At the conclusion of our webinar, Using Equivalent Wire and Connectors to Save Time and Money, we had several questions submitted to our presenter, Steven J. Goodman, User Interface & Cable Assembly Product Manager at Epec. We have compiled these questions into a readable format on our blog.
Q&A From Our Live Cable Assembly Webinar
Quick Links:
- What's your most common equivalent wire?
- What do you think the flexibility ratings of your equivalent wire are?
- How can you make sure the latches line up with the equivalents we want for our Molex connector?
- What’s the best DSUB equivalent that is low-cost but suitable for high-reliability applications?
- What do you have for tough and abrasion-resistant wire jackets for an automotive low-volume application?
Watch the Recording Below:
Question: What's your most common equivalent wire?
Answer: For our answer, we are going to assume that this would be our most common UL spec wire. The answer here would definitely be our standard UL hook-up wire, which is rated to UL1007, and also dual-certified to UL1569. This is our most common single conductor hook-up wires, and it is rated for 300 volts and up to 105 degrees C. Most of our customers are using this from 18AWG to 28AWG, and we can make this in any wire jacket color with the most common colors being red, black, white, and green. We can support any combination of jacket and insulation colors, including custom striping combinations..
Question: What do you think the flexibility ratings of your equivalent wire are?
Answer: Typically, our equivalent wire will have comparable flexibility to other wires with similar diameters and are made from similar materials. There are certainly higher-end and more expensive options out there that do have higher flexibility ratings but you're going to pay for this level of performance and customization. A lot of our materials are standard and will meet all customer performance requirements to work in a dynamic environment. An equivalent wire can function without issues where there's flexing and cyclic movement. If there is interest, we can extrude a 5-foot or 10-foot sample and let our customer’s test. Depending on the requirements there could be a small lot charge for custom runs we would have to pass on, but we are happy to work with you to review options.
Question: How can you make sure the latches line up with the equivalents we want for our Molex connector?
Answer: Addressing the fit of latches and polarization keys is a common theme when considering equivalents. The way we address this is first we will cross the part in our own library. We then identify the replacement and send our customers the data sheet and any relevant STP files. We follow this up by always building samples. Building samples is especially important before any large quantities are made. Once samples ship, we suggest that our customers assemble and test our harnesses with the mating connector to assess the fit. If for some reason the fit is not sufficient and there are fitment concerns, we would consider reverting back to the name-brand connector if that’s an option.
Question: What’s the best DSUB equivalent that is low-cost but suitable for high-reliability applications?
Answer: The assembly-type, off-the-shelf DSUB connectors are expensive. If you've built your own DSUB cable, you're familiar with the difficulties of stuffing these assemblies with wires all within a clamshell connector. Also referred to as hood assemblies, these can be bought as kits with thumbscrews that contain all the hardware needed to build a DSUB connector. Those DSUB kits can be expensive, and extremely costly if there's something fancy about it. We discourage using those assembly types in our high-volume production because it's expensive and labor-intensive. Instead, we suggest tooling up a backshell for the D-sub with an integrated overmolded strain relief. And in some cases, we may already have an existing house tool that will work. Our solution would offer an overmold to replace the assembly-type DSUB and represent significant cost savings without jeopardizing performance.
Question: What do you have for tough and abrasion-resistant wire jackets for an automotive low-volume application?
Answer: We would recommend some kind of cross-linked polyethylene, which is an XLPE-type jacket that's rated for 125 degrees C. Most of those wire types are rated for up to 150 volts and much higher. These values for temperature and voltage are sufficient for most of the low-voltage applications we support for work vehicles, mining vehicles, and offroad-type applications. Another note worth considering is the fact that we can take these cross-linked polyethylene single-conductor legs and bundle them into multi-conductor form. There are several UL-approved XLPE wire types we can consider. Unfortunately, with some of these types of wires, there may be an MOQ that applies to each individual wire color. So, if you need 10 different wire colors, that may be a struggle since we would have 10 unique extrusions and minim runs. If that’s an issue, maybe you can use all black wire and that would work for your application.
