Cable Assembly

Manufacturing
Methods
10 Manufacturing Methods To Reduce Cost In Your Cable
Assembly

nd Edi t i o n
2
 Introduction
Epec Engineered Technologies is a highly regarded supplier of cable
assemblies used in a wide variety of markets including medical, industrial,
automotive, and data communications, to name a few. With a main focus to
support Tier 1 and Tier 2 level companies, we manufacture custom cable
assemblies for specific applications based upon customer design and print
requirements. The performance requirements of the markets we serve are
based on stringent regulations, which are intended to ensure delivery of
high-quality, reliable products on a repeatable basis.

The cable assembly solutions that Epec offers include highly-reliable

products able to withstand the rigors of the application the assembly will
be used in. Whether the assembly will be exposed to repeated flexing,
exposure to fluids, or to the harsh environment of a manufacturing floor, our
assemblies are built to meet the challenge.

Inside our revamped Cable Assembly Manufacturing Methods Ebook, you

will discover several suggestions on ways to keep assembly costs under
control. These suggestions will help you understand the many facets of
designing a cable assembly that meets your expectations, but also ways to
keep the costs of cable assemblies as low as possible.
 Manufacturing Method
#1
Select the appropriate conductor design

• Bare vs. tin vs. silver vs. nickel

• Single conductor vs. stranded vs. high strand count

Each individual wire within a cable assembly consists of a center conductor

and an insulating jacket. The conductors are usually copper and come in a
variety of options that are specific to the application.

The two primary options to consider for your cable conductor are 1)
conductor strand count and 2) conductor plating. Both the strand count and
conductor plating come in several options, with each option contributing to
additional cost.
 Temperature
Plating Material Conductivity Relative Cost Advantages Disadvantages
Rating

Bare N/A +++ $ Low Cost Oxidizes

Poor at High
Tin 150C + $$ Aids Soldering
Frequencies
High Frequency/
Limited
Silver 200C +++ $$$ Temperature
Availability
Characteristics
High Frequency/
Specialty wire
Nickel 250C ++ $$$ Temperature
uncommon
Characteristics

Strand Count per

Conductor Type Flexibility Relative Cost Advantages
Conductor
Single Solid Retains shape
1 Poor $
Conductor when formed
Standard Stranded Readily available
<30 Good $$
Conductor with low MOQs
High Strand Count High flexibility and
<150 Very Good $$$
Conductor reasonable cost
Extremely flexible,
Extremely High
especially when
Strand Count <2000 Excellent $$$$
paired with silicone
Conductor
jacket

Material costs significantly impact the overall price of an assembly. A properly

designed assembly will use materials that will meet the needs of the application.

“
DESIGN AN ASSEMBLY USING MATERIALS
TO MEET THE EXPECTED NEEDS OF THE
APPLICATION, DON’T PAY FOR FEATURES YOU
DON’T NEED.
 Manufacturing Method
#2
Select the appropriate wire jacket for the application

• Review the voltage, temperature, and environmental requirements and

select the appropriate wire insulation

The wire jacket, also known as insulation, is the material that electrically
insulates the cable’s center conductor. The insulation material is typically
a thermoplastic and is extruded around the bare conductor. The specific
type of thermoplastic and the material’s thickness drives the voltage rating,
temperature resilience, and flexibility. The jacket material also serves as
an environmental barrier protecting the cable from the effects of solar
radiation, moisture, and other contaminants.

The most common jacket materials are PVC (polyvinyl chloride), TPU
(thermoplastic polyurethane), and TPE (thermoplastic elastomer). These
materials typically are rated for temperatures of up to 105° and rated from
300VDC to 600VDC. If a specialty jacket material is necessary, there may
be long lead times, high MOQs (minimum order quantities), or expensive
materials involved.
Multiconductor cable with wire specs printed on the jacket.

“
WITH SO MANY CABLE DESIGNS AND
MATERIAL OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO CHOOSE
FROM, START THE CABLE SEARCH BY
NARROWING DOWN SOLUTIONS THAT MEET
YOUR VOLTAGE, CURRENT, AND FLEXIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS.
 Manufacturing Method
#3
Use standardized non-single sourced components
wherever possible

• RJ 45 connectors
• 3.5 mm barrel jack
• Ring terminals
• USB connectors
• M12 circular connectors

Specialty components, connectors, and materials are typically associated

with long lead times and supply chain risk. It’s clear that a specific end
application may warrant the use of a specialty connector, but if this can be
avoided, it’s always preferred.

Some cables can be simplified by using less expensive everyday

connectors like USB or single row connectors with a common pitch (ex.
0.100”/2.54mm). While specialty connectors may offer unique performance,
standard connectors can be further ruggedized or waterproofed by using
overmolding techniques.
Standard insulated ring terminal crimped to a single conductor wire.

“
WHILE INSULATED AND NON-INSULATED
RING TERMINALS ARE SIMPLE, THEY ARE
WILDLY PRACTICAL FOR MANY LOW-VOLTAGE
APPLICATIONS, ESPECIALLY WHERE COST AND
LEAD TIME ARE A CONCERN.
 Manufacturing Method
#4
Use locally sourced wire where possible

• UL wire can be made locally in Asia

• Epec produces our own custom extruded wire

Since specialty wire can be expensive, subject to MOQs, and usually

involves long lead times, designing cable assemblies using stocked wire
helps decrease the time to market with minimal cost impacts. In addition,
shipping exotic wire to and from Asia is expensive, may be subject to tariffs,
and consumes valuable production time.

There are both cost and leadtime benefits to selecting bulk wire sourced
locally in Asia. Countless UL spec wire types are standard in our production
portfolio. Common wire such as UL1007 or UL1061 is simple to quote and
offers cost benefits. Using locally sourced and readily available wire helps
keep costs low.
Locally manufactured custom flat cable using multicolored wires.

“
BULK WIRE IS HEAVY, ESPECIALLY IN WIRE
SIZES LARGER THAN 16AWG. SHIPPING
LARGE AMOUNTS OF BULK WIRE TO ASIA IS
IMPRACTICAL, ESPECIALLY WHEN MOST OF
THE WORLDS WIRE IS FABRICATED THERE.
 Manufacturing Method
#5
Use house tooling for common connectors

• Factories have house tooling available for common connector schemes

One of the most expensive elements of custom cable fabrication is the

investment in tooling and fixturing. Tooling can range from $2,000 to
$20,000 with leadtimes of 2 to 12 weeks (depending on complexity). Epec
maintains a large inventory of standard tools and assembly fixtures that are
available for use in new projects.

Also knows as “house tooling,” these tools are available for overmolding
custom cables and connectors for a variety of standard interconnects. The
table below summarizes several common connectors that can benefit from
the use of house tooling.

Common Industry Connectors

USB-A Mini Display Port RCA Connector Din/Mini Din
USB-B RJ12 Banana Plug HDMI
Mini USB 6.3mm Plug D-Sub SATA 7 Pin/15 Pin
Micro USB 3.5mm Plug DVI M12 4 Pin/8 Pin
Several common power cables fabricated with shared house tooling.

“
WHILE MANY CONNECTORS’ DESIGNS CAN
BE OVERMOLDED USING HOUSE TOOLING,
EACH AND EVERY APPLICATION IS DIFFERENT
AND SHOULD BE REVIEWED BY YOUR CABLE
MANUFACTURER.
 Manufacturing Method
#6
Leverage economies of scale for groups of cable
assemblies

• Consider designing cables with common wire size, conductor count,

and components

When designing a custom cable, it’s important to understand that each

individual wire type must be sourced from a raw cable manufacturer. Some
of these wire types have minimum buys. For some wire types this is 100
feet, and for others, it is 20,000 feet.

Specifying 10 different discrete wires, each with a 1000-feet MOQ will

have a direct impact on assembly level MOQ and thereby the overall cost
of the project. For instances like this, consider using 10 discrete wires of
the same wire size, jacket color, and jacket material to help minimize the
impact of MOQs.
Spooled wire for a custom silicone jacketed cable.

“
DURING THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS,
CAREFULLY REVIEW ALL CUSTOM WIRE
EXTRUSIONS TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF
UNIQUE CABLE CROSS SECTIONS.
Manufacturing Technique
#7
Apply reasonable overall length and dimensional
tolerances

• Industry standard tolerances, such as IPC-620, can lower costs

At some point in their career, all engineers are guilty of over-engineering

a new design. For cable assembly manufacturing, the overall length and
overmold tolerances must be defined to repeatedly build the item. Adding
an unnecessarily tight manufacturing tolerance will absolutely add cost. You
can cut a wire shorter, but not the opposite.

This is importance because if a tight tolerance is required, this will increase

the assembly labor time and the overall scrap rate. IPC-620 defines
industry standard manufacturing tolerances to help address this issue. If
your 20-foot cable assembly has a +/- 0.25” tolerance on the overall length,
this may unnecessarily increase the overall cost of your project.
Dimensional measurements of a custom overmold.

“
FOR EVERY CABLE APPLICATION, THERE ARE
CRITICAL LENGTHS AND DIMENSIONS THAT
MUST BE MET. THESE FEATURES SHOULD BE
CLEARLY IDENTIFIED AND PLANNED FOR.
Manufacturing Technique
#8
Copper is expensive; size the wire AWG for the current
rating

• There is about 50 percent more copper in a 26AWG vs 30AWG wire

cross selection

For many low-voltage applications, engineers will specify a wire size

based on the electrical characteristics of the circuit. For example, in a
5VDC system, a 26AWG sized wire would work just as well electrically
as a 30AWG wire. However, the 26AWG wire will be more expensive and
unnecessarily add cost.

If the overall length of the wire is short, say 4 inches, this may be a near
negligible cost impact. However, in a 10-foot cable, this will absolutely
have a cost impact on the final product. Copper is expensive, and
overengineering the size of the wire will impact the overall cost of the build.
Cross section of a copper multiconductor cable.

“
AN IMPROPERLY SIZED CONDUCTOR CAN LIMIT
A CABLE’S PERFORMANCE. ADDITIONALLY,
AN IMPROPERLY SIZED CABLE CAN ADD
UNNECESSARY COST AND WEIGHT TO THE
PROJECT.
Manufacturing Technique
#9
Use substitute components where applicable

• “Subs” offer a form fit function replacement that offers a cost or lead-
time benefit

There are several name brand connector manufacturers in the electronics

industry (Molex, TE, JST, Hirose, etc.). These manufacturers offer a variety
of connector designs that cover a range of industries and applications.
These name brand connectors are the ubiquitous options available through
online electronics distributors, and naturally find themselves specified on
the BOM (bill of materials) for new cable designs.

When reviewing options to build cable assemblies in Asia, it’s important to

understand that a majority of these name brand connectors have form, fit,
and function equivalent components that are readily available at a reduced
price.

Epec offers a comprehensive line of form, fit, function substitute

components and connectors.
Single row locking “substitute” connectors affixed to a multiconductor cable.

“
SUBSTITUTE CONNECTORS CAN HELP
SAVE BOTH MONEY AND LEAD-TIME. IT’S
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO BUILD AND TEST
SAMPLES TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT ALL MATING
CONNECTORS OPERATE AS PLANNED.
Manufacturing Technique
#10
Shielding adds cost. Only shield your cables if
required

• Unshielded vs. foil vs. braid

The design intent of a cable’s shield is to help electrically isolate the signals
within. The shield layer can also help improve the ruggedization of a cable
assembly, such as the overbraid for a mil-spec wire harness. These shield
layers add thickness, decrease flexibility, and most importantly add cost.

Some shielding designs are incorporated during the cable extrusion

process, and others are added as final step in the assembly of a wire
harness. Either way, shielding adds cost while being a must have for
certain applications. It’s important to understand if shielding is critical for
your end application since it’s a cost adder.
Braided shield providing 95% coverage.

“
WHETHER YOUR DESIGN REQUIRES A FOIL
SHIELD, A BRAIDED SHIELD, OR INDIVIDUALLY
SHIELDED PAIRS, ADDING A SHIELD WILL ADD
COST AND COMPLEXITY TO YOUR CABLE.
 Summary
Scrutinizing manufacturing costs remains one of the most critical
responsibilities for a corporation, especially when profit margins are thin
or sales are down. With the number of potential suppliers that exist, the
production volumes involved, and the fact that cables can be expensive,
custom cable assemblies are a prime candidate for pricing analyses.

Not all custom cable assemblies are expensive, nor are all cable
assemblies a cost driver. However, cable assemblies do present an
opportunity to save money if certain design options are considered.
Starting the design early, having a clear understanding of the application,
and early engagement with a cable manufacturer like Epec are some of the
best ways to reduce the cost of your custom cable assemblies.

With all the design variables to consider for your next custom cable
assembly, hopefully a handful of these 10 Methods to Reduce Cost in Your
Custom Cable Assembly can do exactly that.

Visit Our Website @ www.epectec.com

Want To Reduce Costs in
Your Cable Assemblies?
Epec Engineered Technologies manufactures custom
cables for specific applications based upon customer
design and print requirements. We can assist
with cable and connector selection, layout and
manufacturing techniques, and computer aided
design (CAD).

We also provide short-run manufacturing

prior to mass production along with
all aspects of the manufacturing
process, including soldering,
termination, wrapping and
testing. Through our very
formal quality assurance
and testing processes
Epec ensures the
quality of all
manufactured
products. Custom Solution For Your Product

Our team can help you design your high-quality cable

assembly to best suit your end product needs while
keeping costs low. We have access to a wide cross-
section of cables, connectors, application tooling,
testing fixtures and adapters to meet industry and
customers demands for quality cable products.

Request a Quote Request Design Support

Visit Our Website @ www.epectec.com

 About The Author
Steven J. Goodman
User Interface & Cable Assembly Product Manager

As the User Interface & Cable Assembly

Product Manager, Steven works with
customers to provide solutions to specific
problems through design consultation, and
where needed, the creation of a specific
design. Additionally, Steven is responsible
for the overall effectiveness of the quote
process and resultant business success.

Steven is a Mechanical Engineer with a

BS and an MBA both from Northeastern.
Most recently he was running a startup
manufacturer’s representative firm
servicing the aerospace, defense, and
industrial markets representing first class manufacturers of interconnects,
cables, wire harnesses, rack mounted equipment, and board level
components.

Prior to that, Steven was a Product Manager in the aerospace industry

for two different companies for over seven years. His past responsibilities
included driving sales growth and business development activities and
leading the transition to production for development programs.

Visit Our Website @ www.epectec.com

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