If an organization is vertically integrated, that means it has taken direct ownership over all or part of the supply chain for its products to increase the quality and efficiency of production. Understandably, becoming a vertically integrated cable manufacturer doesn’t happen overnight. It requires years of strategic investment in technology and infrastructure to gain more control over the value chain.
Cable assemblies are designed to either transmit power, data or signals. To ensure that solutions perform according to the specifications of the intended application, a variety of cable assembly tests are performed during the manufacturing process. Tests can vary depending on the type of cable and the priority level of the application—the more mission-critical the equipment, the more rigorous the testing.
NiobiConTM Technology has completely changed the cable and connector game, especially for electronic applications that are underwater or in wet locations.
Certain environments are notoriously harsh on electrical equipment, creating unique challenges for product engineers, particularly when it comes to selecting cable and connector assemblies. Design teams are quick to consider elements such as resistance to extreme temperatures, dust and water ingress, chemicals, and mechanical stress, but one menacing factor often gets overlooked — electromagnetic interference (EMI).
In 2020, the average number of connected devices was 50 per household. As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to proliferate, a new challenge has quietly taken hold of the electronics market — The Interference of Things. More specifically, the electromagnetic interference (EMI) of things.
Product teams face a laundry list of potential qualities to look for in a cable and connector manufacturing partner, especially when seeking a customized or re-engineered solution. In such cases, we cannot stress enough how important in-house 3D printing capabilities are to achieving successful outcomes.
Cable and connector assemblies typically go through testing, also known as “qualification” or “verification and validation,” to ensure that the product design meets the demands of the intended application.
Customers continue to raise the bar for cable assembly manufacturers who must continuously innovate new products to meet increasingly demanding applications. For example, in automotive applications, wiring in the engine compartment can easily reach temperatures over 195 degrees. When it comes to high-temperature applications, all cable and connector components must be carefully evaluated via temperature rise testing.
UV radiation is a silent and invisible enemy to outdoor electrical applications and represents one of the primary causes of plastic deterioration in outdoor equipment. When a cable’s protective outer jacket is exposed frequently, consistently, and for long durations to ultraviolet light, radiation changes the molecular structure of elastomers in the plastic overmolding material, causing them to crack and break down. Eventually, damages can expose delicate internal electrical components, causing safety hazards, dependability issues and cable failure.
Since the dawn of time, humans have transformed the resources around us into powerful new tools that reshape the world. Industry 4.0 is the fourth industrial revolution that represents how the Internet of Things (IoT) will change everything about the way we manufacture, work, communicate and interact with machines and the world around us. But before going into granular detail about what Industry 4.0 means for the future, let’s revisit the three revolutions that came before. Without them, Industry 4.0 wouldn’t exist.
