As a necessary component in countless applications, custom-designed cable assemblies have a major impact on the cost, and therefore the profitability, of any project. Designing a cable assembly that meets both environmental and electrical demands, while keeping costs low, can be a challenging task for cable assembly supplier.
Factors in Cable Assembly Cost Reduction
A key factor for suggesting cost savings on a cable assembly is being able to look at a specification for the entire assembly as well as a detailed BOM listing the components of the assembly.
Having these two documents readily available allows for an in-depth analysis of the materials that are included in the assembly and is the starting point for any cost-saving suggestions. Additional information will be needed to properly evaluate the assembly though. That information would include the type of environment that the assembly will be installed in as well as the expected service life that the assembly will need to offer from the cable harness supplier.
Raw Materials Used In the Cable Assembly
The raw materials chosen for an assembly will be determined by both the electric performance expected of the assembly and the environment in which the assembly will be used. From a simplistic standpoint, there are a limited number of components of a cable assembly – connectors, the medium that will transmit the power or data, and ancillary items such as shrink tubes and labels. The biggest cost savings will come from choosing the correct connector and wire/cable to meet the requirements of the assembly for the wire harness supplier.
Cable Assembly Connector Cost Savings
In all instances, the assembly needs to mate with an interface of some sort – which could be another connector mounted to a board, a panel-mounted connector, another cable-mounted connector, or hard wired to a piece of equipment, to name a few of the possibilities.
The type of connector chosen will have an impact on the cost of the assembly. At the low end of the cost would be a connector that can be installed on automated equipment. This type of connection would consist of lugs, terminals, or contacts that are crimped on the wires.
Type of Wire Cost Savings
The wire and/or cable that is used in an assembly can be major cost savings, though the type of wire or cable used will be dictated by the environment the assembly will be used in as well as the signal that will be sent through the assembly.
The majority of all assemblies used in North America will require some sort of safety rating. The rating will refer to either a UL or a CSA certification which will be based on the environment of the assembly that will be used. For instance, if the assembly will be used as an interconnect within a piece of equipment the certification could be in the form of an AWM (Appliance Wiring Material) Style.
Cable Conductor Size, Material, and Plating
The same philosophy holds true when choosing the conductor size, material, and plating; though the choice will be driven more by the service life expected of the assembly as well as the type of signal sent through the assembly.
As a rule of thumb, the smaller the AWG size of the conductor, the less expensive it will be – to a certain point. There is a point where the conductor cost will increase as the size of the conductor decreases due to the manufacturing issues associated with the smaller conductor.
