Epec's Blog | Electronics Manufacturing Solutions

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) can be one of the most frustrating problems to diagnose in a custom cable assembly. The cable may be built exactly to print, pass continuity testing, and function perfectly on the bench, only to experience intermittent problems once installed in the finished system. Motors, power supplies, switching circuits, radios, pumps, and even neighboring cables can introduce electrical noise that was never apparent during initial testing.

Flexible heaters are often selected because they can deliver controlled heat in areas where conventional heaters are too rigid, bulky, or difficult to integrate. Their thin construction, custom geometry, and ability to conform to complex surfaces make them useful across medical, industrial, electronics, and food-processing applications.

Cable shielding plays an important role in protecting electrical signals from electromagnetic interference, but not every cable assembly requires the same level of protection. Adding a shield can improve signal integrity and reduce susceptibility to interference, but it can also increase cable diameter, stiffness, cost, and assembly complexity.

Walk outside and look around. Chances are you will interact with several human-to-machine electronic interfaces before the day is over. You may use the keypad at a gas station, enter a code on a garage door opener, check a trail camera in the woods, or navigate using a chartplotter multifunction display (MFD) on a boat.

Military and aerospace systems operate in some of the harshest environments imaginable. Whether installed on a military ground vehicle, commercial aircraft, unmanned aerial system, naval vessel, or satellite subsystem, cable assemblies are routinely exposed to vibration, shock, temperature extremes, moisture, harsh chemicals, and electromagnetic interference. In these applications, reliability is not simply desirable, it is essential.

There are few things more frustrating than finding out a connector, terminal, header, or small cable assembly component is no longer available. On the surface, it may seem like a simple sourcing issue. One part went obsolete, so you find another one and move on.

When it comes to cable assemblies and wire harnesses, consistency is everything. A design might look perfect on paper, but without clear workmanship standards and acceptance criteria, the final product can vary from build to build. That is exactly why IPC/WHMA-A-620 exists.

If you have ever walked across a carpeted floor in the winter and touched a metal doorknob, you have experienced electrostatic discharge firsthand. The quick snap and jolt may be surprising, but for most people, it is harmless and quickly forgotten. For electronics, however, that same event can be far more serious.

Flexible heaters are one of the most versatile thermal solutions available today. Designed for precise temperature control, these heaters can conform to complex surfaces and integrate seamlessly into assemblies where space is limited.

In product development, speed matters. Design teams are under constant pressure to move faster without increasing risk, especially when developing custom cable assemblies that require hard tooling and molded features.