A wiring error is easiest to deal with before a cable assembly leaves our factory. Once an incorrect connection, open circuit or short reaches installation, the customer may need to stop integration, investigate the problem and arrange rework or replacement. At GEM Cable, 100% testing is part of how we manufacture. Every product we produce goes through our Banair testing system. That means each finished product is tested individually. A sample does not stand in for the rest of the batch. Customers buying bespoke cable assemblies, cable harnesses and wiring looms receive a product that has gone through this test before it moves on to the next stage of the project.
That distinction matters when engineering, procurement and quality teams compare suppliers. The question is not simply whether a manufacturer says it tests, but how the testing is applied to the finished products being supplied.
If you are comparing cable assembly manufacturers, testing should be part of the technical and commercial conversation before you place an order. Our standard approach is simple: every product undergoes Banair testing. Any additional electrical, visual, dimensional, traceability or conformity requirements need to be agreed against the customer specification, so the manufacturing, inspection and testing scope is clear before production begins.
In cable assembly production, 100% testing means applying the defined finished-product test to every product, not just selected units from a production quantity. It tells you how broadly the test is applied. It does not mean every possible characteristic of the assembly has been verified.
That distinction is easy to miss when cable assembly manufacturers simply describe products as “tested”. What matters is whether the test applies to every finished assembly or only to selected units.
When we refer to batch testing here, we mean a sample-based approach in which selected units are tested. With 100% testing, the defined test is carried out on every finished product. A sample-based batch test uses results from selected units to assess the wider production quantity.
Sample-based batch testing has a valid place in manufacturing quality control, but it does not show that every individual assembly has undergone the same finished-product electrical check. With 100% testing, each supplied assembly goes through the relevant test.
That matters when you are comparing manufacturers because it tells you whether the finished-product test has been applied to the assembly you will actually receive. Testing is only one part of quality control. It cannot compensate for incorrect materials, incomplete build information or weak manufacturing controls, and it cannot guarantee that no fault will ever occur. What 100% testing does provide is a defined check on every finished product before release.
Continuity testing is designed to catch electrical connection faults that may not be visible on inspection. A completed assembly can look correct while still containing an open, short or miswired connection.
Banair identifies examples including:
Additionally, Banair describes the test as checking each connection against the required electrical response. Our published guidance also refers to continuity and pinout verification when those checks are required by the assembly and customer specification.
This matters because a connection error found during manufacture can be dealt with before the assembly reaches integration, installation or commissioning. If the same issue is only found later, the investigation and rework may involve more of the wider system.
No. Continuity testing confirms defined electrical connections, but it does not by itself verify every dimensional, identification, connector or mechanical requirement of a finished assembly.
An assembly can pass an electrical connectivity test and still differ from other requirements in the approved build information. Dimensions, identification, connector orientation and other physical characteristics may need separate inspection against the agreed specification.
The checks also vary by application. In our rail sector work, for example, assemblies can support signalling systems, rolling stock wiring, communications and control-panel applications. That means cable, connector, identification and testing requirements need to reflect the specific build.
Depending on the assembly, that may mean checking:
This is why “100% tested” should not be read as a claim that every conceivable characteristic has been verified. Electrical testing and other inspection controls answer different questions. The overall scope still needs to reflect the approved customer requirements.
Buyers should establish what happens to every finished assembly, what the manufacturer’s standard test covers, and which additional checks need to be specified for the project. That gives you something concrete to compare between suppliers, not just a general claim about quality.
Not always. Testing scope varies between manufacturers. At GEM Cable, the finished-product test is applied to every product, so testing is not limited to a sample from the batch.
There is no single test scope that applies to every manufacturer or every assembly. A useful answer should explain exactly what is included before release. At GEM Cable, our standard process is 100% Banair testing. Any additional acceptance checks depend on the approved specification for the assembly.
Any requirements beyond the manufacturer’s standard process should be identified before production. Those extra requirements may include additional electrical checks, visual or dimensional inspection, traceability requirements or conformity documentation agreed against the customer specification.
When assessing cable assembly manufacturers, testing belongs in the same conversation as price, lead time and manufacturing capability because it tells you what happens to the finished assembly before release. A quote that includes individual finished-product testing covers a different testing scope from one based only on selected-unit testing.
Cable assembly manufacturers may use different test methods depending on the assembly and agreed specification. At GEM Cable, every product undergoes 100% testing on our Banair testing system. We agree any additional assembly-specific inspection, testing, traceability or conformity requirements against the customer specification.
That approach is reflected in our project work too. On the Airbus ExoMars Rover project, our scope included the design, manufacture and testing of the required cable assemblies, harnesses and panels.
Testing is part of the wider UK manufacturing process for our bespoke cable assemblies, cable harnesses and wiring looms across applications including aerospace, rail and satellite communications. In practice, we can work from the available drawing, connection information and project requirements to confirm the manufacturing scope and identify any extra checks that need to be agreed.
Our wider quality framework includes AS9100 Rev D and BS EN ISO 9001:2015, alongside our Class 8 cleanroom capability and 100% Banair testing. They support the manufacturing process, but they do not remove the need to define the requirements for each assembly.
When a repeat build is needed, controlled build information provides the reference point. Agreed details such as cable lengths, connectors, branch positions, identification and connection information can then support subsequent manufacture against the same requirement.
Testing and inspection requirements should be agreed before manufacture when they go beyond the manufacturer’s standard process. Doing this early keeps both sides clear on what will be tested, inspected or documented before release.
That 100% Banair test is already part of our manufacturing process. Any additional inspection, testing, traceability or conformity requirements are agreed where the customer specification calls for them. If you are comparing cable assembly manufacturers for a new or repeat requirement, speak to our technical team about the information you already have. We can review it with you and confirm what else is needed to agree the manufacturing and testing scope.
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