You may think that designing a customized cable assembly can prove to be expensive as compared to buying a readily available one. That’s true, and in fact, it’s factual for any product that you have tailor-made rather than buying off-the-shelf. That’s because any manufacturer will get off his regular schedules and specifications to design something that is different from their regular routines. It could be different materials, different processes, different design elements, etc. Anything that sets apart a product from the regular production is definitely going to be a little expensive, and you can’t blame the manufacturer for that. So, if you are looking for a customized cable harness assembly at a rate same as that of a readily available one, it’s practically impossible. But, as we say this, we also let you know that it is possible to be able to cut down on significant costs even while customizing your product. This means that although you may not get it at the same rate as an off-the-shelf assembly, but you could also avoid paying some hefty prices that the manufacturer may actually ask you for. How? Read on.
Before we move towards cutting off your costs, we’ll want you to understand that there are many factors that affect the cost of an assembly. In addition, any wrong choice made can bring to you a lower quality product or one that may get damaged soon, only to incur you additional repairing and replacement costs later. This is why just as much as you need to consider every factor while designing, you also need to ensure that you’re making the right selections. But, don’t worry, because we’ll help you with that. We’ll cover the three most important aspects of considerations when you want a customized cable harness assembly – raw materials, connectors, and ease of manufacturability. All these three elements can significantly affect the final cost of your product. Hence, if all these areas are optimized correctly, the manufacturing costs of your cable harness assembly in India can be kept as low as possible. Let’s see how.
Raw materials
The raw materials used to build a cable harness assembly incorporate the conductors, insulation, shielding, and jacket material. Matching all of these materials to the environment in which the assembly is to be used can bring to you an appropriate product that is balance of costs and quality. Using low grade materials is definitely not going to work for you. But, at times, you may not need an extremely super grade raw material too. So, you can always choose an average one to save on costs. For example, if your assembly is to be used in harsh outdoor conditions, you may need a robust material. But, the same may not be required in safe indoor environments. Similarly, some applications may certainly require you to use shielded cable assemblies, but others can work well with unshielded assemblies too; so you must identify whether you must invest in a shielded or unshielded assembly.
Connectors
Although connectors are also a part of the raw material group, yet we put it up as a different section altogether because of its importance. The connectors used in an application must match the form, fit, and function of the expected performance of the finished cable assembly. You must avoid choosing a style of connector that is specially produced only on demand. Instead, you must choose general regularly available connectors so that there is no dearth of connectors when you need to replace them in the future in urgent situations. Moreover, specially designed connectors will also raise the price of the finished product.
Ease of manufacturability
All kinds of critical and challenging manufacturing possibilities should be cancelled. For instance, there are certain applications that require tight tolerances to possess very specific electrical characteristics, or to route the assembly through predetermined openings. Other than any such critical applications, specifying extremely tight tolerances should be avoided whenever possible. Adherence to published standards in most applications is acceptable. Similarly, all such manufacturing processes should be eliminated that require higher costs only to make the assemblies unique. Keep the assemblies as simple as possible, until and unless absolutely necessary.
With all the above factors and many more kept in mind, and considered well, you stand a chance of getting a good quality cable harness assembly at the lowest price possible. So, just keep in mind only the most important critical challenges, and keep the rest of your assembly as simple and standard as possible. To help you make the right decision, you can always consult a professional manufacturer like Miracle Electronics, where you can get only the right advice, and the best solutions to build a top quality, yet cost-efficient cable harness assembly in India.
