, Utah, the event was relocated to Salt Lake City this year to accommodate the growing interest driven by the rapid expansion of the small satellite industry. The new venue hosted 500 additional attendees and 100 more exhibitors, of which, Kulite stood out as the premier supplier for pressure transducers.

Sr. Design Engineer Scott Goodman, Technical Director Steve Carter, and Sr. Project Engineer Matthew Skrzypek represented Kulite at the booth, engaging with a diverse group of engineers and managers throughout the event. The team provided technical insights into Kulite’s advanced sensor technology and offered application support on effectively integrating Kulite pressure transducers into Small Satellite propulsion systems and developmental test stands.

Kulite garnered significant attention with our HKM-523/524-375 and HKM-17-500 series transducers. These cutting-edge sensors, primarily used for high-pressure propellant tank monitoring and low-pressure ion discharge chamber measurements, became a frequent topic of discussion among engineers and industry professionals, who praised their compact form factor, robust and ruggedized construction, broad compatibility with various media, and high resistance to radiation. These features make Kulite’s transducers particularly well-suited for the demanding environments of space applications, reinforcing the company’s reputation for innovation and reliability in aerospace sensor technology.

Attendees of the show also inquired about Kulite’s miniature, ruggedized, high-temperature-rated, dynamic pressure transducers for use in harsh environments such as combustion chambers. They were particularly impressed by the wide range of catalog solutions offered by Kulite to meet these demanding application needs.

To learn more about Kulite pressure transducers and how they can be integrated into your system, please visit the contacts page of this website for your regional sales representative.

Kulite exhibited at the 40th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs this spring. A premier event, the symposium unites global space professionals from all sectors, providing a platform to explore critical space issues and drive innovation across the space industry. The event featured hundreds of exhibitors and speakers, and Kulite stood out with our innovative product line which showcased the versatile applications of our pressure sensor technologies.

Our show team included senior technical and design engineers Steve Carter, Scott Goodman and Matthew Skrzypek, who were busy meeting with clients and educating engineers and technical innovators about Kulite transducers. The conversations included unique requests on how to incorporate our specialized sensing technologies into a gamut of space applications which is a testament to the diversity of the products. The team also offered support to a local company with an on-site visit.

The Kulite HKM-523-375 and HKM-524-375 series transducers were presented to a space propulsion company who has a requirement for radiation tolerant, titanium and stainless transducers with weldable tube stubs, and was well-received. A propulsion systems engineer, who manufactures satellite buses and would like to develop their own thrusters, was impressed by the extensive range of pressure media compatible with Kulite transducers, was includes green propellants such as ASCENT. Another company was interested in pressure transducers for electric propulsion systems on low earth orbit (LEO) and very low earth orbit (VLEO) satellites and appreciated the low mass and compact design of Kulite’s transducers.

Other requests included a construction service company, who builds launch pads for government and commercial customers. They were introduced to Kulite’s advanced high-temperature transducers, oil-filled technology, and our suite of cryogenic pressure transmitters. Another project engineer was looking to replace a hall-effect sensor with a Kulite pressure transducer with high overpressure capabilities, to indicate the position of a metal bellow installed inside a missile. Additionally, a company was interested in Kulite transducers for embedding in valve assemblies and the team spoke at length about the success of amplified outputs and operating in an electrically, noisy environment.

At this year’s show, like every other year, companies entering the satellite propulsion business stop by the Kulite booth to review our product catalog and understand more about what makes Kulite the preferred vendor in the industry. Given our track record for providing the most reliable transducers available with the most diverse applications, it’s no wonder Kulite is the leader in pressure transducer technology. For more information, email info-kulite@kulite.com or visit the contacts page of our website.

Kulite joined 2,500 turbomachinery and propulsion engineering leaders from industry, academia and government at the Turbo Expo in London this June. This year’s program included a special focus on achievements and needs to unlock a net-zero future in propulsion and power. Kulite’s Alex Winterburn, Steve Carter and JP Hilton were on hand at the booth to meet with many visitors.

Representatives from around the world stopped by to discuss Kulite’s participation in many unique programs. During one meeting with a research company, who provides state-of-the-art research and development of advanced instrumentation for environmental and energy issues, they discussed the use of Kulite’s highly specialized WCTV-312 part to be used on a combustion test rig project. The WCTV-312 is a water/air cooled transducer for both dynamic and static pressure measurements in extreme temperature environments such as turbine exhaust systems and automotive. The part provides superior thermal protection and combines Kulite’s patented leadless, silicon technology and a miniature water-cooled jacket, with pressure measurement capabilities previously unavailable.

At the Expo, Kulite also participated in a technical panel called “Gas Turbine Instrumentation for a New Generation.” The panel brought together experts in instrumentation for gas turbine applications from small businesses, OEMs, and US government laboratories to provide their unique perspectives on the current and future challenges in developing instrumentation for the next generations of gas turbines. One of the goals of the panel was to demonstrate to the industry the importance of testing new and developing sensors on real engines vs rigs.

As a member of the panel, JP Hilton presented the findings of testing Kulite’s DWPP-040 extreme-temperature, pressure probe on a F404 Engine where the output was monitored while the engine was being operated. The goal of the DWPP-040 is to measure areas of the engine normally unreachable by instrumentation with typical temperature ratings. This opportunity to test on a real engine resulted in the part being deemed TRL 7 for large gas turbine engines.

For information about the WCTV-312, DWPP-040 or any other Kulite pressure sensors, please visit the PRODUCT ADVISOR section of this website or fill out the Information Request Form on the GET INFO page or contact a Kulite representative found on the CONTACTS page.

In June, Kulite was proud to be a part of ILA Berlin-Pioneering Aerospace, which brought together the world’s aerospace industry to showcase leading innovations, new technology and ground-breaking, sustainability initiatives. The event welcomed 95,000 visitors and 600 exhibitors from 31 countries. Alex Winterburn and Stephane Beaufront met with engineers, academics and university students to discuss how to incorporate Kulite’s pressure measurement technologies into their programs.

Across the board, all visitors were extremely interested in partnering with Kulite because of our outstanding reputation for reliability and precision across all applications, including harsh environment installations. One engineer was interested in high temperature sensors XTEH-10L and WCTV-312. They said that the cryogeric temperature sensors will be useful as future combustion systems switch to hydrogen. A R&D group would also like to incorporate Kulite products into their research projects, investigating hydrogen systems for future aircraft propulsion.

We met with another project manager who is also working with his group in cryogenics with a closed system with a vacuum. They are interested in a low cryogenic pressure sensor for leak detection into the vacuum system. A startup needs 5 PSID/350mBarD units for hypersonic testing in air/nitrogen while a fuel-cell manufacturer needs sensors for hydrogen and for air/oxygen. Given the diverse amount of applications where Kulite pressure transducers are produced as stock or custom parts, it’s no wonder that our Piezoresistive Technology makes us the world leader in this industry. Please visit the PRODUCT ADVISOR on this website to learn about our inventory or go to the GET INFO page to inquire about your custom needs.