In today's global electronics landscape, sourcing challenges are more than just a procurement problem, they’re a risk to production timelines, quality, and long-term customer satisfaction. Cable assemblies, which often require precision tooling, are especially vulnerable when changes in your supply chain force a transition to a new manufacturing partner.
Whether your current supplier is affected by macroeconomic forces like tariffs, conflict, or natural disasters, or has experienced internal changes such as a shift in business strategy, loss of key capabilities, or even going out of business, it’s critical to understand the impact on your business if you are forced to find another vendor.
But what happens when you’ve already invested in custom molds and tooling? Can your new supplier simply pick up where the last one left off?
Why Change Cable Assembly Suppliers?
There are many legitimate reasons to evaluate a new supplier for your custom cable assembly beyond just chasing lower prices. Global events such as trade restrictions, economic instability, and unpredictable weather patterns can all disrupt the availability of raw materials like copper, which is essential for cable assembly manufacturing. A wire harness might rely on components sourced from three or four different continents before it ever reaches final assembly.
But supply chain issues aren’t always global. Even local or long-standing vendors can shift focus, experience cash flow issues, or fail to keep up with evolving industry requirements. Perhaps your supplier was acquired and no longer prioritizes your type of project. Or maybe they’ve “lost the recipe,” and their once-consistent quality is slipping.
Common Types of Tooling in Cable Assembly Manufacturing
If the decision to move vendors has been made, this decision should include team members from purchasing, manufacturing, and engineering to assess the impact of the change as it relates to any agreements with existing tooling and ownership.
Example of an overmolded cable assembly tool.
Before deciding whether existing tooling can be transferred, it’s important to understand what tooling is and what it means in this context. Cable assembly production often relies on several types of tools:
- Overmold Tooling: Used for custom-molded connectors, strain reliefs, and seals.
- Crimp Tools & Hand Tools: For terminating wires into connectors or contacts.
- Hydraulic Press Fixtures: For hydraulic crimps, high-force insertions or terminations.
- Go / No-Go Gauges: Dimensional verification tools used to quickly validate critical tolerances.
- Test Jigs & Electrical Fixtures: For validating continuity, insulation resistance, and signal integrity (especially in differential pair testing).
- Alignment Jigs: Used in complex or multi-stage assemblies to ensure consistency and repeatability.
Many of these tools are highly customized. Some are easily portable, others, not so much.
Who Owns the Tooling?
In most cases, unless it’s clearly documented in your contract, the cable manufacturer owns the tooling. Even if you paid an NRE (non-recurring engineering) fee to help develop it, the cable shop likely owns the equipment. That’s because most NRE fees are subsidized by the manufacturer as part of their investment to win your business.
These fees rarely cover the full cost of setup fees and the material costs for tooling like custom molds or test fixtures. If you expect to retain the tooling rights, it must be mutually agreed upon and documented from the outset.
Can Epec Use Your Existing Tooling?
Sometimes, it depends on the tooling and the process. Custom overmold tools, for example, are typically tied to a specific overmolding machine. These molds are often large, heavy, and built to match the exact compatible machine's dimensions. Small features on the molds, such as injection ports and clamping systems, can vary from machine to machine. Even minor differences in machine specs, such as platen size or injection location, can render a mold incompatible and useless. And reworking the tool to fit a new system can sometimes cost more than building a new one from scratch.
While custom overmold tools made for specific pieces of equipment are not easily transferred from vendor to vendor, smaller benchtop-type assembly tools are. Assembly-style crimp tools, hand tools, and other gauges are often much easier to ship and transfer to another company. Because of this, handheld or benchtop tools can often be reused by manufacturers. In many cases, Epec may already have the tooling that is needed because of our vast library of standard crimp tools on hand and in stock.
Go/No-Go gauges are custom jigs used to quickly determine good from bad product. These gauges are especially valuable when provided to Epec early in the project so we can develop our build plan using these tools. Since these items can be calibrated to help enforce a drawing’s critical dimensions, it’s important to assign a tooling ID number and verify the gauge remains in spec throughout its life.
What to Expect When Transitioning Tooling to Epec
If you’re considering moving a project to Epec, and existing tooling is part of the equation, it’s essential that we assess early:
- What kind of tooling is it?
- What condition is it in?
- What process was it originally designed for?
- Are there past quality issues we should be aware of?
In most cases, we plan to use our own tooling, and this is for several reasons. Most importantly we have built thousands of unique part numbers over the years leading to a diverse tool library. We’re especially well-equipped to accept industry-standard tooling for crimping, wire cutting, inspection, and testing. For anything outside those categories, especially large, proprietary overmold tools, we’ll work with you to determine the most cost-effective path forward.
Summary
Transferring a cable assembly project to a new supplier is never just about the parts; it’s about the processes, the risks, and the readiness to support your production needs without disruption. When the existing tool is in play, make sure you’re partnering with a manufacturer who understands how to evaluate and integrate it, or when to recommend building a new one.
At Epec, we bring decades of engineering experience, a robust tooling library, and a deep understanding of wire harness production to every transition. We help you reduce risk, improve quality, and move forward with confidence, even when the cable has already been cut.
Key Takeaways
- Transferring tooling isn't always straightforward: Custom tooling, especially overmold tools, is often designed for specific machines and may not be compatible with a new supplier’s equipment. Assessing tooling type, condition, and compatibility early is critical to avoid costly delays or rework.
- Tooling ownership typically belongs to the manufacturer: Even if you paid an NRE fee, most manufacturers retain ownership of custom tooling unless explicitly documented otherwise. Always clarify the tooling rights in contracts to avoid surprises when switching suppliers.
- Benchtop and handheld tools are easier to transition: While large, proprietary molds are difficult to transfer, smaller tools like crimp tools, gauges, and test fixtures can often be reused by a new manufacturer. Suppliers like Epec often have extensive libraries of standard tools, reducing transition complexity.
- Changing suppliers is about more than just moving parts: Switching cable assembly vendors involves evaluating processes, quality history, and production readiness. A smooth transition requires collaboration across purchasing, engineering, and manufacturing teams to manage risks effectively.
- Partner with a supplier experienced in tooling transitions: Epec’s deep tooling inventory and engineering expertise make them well-equipped to handle supplier transitions. They can assess when to reuse existing tooling or recommend cost-effective alternatives to maintain production continuity and quality.
