Standard cable out of the box is usually mass-produced for a very simple purpose. When the application varies in even the minutest details, these standard cables will often fall short. Even for a simple application like hooking up a home theater system, the different connections from speaker, to power source, to audio source can vary significantly with the myriad of different brands on the market and usually require a custom coax cable assembly. A failure here can lead to a frustrating cinematic experience. Imagine if that failure were to occur during a critical mission with the military or during a large-scale production run in an industrial setting. Failure during these events could prove incredibly costly. And so, custom cable assemblies, crafted exactly for the task at hand, produce a return on the investment time and again. We’ll highlight below our top 10 benefits to creating a custom cable assembly with Meridian.
Top 10 Benefits of Custom Cable Assemblies
1. Ability to Prototype
Prototyping is the process of creating a “test” assembly from which our design staff can run a particular set of cables, connectors, and ancillary components through a multitude of tests in real-life situations to ensure the assembly meets the design requirements. Multiple iterations produced at the same time allow for different prototypes to be tested simultaneously. Seeing the product perform in the real world gives our design staff and clients insight into different attributes that may need to be tweaked. One desired function may not work when different components are put together creating the need for a redesign of an original idea. Also, a prototype will help the manufacturer understand where, when, and how source materials will come together. If these components aren’t feasible, or economically viable, to source given the current configuration, designers can go back to the drawing board way before mass production ever takes place. Prototyping can prove incredibly cost-effective for production in the long-run of product development.
2. Product Testing
Meridian’s custom cable assemblies, whether prototyped or not, will undergo rigorous testing to ensure uniform functionality and quality. At Meridian, we even maintain our own testing laboratory that does nothing but test each product as it comes off the assembly line. Sometimes this requires inventing a whole new way of testing if the cable assembly is a completely customized project. Testing helps to ensure the client receives a product they know they can depend on, in whatever application they are planning on using it in. From military to medical, these assemblies are simply too vital to fail prematurely. Another important element of testing is being able to test the product in the elements; that is, putting the product in the environment it will be used in. Harsh conditions like salt water exposure or being subject to extreme temperatures will increase the need for effective insulators, fillers, wraps, and jacket materials. Testing allows custom cable assembly manufacturers to see how a particular amalgamation of components will stand up to the environment where it will be utilized.
3. Reduce Overall Costs
Rather than trying to configure an off-the-shelf cable assembly to meet your specific needs, custom cable manufacturing allows you to create the perfect set-up. As we’ve discussed, prototyping and testing help ensure the final product has the form and function required of the cable assembly system, while still being economically viable. Our design staff and in-house engineers love solving our client’s complex problems. They’ll take into account how the cable is being used, the voltage or signal required, and even variables such as length to produce the perfect cable and cable assembly components. Knowing the costs, production times, and functionality of a custom assembly saves an incredible amount of time, which in turn, provides the best utilization of capital for our clients.
4. Perfect Fit
Oftentimes, our clients bring us very specific design criteria for use in their electrical systems. As discussed, these systems are used in an incredible array of industries. With such diversity, finding a premade cable assembly to fit your exact project requirements will be difficult, if not impossible. For example, our molded cable assemblies have a mold that’s created exactly to the project’s specifications. This creates a perfect, stable fit for the assembly to the equipment and provides the protection to stand up to the elements that may be subjecting the assembly and connections. Another example is the ability to color-code cables and wires. Color-coding greatly reduces the chances that an element is incorrectly installed, making sure the custom assembly remains the perfect fit from production through implementation.
5. Faster Turnaround Time
Utilizing a custom cable assembly means all of the project source materials are known ahead of time. This reduces the chances for sourcing hiccups that can occur from trying to source materials on-the-fly. Also, running the cable assembly through prototyping and extensive QA/QC testing helps ensure the product is the perfect fit for the function to which it is intended. All of which helps decrease the chances that a product isn’t delivered on-time, as planned. Pre-production, our engineers and design staff put together a complete production plan that even takes into account the specific tools needed to complete a job. Tools are reserved from our custom tool cribs in order to make sure they are available at the precise moment they’re needed in the production process, which also eliminates time waste. Meridian is a firm proponent of Kanban production, which seeks to eliminate these types of waste throughout the production process in order to stick to the predetermined project schedule.
6. QA/QC
Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) lies at the very heart of everything a custom cable manufacturer does. In order to obtain and maintain our ISO 9001:2015 certification, we have to demonstrate a consistent commitment to the improvement of our processes. Demonstrating the integrity of our products, each and every production run, and our commitment to total client satisfaction, allows for production runs to go smoothly, issues to be addressed quickly, and the overall product quality to remain consistently high.
7. Experience in Similar Applications
A cable assembly manufacturer worth their weight will have produced thousands of different cable and wiring assemblies for a variety of different industries and applications. Meridian’s clients benefit from nearly three decades of intrinsic knowledge in custom cable assembly. We produce products that work right from the get-go, with each and every product manufactured off our lines. All of this experience equates to faster turnaround times, better products, and the ability to utilize our client’s budget in the most judicious means possible.
8. Better Materials
By going with a custom cable assembly and cable harness manufacturer, you get the benefit of qualified engineers sourcing the best materials for the actual application you intend the product for. At Meridian, we use UL-certified cables and wires so that we get both a uniform functionality, as well as, uniform quality to our products. This allows the final product to have a known range of specifications and likely failure points, allowing for clients to better plan for asset decay. Bottom line, better materials means better products.
9. Ability to Scale Production
Most projects usually go from concept, through design, to prototyping, testing, and finally roll off in small lots. However, we have the capability and experience to produce incredibly high volumes of cable assemblies, coil cords, molded components, and wire harnesses in our production facilities. Having two, wholly-owned production facilities located around the globe allows us to quickly ramp up production to get our products quickly to clients anywhere they may be.
10. Control Over the Process
At Meridian, we control the entirety of the day-to-day operations in both of our production facilities. That means complete oversight over the complete production process. We have a fairly fanatical dedication to making quality products. The applications where our cable assemblies find themselves is simply too vital for us to produce anything less than great products, with known specifications, so that operators know they can count on the product wherever it’s being employed. You simply won’t get this level of control over product quality from an off-the-shelf cable assembly.
Why Meridian?
Custom cable assemblies are a vital component to most any electrical system you can think of. We know you have a wide range of choices when it comes to cable assembly companies and cable harness manufacturers. At Meridian, we’ve developed a manufacturing process that utilizes the very best techniques in supply chain management and manufacturing, such as Kanban and just-in-time ordering. After nearly three decades as a cable and wiring assembly manufacturer, we’ve gotten pretty good at the process. This means putting client needs first to deliver a truly superior product, in a cost-effective manner. We value the trust placed in us by our clients so continue to seek ways to improve our processes. When you’re ready to go over your project requirements with a knowledgeable support specialist, call 1-866-866-0544 or email us at sales@meridiancableassemblies.com. You can also utilize our convenient online contact form.