Epec's Blog | Electronics Manufacturing Solutions

When designing a custom cable assembly, it can be more in-depth than you would initially think. All you have to do is make connections, right? What could be intricate about that? If care is not taken during the design process, it could lead to unintentional failures or incorrect functionality down the line.

Magnetism is such a fascinating and important phenomenon that our world quite literally would not exist without it. Magnetic fields, electromotive force, and electromagnetism are wildly complex subjects while at the same time and at a high level, somewhat simple to understand. What is important is that these principles help electric motors run, earth’s magnetosphere shield civilization, and refrigerator magnets stick unless, of course, your appliances are stainless steel.

Printed text and other markings along wire jackets serve multiple purposes. What may appear as gibberish text on the outside of a cable is likely meaningful information that can be used to quickly determine the wire size, voltage rating, and the relevant industry certifications that the cable meets.

The process of extruding metals, plastics, and other molten materials is common and necessary to produce many of the products used in the world today. Items such as drinking straws, PVC pipes, and even coat hangers also rely on extruded raw materials for processing. No different than a child’s playdough set or making homemade pasta, material is forced through an extruder die creating the long uninterrupted shape of whatever material is being made.

Custom cable assemblies use various types of plugs, connector housings, and gasketing to mate and properly seal within a system. These connectors provide a way to mechanically attach to the other system components by means of a latch or a polarized connector body.

There are several reasons to choose silicone or PolyTetraFluoroEthylene (PTFE) jacketed cable when designing a custom wire harness. Both jacket constructions are known for their high-temperature resilience and extreme flexibility. The main difficulty of selecting a PTFE is the fact that they can be a bit hard to come by.

Outdoor cables are used in commercial, industrial, and residential applications where they are exposed to a variety of adverse conditions. To survive a lifetime’s worth of abuse, outdoor-rated cables must be designed to stand up to the elements, rough handling, excessive moisture, extreme temperatures, and contaminants like sand or dust. Having an overmold in the design of the cable assembly, the cable terminations can be sealed and ruggedized allowing for several design risks associated with outdoor use to be addressed in an economical fashion.

Cable assemblies are needed across various industries and are utilized in goods that include consumer electronics, industrial products, mil areo, and even medical devices. Low cost does not mean low quality; in fact, low-cost cables are qualified for use on many high-reliability applications.

Emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic has been especially challenging for many electronics manufacturers. As the world’s production flood gates opened, deliveries that were on hold for the past year are now being asked to be rushed and pulled ahead.

Shielded cables are ubiquitous across nearly all industries. Not to be confused with armored shielding, which is designed to physically protect a cable, shielded cables are used to safeguard against electromagnetic energy and the negative consequences from signal corruption, blown components, or even a failed qualification test. Cable designers will specify whether a shield is required and its general construction. But just adding a shield to a cable may not be enough to achieve the required performance levels that are anticipated.