Cable assemblies don’t just transmit electrical power or communications signals. They support the performance of complex systems in consumer, industrial, medical, military, and many other applications. For vehicle and equipment manufacturers, deciding whether to make cable assemblies in-house or to outsource production is an important business decision. Some companies fear that outsourcing will result in a loss of quality. Others worry that outsourcing is too expensive.
Yet manufacturing your own cable assembly is not without risk. For starters, you’ll need to capture all of your costs – including facility overhead and the extra parts inventory that’s required. In addition to more manufacturing space, companies that make their own cable assemblies need specialized equipment and skilled labor. Your company does many things well, but outsourcing your custom cable assembly to SHINE can benefit your business in four important ways:
- quality
- installation
- cost
- manufacturability
As you examine these benefits, remember to consider the risks and costs of in-house production.
Quality and Installation
As we learned in our last blog entry, there’s only one industry-consensus standard (IPC/WHMA-A-620) that defines the requirements and practices for the manufacture of quality cable assemblies. Cables from SHINE (if specified) will be built and tested to the IPC/WHMA-A-620 standard, but our commitment to quality doesn’t end there. SHINE is ISO 9001:2008 certified, has a UL Recognized Registration, and is CSA recognized. We manufacture RoHS compliant custom cable assemblies, too.
Custom cable assembly from SHINE also helps to standardize your installation process while reducing cycle times. Instead of looking for loose wires and cables, installers can readily grasp a cable assembly and make connections to the circuit. This reduces installation times while making it possible for every installer to follow the same procedure. If quality and efficiency are part of your project plan, then remember to include custom cable assemblies from SHINE.
Cost and Manufacturability
Cable assemblies from SHINE also support your efforts at cost control and design for manufacturability (DFM). When you outsource cable assembly production to us, you’ll get engineering support that adds value to your operations. In addition to expert sourcing and alternate parts research, SHINE can provide cost-saving recommendations for changes in designs, components, and materials. From risk assessment BOM scrubs to RoHS- compliant component reviews, we can help you avoid errors that others might miss.
Finally, SHINE is ready to help you with DFM, the process of optimizing all of your manufacturing functions to ensure not only the best cost and quality, but also regulatory compliance, safety, and time-to-market. For outsourced cable assemblies that benefit your business, contact SHINE.
