Wire Harness Assembly for Testability

Premium Wire and Cable Interconnects
Custom Built for Your Electronic Assemblies

Premium Wire Harnesses Improve Testing Outcomes, and Throughput

Wires perform a necessary function in electronic assemblies, linking sub-systems and allowing easy interface with peripherals through interconnect standards. Despite this, wires get a bad wrap (no pun intended). For example, think of how often wire collections are shuttled out-of-sight behind computer desks and home theater setups as they grow in number and become a tangled mess. The best way to manage these wire networks is through organizing, whether with a zip tie, twist tie, rubber band, etc.

For the consumer, this organization might seem like overkill, but it’s necessary for an electronics manufacturer. The intricate nature of printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) production means there are several possible failure points – testing becomes crucial to determine the correctness and completeness of a design. More than just keeping the wiring system of an electronic system organized, a wire harness assembly simplifies the analysis and troubleshooting of the device. At VSE, we understand the need for precision electronic interconnectivity. For over forty years, we have been building your PCBAs and the wire harness assemblies that marry the discrete boards to ensure performance and service life longevity.

PCBA Production Steps
Design	The board is laid out to maintain design intent and maximize performance with product constraints (size, weight, etc.) For manufacturers, a design review for feasibility will be an integral step before production commences.
Board Fabrication	The bare board materials are processed to produce all of the PCB features (copper placement, drilled holes, cutouts, etc.)
Board Assembly	The bare board is populated with the components that will provide the circuit function and features. For appreciable production quantities and component lists, automated placement and soldering processes will be utilized for efficiency.
Enclosure Design	The enclosure will provide a safe handling method for interacting with the electronic system that aims to minimize weight without impeding heat loss to the environment.
Cable Assembly	Cable assembly will bundle groups of wires in a sheath to improve ruggedness, provide extra shielding for twisted pair wires, etc.
Wire Harness Assembly	The wire harness will connect the sub-systems of the design with a wiring system that offers both flexibility and testability.

Wire Harness Assembly From an Experienced Electronics Manufacturer

There is a tremendous amount of precision involved when manufacturing a PCBA, and modern systems of even moderate complexity will require multiple boards working together. The system itself is a design milestone independent of the individual boards, as the PCBAs and other hardware must all fit and interface together within a well-designed system enclosure. Despite this critical role, the wire assembly is often the last part of the system to be developed.

At VSE, electronics manufacturing is in our DNA. We’re familiar with the intricacies of interconnect design and how best to construct them for form, fit, and function. We view a PCBA as a comprehensive and continuous manufacturing process. Our practices reflect that in several of the following ways:

Engineering know-how:

Our engineering staff has helped companies across a range of industries design and refine wire harnesses and cable assemblies. We have routinely assisted our customers in creating high-quality interconnects across various industries and applications.

Manufacturing expertise

Our manufacturing team has built wire harnesses for over four decades. We are skilled at creating interconnects that will support electronic functionality with a neat and orderly fit; the connections meet the rigors of field usage while offering a desired level of pliability.

System assembly

For over forty years, our engineering and manufacturing teams have been collaborating to produce cutting-edge electronic devices. We know it’s not enough to implement functional wire harnesses, but rather a wire harness as robust as the PCBAs it connects.

Full-system testing

An electronics assembly is only as good as its weakest link. Knowing the ins and outs of box builds means we know how to detect the most common failures – and those less noticeable. From continuity testing to marginal crimps and contacts that aren’t fully seated with mating connections, we provide a total examination of every wire assembly for completeness and quality.

WIRE HARNESSES BUILT ALONGSIDE PCBs, NOT AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT

We’ve cultivated our reputation and business with suppliers at every stage of PCBA manufacturing. With this, we can give you the added benefit of bundling the procurement and production for all of the project’s components: combining the printed circuit board assemblies, the box build of the system enclosure, and the wire harnesses, all of the project interfaces remain under one roof. Design teams won’t have to worry about staging production across multiple sites and manufacturers, and as a result, turnaround times are kept to a minimum on time-sensitive jobs.

There are additional benefits to realize by including a wire assembly built in tandem with the rest of the electronic system:

Custom-built to specifications

We design and manufacture wire harnesses to system specifications and from any available documentation, whether that’s originating from a 3D CAD model, technical artwork, or a simple description of the goals and requirements.

Custom-fit to your box builds

During system assembly, interconnect building will naturally follow the box build design to maximize wire fanout and bundling while minimizing strain for improved reliability.

Support connected PCBAs

The design and manufacture of the PCBA(s) within the box build is part of a seamless, continuous production. Wire harness assembly will take advantage of this DFM process by being an active consideration during board layout to maximize the PCBA’s performance.

A one-stop component shop

For turnkey manufacturing solutions or a more à la carte approach, our component selection process keeps design budgetary constraints in mind. High-volume productions can also benefit from reserving a dedicated production space for ongoing manufacturing.

Ready to get started?

System Integration via Wire Harness Assembly

Wire harness construction begins with a precise panel for our technicians; the panel will have pegs where the wire harness needs to bend or divide into different directions, and connectors will terminate a branch of the harness.

The production of a wire harness follows a general flowchart:

Review and preparation

As it is for all electronic assembly processes, we review all specifications and make recommendations (if necessary) for component replacements based on availability, cost, and performance. Once the design is finalized, our team will purchase the materials for the manufacturing of the harness as well as construct the assembly panel.

Documentation

We’re focused on high quality and repeatability in production. Package outputs include all the assembly instructions, illustrations, and test processes for our manufacturing technicians from the original input (and data compiled during the review).

Production

Manufacturing technicians will build the wire harness by cutting wires to length, laying the wires out on the panel, and tying the harness together to reduce strain and increase flexibility before attaching the connectors.

Validating

The completed harness will undergo quality assurance testing for continuity according to the appropriately developed test processes. The physical elements of the wire harness will be examined as well, including connector attachment, labels, and final fit in the system assembly.

Experts You Can Trust for Your Wire Harness & Cable Assembly Project

Experts You Can Trust for Your Wire Harness Project

In large capital equipment with hundreds of interconnects, it is common for mislabeled wires, bad terminations, or improperly seated contacts to be the root cause of the majority of system-level issues. We know that you can’t afford the time or expense of problems like these, so at VSE, we ensure your wire harnesses are only built to the highest quality standards.

You can rely on our technical expertise and experience in the electronics manufacturing industry to bring your project to fruition while exceeding expectations. Contact us today to learn more about how VSE covers all aspects of electronics system integration, including wire harness assembly.