1. Is molded flat ribbon cable more or less
expensive than conventional wire harnesses?
| It depends on the type of assembly and the ratio of labor
and material in the unit. However, molded flat ribbon cable is
sometimes equal or less in price to a conventional harness because the cost
to mold the ribbon(s) is offset by the termination labor saved by
eliminating the need to tag or otherwise ID the conductors. In
addition, one should also factor in the cost savings realized during
installation as these types of harnesses can be dropped into an assembly
like a mechanical part eliminating the need for routing, clamping, etc. |
2. Are the non-recurring
costs of molded cable assemblies cost prohibitive?
| Our aluminum injection molds are machined in-house so we
can keep your NRE costs down. Our tooling charges are substantially
lower than compression molds and other types of tooling. All molds
are the property of the customer that funds them and can be returned upon
request or safely kept at our facility for future use. |
3. What environments can molded cable
assemblies not withstand?
| Polyurethane and silicone molded cables can withstand most
harsh environments such as temperature extremes, moisture, etc.
However, the molding materials are not ideal for applications that require
submersion in fuels, exposure to commercial de-icing and hydraulic fluids,
or out-gassing-intolerant applications such as optics packages. If you
are interested in our products but have these types of requirements, please
contact us so that we may provide you with alternatives that we offer. |
4. What kind of connectors can be used for
molded cable assemblies?
| Virtually any military or commercial connector can be
adapted for use in our molded assemblies. Because connectors are
typically molded to the ribbon or bundle of the cable using polyurethane or
epoxy for strain relief, it is preferable to select connectors that are
sealed or have contacts that fit snugly in the connector insert.
Please feel free to contact us with your connector part numbers so we may
provide you with our opinion of their suitability for integrating into
molded cable assemblies. |
5. Do you offer your own connectors or custom
interfaces?
| Yes, we offer a complete line of custom headers for mating
with printed circuit boards. These headers are made of G-10 fiberglass
and standard pins to keep the material cost of your assembly down. In
addition, we have assisted customers in developing custom connector mating pairs when an
off-the-shelf selection is not available or affordable. |
6. What type and configuration wire can be
included in ribbons?
| That answer is basically any wire you desire. We
have integrated un-insulated, insulated, twisted, shielded, CAT 5E, coaxial,
triaxial, and other specialty wires into both ribbon and molded bundle
cable assemblies. The number and type of wire in the same assembly is
only limited by the room in your next assembly. If you have not
selected a wire specification or have an application requiring flexibility,
we recommend high strand count wire such as MIS-35755 to increase the flexibility
of the cable during installation or operation. Again, feel free to
contact us so that we may suggest alternatives. |
7. Do molded cable assemblies weigh more than
conventional harnesses?
| Not necessarily, because a molded cable assembly often
eliminates bulky backshells, potting boots, and shielding materials, it is
common for them to weigh approximately the same as their conventional
harness equivalent. |
8. How can molded cable assemblies be
shielded?
| A molded bundle cable can be shielded in the same fashion
as conventional harnesses using copper braids and foils. Molded ribbon
cables are more difficult because they are often selected to save space and
bulky shielding materials would eliminate that benefit. For molded
ribbons, we typically shield the individual conductors within the ribbon or
apply a silver-based EMI spray coating to their outer surfaces. Please
contact us for more information concerning these options. |
9. Do you work with 3-D models and design
cables to fit in your CAD software?
| Yes, we often work with 3-D models to arrive at
preliminary routing shapes and dimensions. However, we do not rely on
them to produce a final design as we have found that many models have minor
issues with tolerances or errors that could affect the fit of the cable.
Therefore, we usually insist on producing a non-functioning mockup or first
article piece to check the fit in your actual next assembly hardware.
If you would like to send us digital CAD information, we accept AutoCAD .dwg,
.dxf, .dws, .wmf, .sat .iges, .ai, vector, and all DGN formats. |
10. What kind of electrical testing do you
provide?
| Our standard electrical testing consists of continuity and
insulation resistance tests to MIL-STD-202G(1), Methods 302 and 303.
Most of our testing is performed on one of our two DITMCO or two Cirris automated cable
testers. Special testing such as dielectric withstanding voltage (AC &
DC Hipot), VSWR, insertion loss, and crosstalk can also be requested. |
11. What quality standard do you adhere to?
12. What is the typical lead time for mockups
and functioning hardware?
| Mockups typically take 1-2 weeks depending on their
complexity. Functioning hardware is dependent on material lead times
but generally can begin shipping between 4-6 weeks from receipt of material.
Molded harnesses will have a production rate dependent on the number of
tooling sets funded by the customer. Usually, this rate is
approximately one harness per day per set of tooling but this can change
depending on the complexity of the unit and types of molding materials
utilized. |
13. Can molded cable assemblies be designed in
other configurations besides flat ribbons?
| Yes, depending on the requirements of the application,
cables can be designed with angles and corners. They can also
transition from flat to round bundles if needed. Our molding
technology is versatile enough to allow us to devise some very creative configurations if the application warrants it (for a quick look at some common
molded cable design features, see here). |
14. What temperature ranges can your
interconnects withstand?
| A comfortable operating range is typically -55 Celsius to
+85 Celsius. Depending on the materials used, we have produced some
assemblies that operate at a much higher top temperature range. Please
contact us if your operating temperature requirements are different but
would like to know about other alternatives we have to offer. |
15. Can you encapsulate components such as
diodes, resistors, and switches in your assemblies?
| Yes, this is a common request that we have included on
many interconnects. We can terminate such components in-line within
the connector encapsulations or include them on small printed circuit boards
that can then be partially or completely over-molded. |
16. Do you work with customer furnished
material (CFM)?
| Yes, we have no problem using any material you would like
to furnish. This is often desirable as it reduces the overall
lead time of an interconnect since we are using long lead components that
the customer may have in stock. We only ask that you provide a
reasonable attrition quantity in case it is needed. |
17. How long have these types of military
molded ribbon cables been in use?
| Since the late 1960's, when they were developed to
overcome engineering challenges in earlier missile programs. Much of
the technology was developed locally here in Orlando. Since then,
these types of cables have been successfully used on virtually every
military and aerospace platform from tanks to submarines to fighter planes.
They were even present in the engine controllers of the Space Shuttle. |
18. Can you include installation hardware into
the molded cable design?
| Yes, of course. We can integrate brackets, eyelets,
jacking hardware, inserts, grommets, and many other types of hardware into
your design. It is also possible to integrate cable tie features and
other fastening methods into our ribbon configurations to eliminate hardware
altogether. These options cost very little to add to an assembly yet
save both installation time and improve repeatability. |
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