Your custom cable manufacturing provider should operate as your subject matter expert and consultant for all your cabling needs. By partnering with them early in the design process, you increase the likelihood that you will be able to reduce costs, prevent product failures, and optimize the use of wiring and cabling in your product design. While part of your manufacturer’s role is to educate his clients regarding their options, it helps when the client is already familiar with some of the terms and concepts they may need to know regarding their cabling options. Here are some of the most common cable manufacturing terms to know.
Abrasion Resistance: For applications that place wires and cables under conditions where they might experience friction, such as outdoor, military, or oil field applications, abrasion resistant wire is the way to go. This wire is insulated and coated with a specialized polymer jacket that resists cuts and abrasive forces.
American Wire Gauge (AWG): This is a commonly used measurement all over the world to describe the diameter or gauge of the wire. Using the AWG measurement scale, larger numbers refer to smaller diameter wires.
Assembly: When used as a verb, the term assembly simply means to put multiple components together. However it is more commonly used as a noun to refer to a finished cable or wire harness.
Capacitor: Integral to most modern electronics, a capacitor is an electronic component designed to store electrical energy in a circuit.
Coaxial: Coaxial is a type of cable that is composed of two wire conductors spiraled concentrically about a single axis. One of the wires is insulated and then surrounded by an outer conductor that is also insulated. Typically the whole strand is then wrapped in a protective polymer sheath.
Component: A component is an electronic element, such as a capacitor, resistor, or transistor, and is typically packaged discretely with two connecting leads that are soldered to a circuit board.
Drop Ship: Drop shipping is a type of inventory fulfillment process whereby customers select and purchase the parts and materials for their project, and those are then shipped to the manufacturer for assembly and final delivery to the customer.
Flux: Flux is a chemical compound that is used to remove any oxidized residue or impurities on the surface of the wires. It also improves the fusion of the wires to a circuit board when soldering.
Insulator: Electrical wires conduct potentially dangerous voltages. Without an insulator, this voltage would escape into whatever the wire is touching, be it other components of the product, or the human operator. Insulators such as ceramic, rubber, or plastic are non-conductive and prevent the flow of an electric current from escaping the wire.
Integrated Circuit: An integrated circuit is a microscopic assembly of electronic circuits and components that are implanted on the surface of a single chip of silicon semiconducting material. The reason it is called an integrated circuit is because all of the components, circuits and the base material from which it is constructed are constructed together in a singular piece of component.
Reflow Oven: A reflow oven is a commonly used precision instrument to solder electronic components to a printed circuit board. Reflow ovens have multiple temperature zones allowing the solder to be heated and cooled in phases as the circuit panel moves through the oven on a conveyor belt.
For more industry expertise regarding custom cable assemblies, contact us at LoDan Electronics today!