Cable assemblies are used widely across many different industries and have a lot of advantages when it comes to quick installation, safety and effectiveness. Mass-produced cable assemblies can appear to be a cost effective option but there are many issues with an off-the-shelf approach to what can sometimes be a complex issue. In some industries, such as medical or the military, custom cable assemblies may be the only realistic choice. Opting for custom cable assemblies provides a large number of benefits, including:
- High quality materials that are fit for purpose. The better the materials, the more effective the product. A custom cable assembly approach provides more control over materials specification – everything from jacketing material to shield can be chosen to suit a particular application. This is especially vital where custom cable assemblies are going to be used in a critical environment, such as medicine.
- Specification is part of the design. It may be a challenge to find an off-the-shelf cable assembly that works for a very specific application. However, the custom design approach can be tailored to individual requirements, from the length of each cable to the way that colour coding is chosen to facilitate correct installation.
- Precise quantities. When buying custom cable assemblies there is no need to pay for the components that aren’t used. This is a much more precise process that ensures only the right quantities are being produced and waste can be minimised.
- A much more robust approach to testing. Because custom cable assemblies are so often used in critical applications there is much less room for failure or error. As a result, custom cable assemblies tend to undergo a testing process that is much more intense to ensure that standards of quality and uniformity are high. From temperature performance to electrical parameters, tolerance and resistance to chemical exposure, there are many different standards that are applied before the process of manufacturing custom cable assemblies is considered complete. With a custom design, testing will also take place in the environment where the cable assembly will be used to ensure that nothing has been missed.
- Better performance than an off-the-shelf product. Custom cable assemblies go through a much more intensive and rigorous manufacturing process and, as a result, can often achieve better performance than standard components. They can also be designed to incorporate multiple functions, including video and cable shielding. Despite the fact that they are designed for optimum performance, custom cable assemblies will often take up minimal space, making installation smart and swift.
- Cost considerations. An off-the-shelf cable assembly may initially seem like the cheaper choice. However, few will be usable in any but the most basic applications. Those that aren’t suitable can cause expensive issues further down the line, from problems with safety to the need to retrofit components, which can be both costly and time consuming.
Custom cable assemblies offer many different benefits, especially to complex and sophisticated applications. From better performance to greater precision and the ability to specify more accurately, there are many different advantages to consider.
