Use of the Custom Cable Assembly in Modern Manufacturing and Industry

The need for design and development of a custom cable assembly may be more prevalent than most individuals might ever consider. A long list of industries relies upon the development of wiring harnesses to facilitate specific applications required to produce their products.

A sampling of the types of assemblies custom made on a daily basis include USB cabling, fan wiring, a variety of coaxial cables and connectors, molded cable assemblies, robotic and industrial equipment wiring assemblies, and electronic assemblies and sub-assemblies. This list could go on indefinitely, however, suffice it to say there are ample opportunities within the world of industry to require highly specialized and custom designed wiring harnesses.

The medical equipment manufacturing industry demands some of the most stringent and unique custom assemblies. Most of the harnesses and connectors developed for various applications related to diagnostic or treatment equipment needs to adhere to the highest, most stringent specifications. These assemblies need to be durable and reliable under the most stressful hospital and emergency room situations.

Signal integrity and consistent performance are absolutely necessary when it comes to the lives and care provided the patients using various medical testing and treatment devices. Any fault tolerance or signal loss could mean disaster and as such has no place in the medical applications of cable assemblies.

Extreme environmental conditions exist in the oil field industry. As a result, reliable signal integrity is paramount in the custom cable assembly requirements for these types of applications. Temperature extremes at both ends of the spectrum, salt water corrosion, sand and constant moisture are just some of the environmental extremes which affect the oil field. The cable assemblies put into use in these areas need to accommodate some of the most challenging conditions imaginable.

The U.S. Military and any industrial application requiring the high levels of military specifications rely extensively on the custom creation of cable assemblies with zero-fault-tolerance connections. The assemblies put into use for these types of applications must be highly durable, able to withstand a wide range of environmental conditions and high-impact scenarios.

Be it military weapons-grade applications, or extreme environmental conditions of military aerospace use, having reliable data and energy transmissions contribute to mission-critical, life-preserving use of the custom wiring harnesses in this industrial arena.

A variety of industrial uses of custom cable assemblies includes the application of over-molded cables and connectors. There are a wide range of materials which may be appropriate for specific applications regarding the over-mold. Polyurethane, PVC, polypropylene, nylon, TPE, polyethylene, TPR, ABS, Supec, and Valox are all cutting-edge materials which provide superior performance and reliability when used in the over-mold process.

Other interesting aspects in use by a variety of industries help to extend the usefulness of having cable assemblies custom-made. The infinite possibilities available with over-molding, numerous connection types, and coil cabling all contribute to a plethora of options. With so many specific requirements for companies building highly customized operations, the need for designing and producing equally specific cable and wiring harnesses is a must.

Even state of the art techniques are finding their way into the arena of creating custom assemblies. Stereo lithography, an additive manufacturing process which employs the use of resins and UV lasers to produce extremely high tolerance in machined parts, now seems to be well suited for use in the custom cable assembly world.