WIRE MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW
When considering whether to bundle wires in a cable assembly, the cable assembly designer has many options to evaluate.
The most common and lowest-cost option is to do nothing.
Other options provide secondary benefits.
1. Prevent loose wires from being stuck during installation.
2. Provide mechanical protection against wear.
3. Resistant to chemicals or liquids.
4. Increase the mounting hardware used when installing the cable assembly.
5. Enables cable assemblies to pass through tight spaces.
WIRE MANAGEMENT MANUFACTURING IMPLICATIONS
Many simple cable assemblies can be manufactured on automated equipment that presses the terminals into wires and then inserts these pre-pressed wires into the housing. This is a very economical method.
The table below shows which cable bundling options are compatible with the three different manufacturing techniques.
Cable Bundling Option | Manual Assembly | Semi-Automated Assembly | Automated Assembly |
Cable Ties | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Tape | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Expandable Woven Braid | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Heat Shrink Tubing | Yes | Yes | No |
Spiral Wrap | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Insulation Tubing | Yes | Yes | No |
Slit Wall Corrugated Loom Tubing | Yes | Yes | Yes |