4 Tips to Ensure Long-Lasting Cable and Wire Harness Assembly Performance

4 Tips to Ensure Long-Lasting Cable and Wire Harness Assembly Performance

Oct 18,2016

The secrets to a long-lasting cable and wire harness assembly is proper handling, routing, installation, and maintenance. The last point is especially important, as regular maintenance can help prevent wire damage, connection lifespans, and circuit functioning. If an organization utilizes cable harness assemblies, they should work with a reputable harness assembly repair service provider to accomplish the previously mentioned points. The best way to do this is to keep a few important points in mind.

How to Improve Cable and Wire Harness Assembly Installation and Performance

The following are tips that customers can keep in mind when working with wire harness manufacturers, and repair service providers.

  • Ensure the Wire Harness is Dressed Well: Cable dressing refers to arranging the cable neatly. This is done to help increase storage space, and prevent the cables from getting entangled with one other. Cable dressing also allows for easy routing, installation, and repair. Hence, when working with cable harness manufacturer, always communicate that you want the harness to be dressed properly.
  • Prevent Bird-caging: The term bird-caging refers to a single fiber within a wire that twists in the opposite direction of wire lay. If this is discovered, you need to twist the wire insulation in the same direction of the twist created by the manufacturer. Solving bird-caging can provide many benefits. It helps prevent short circuits, and also make the process of soldering wires to terminals easier.
  • Master the art of Breakout Wiring: Many electrical components consist of breakout boards. Wires need to be broken out of the bundle to connect to various terminals of the breakout board. The process of breakout wiring needs to be done with care. When breaking a wire, there should be minimum stress on the conductor. The wire must never suffer from excess bending. Also, the distance between the break out point, and the terminal should be such that the wire should curve when connected to the terminal.
  • Ensure Wire Strain Relief at all Terminations: Strain relief not only helps in breaking out wires, but it is also helpful when connecting them. Wire strain relief can be done by creating a maintenance loop before the terminal. Ensuring wire strain relief will allow the wires to be more flexible, and thus make it easier for wire termination. If your application requires the electrical enclosure to be mobile, less wire strain relief will help the cables adhere to mobility and temperature changes.

These tips can help you when installing, maintaining, and repairing cable and wire harness assemblies. Always consult with your wire manufacturer, or repair service provider before trying any of these tips.