In this webinar, you will be able to learn more about the work that the company FLUX has been doing for more than 30 years in the aerospace market and its most recent developments concerning QML.
The main focus of the parts made by Flux is the Surface Mounting Technology, which covers a series of inductors, door controllers, current direction transformers, MIL Bus transformers…
The Technology Flow Qualification to Detail Specification ESCC3201/013 “Customised Magnetics based on type FT” enables Flux to design, manufacture and test custom magnetics as ESA Qualified Parts.
Flux: From high voltage innovation to space-qualified magnetics
Electronics Engineer Niels Overgaard Christensen, a passionate and inventive designer of high-voltage transformers, founded Flux in 1980.
Flux entered the Space business in 1995 when it signed an exclusive contract to supply Magnetic Components to Alcatel Space Denmark.
As Alcatel’s business in the Nordic countries wound down from 2001 and finally closed in 2003, Flux, released from the exclusive contract, offered its services directly to the established Space community. Within the first couple of years as a commercial supplier, Flux established relations with the first customers such as Thales Alenia Space, International Rectifier and Norspace (today Kongsberg Norspace). These companies all had relations to the former Alcatel Space Denmark and Alcatel Space Norway. The client pool has grown ever since and Flux today supply numerous Primes and Equipment Builders worldwide. The Space market focus is Power Conversion and Distribution. In later years, Flux has expanded the scope and developed many components for the Control and Output stages of several Electrical Propulsion systems.
Since the beginning of our Space setup, specialised in the design, manufacture and testing of Custom Magnetics, we have been developing a Generic Documentation based on the design rules of MIL-STD-981 and Performance Standard MIL-PRF-27 by application of testing in accordance with MIL-STD-202.
Full compliance to both MIL Standards and ESCC/ECSS Standards has proven a very strong setup allowing Flux to conduct business worldwide. Our main business is in Europe, but we stretch geographically from California to Japan, satisfying the needs of all our clients.
Achieving our status as ESA Qualified Manufacturer has been a process that required transforming our Generic Documentation into the ESCC platform. As our speciality was always Custom Magnetics, we agreed with The ESCC that the best way forward was to approve Flux by Technology Flow Qualification as an entity. Thus, our entire organisation, ruled by our Quality Management System (QMS), had to undergo a complete update not only to satisfy our accredited certifications to ISO9001 and EN/AS9100 but also ESCC. Introducing a dedicated method of supplying ESCC Qualified Parts requires a special focus throughout the QMS and staff routines. In cooperation with ESCC, we authored Detail Specification ESCC 3201/013 “Custom Magnetics” to reflect our specialized setup.
An example of change to our organization is the establishing of a Technical Review Board (TRB). For each new ESCC Qualified design, the ESCC Chief Inspector, on behalf of the board, must review the prepared ESCC documentation and test results of a prior produced model of the product. In short, the function of the board, at which ESCC has a chair, is to ensure that all released designs either comply with the Qualified Domain or rule the necessary actions to expand the Qualified Domain.
The authority of the board stretches over design, materials, processes and any other aspect of the component. A Company Executive, myself, heads the TRB. The appointed ESCC Chief Inspector, our Quality Manager, assisted by two Deputy Chief Inspectors appointed from Engineering and Quality, operate the TRB on component level. ESA Certified Inspectors approve each final product prior to dispatch. The TRB release an ESCC Certificate on the products based on complete review and confirmation of correct manufacturing and testing of products.
Flux resume responsibility of the delivered products potentially saving clients the burden of incoming inspection, cost test vehicles and destructive validation of product quality. Flux also perform biannual ESCC Qualification monitored by ESCC to maintain the Qualified Domain.
Based on customer needs, Flux developed various products offered as standard defined parts over the past years. The primary focus of these parts is Surface Mount Technology and encompass series of inductors, gate drivers, current sense transformers, MIL Bus transformers and more. Given the opportunity the supply Qualified Parts, Flux will increase the number of standard product series in an attempt to ease our customers design burden and cost. Meanwhile, we will maintain our strong point as specialized in Custom Designs, where we have true opportunity to add technical value to the Space business.
Lars A. Gregersen
With a broad background in electronics—from studio broadcast equipment to hearing aids and space components—he has built a career across roles in Sales, Support, Quality, Education, Business Development, and Administration. Since joining Flux A/S in 2007, he has led the company through ISO9001 and AS9100 certification, founded an ESA-certified internal training academy, and implemented ECSS/ESCC standards into space processes originally based on U.S. military standards. After transitioning from Quality to Sales Manager, he enhanced customer relationships and operational routines, later taking on leadership of both Engineering and Production. Today, he serves as Business Director, overseeing Space, Avionics, and Defence activities, and acts as Head of the ESCC Technical Review Board following Flux’s QML registration with ESA.
