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The Evolution of Cable Assemblies: Innovations and Trends in the Industry

Posted on June 14, 2024 by

As technology continues to advance, the cable assembly industry is experiencing significant innovations and evolving trends. This article explores the latest developments in cable assemblies and their manufacture, highlighting how these changes are shaping the future of connectivity.

The Historical Evolution of Cable Assemblies

Cable assemblies have come a long way since their inception. Initially, they were simple constructs designed to connect basic electrical systems. Over time, as technology advanced, the demand for more complex and reliable cable assemblies grew, leading to innovations in materials, design, and manufacturing processes.

Key Innovations in Cable Assembly Technology

  1. Advanced Materials
    • High-Performance Insulation: New insulation materials offer better resistance to heat, chemicals, and physical wear, enhancing the durability and reliability of cable assemblies.
    • Lightweight Conductors: The use of lightweight yet highly conductive materials, such as certain alloys, reduces the weight of cable assemblies without compromising performance.
  2. Automated Manufacturing
    • Robotic Assembly: Automated systems and robotic machinery increase precision and efficiency in cable assembly production, reducing human error and production time.
    • 3D Printing: Emerging 3D printing technologies are enabling the creation of complex connector and cable designs that were previously difficult to manufacture.
  3. Smart Cables
    • Embedded Sensors: Integrating sensors within cable assemblies allows for real-time monitoring of performance parameters, such as temperature, voltage, and current.
    • IoT Integration: Smart cables can communicate with other devices within the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem, providing valuable data for predictive maintenance and system optimisation.
  4. Customisation and Flexibility
    • Modular Designs: Modular cable assemblies offer greater flexibility, allowing for easy modifications and custom configurations to meet specific application needs.
    • Rapid Prototyping: Advanced design software and rapid prototyping techniques enable quicker development cycles, allowing manufacturers to bring new products to market faster.

Current Trends Shaping the Industry

  1. Sustainability
    • Eco-Friendly Materials: There is a growing focus on using recyclable and biodegradable materials in cable assembly manufacturing to reduce environmental impact.
    • Energy Efficiency: Manufacturers are developing energy-efficient production processes and products to align with global sustainability goals.
  2. Miniaturisation
    • Compact Designs: As electronic devices become smaller, the demand for miniaturised cable assemblies that can fit into tight spaces without sacrificing performance is increasing.
    • High-Density Interconnects: Advances in connector technology allow for higher density interconnections, supporting the trend towards smaller and more powerful devices.
  3. Enhanced Performance
    • High-Speed Data Transmission: The need for faster data transfer rates in telecommunications and computing is driving the development of high-speed cable assemblies.
    • Improved Shielding: Enhanced shielding techniques are being used to protect against electromagnetic interference (EMI) and ensure signal integrity.
  4. Global Supply Chain Adaptations
    • Localised Manufacturing: To mitigate the risks associated with global supply chain disruptions, there is a trend towards localised manufacturing of cable assemblies.
    • Supply Chain Transparency: Improved tracking and transparency throughout the supply chain help ensure the quality and reliability of components.

The Future of Cable Assemblies

Looking ahead, the cable assembly industry is poised for continued growth and innovation. Key areas to watch include the integration of artificial intelligence for predictive maintenance, further advancements in smart cable technology, and the ongoing push for sustainable manufacturing practices.

Conclusion

The evolution of cable assemblies reflects the broader technological advancements and shifting demands of modern industries. By staying abreast of these innovations and trends, businesses can ensure they are utilising the most advanced and reliable cable assembly solutions available. At St. Cross Electronics, we are committed to leveraging these developments to provide our clients with cutting-edge cable assembly solutions that meet their evolving needs.


Code 60 Virtual Safety Car Device – C60VSC

Posted on January 9, 2018 by

Code 60 Virtual Safety Car – C60VSC

St Cross Electronics and Cartek Motorsport have become technical partners on a new device aimed at improving safety to race circuits, competitors and marshals.

The Code 60 Virtual Safety Car was launched at PMW Expo 2017 and already has been received well with new orders being taken in The Netherlands by the DNRT (Dutch National Racing Team).

 

 

***The product will be on display at The Autosport International Expo from 11-14 January 2018 on the Cartek Booth 8244.  You will find Dax there to give a demo, and be able to chat about the merits this new product brings to circuit safety and competitor fairness.***

A collaboration between two motorsport electronic companies, St Cross Electronics and Cartek has resulted in a simple system which can be installed on any car and used at any race circuit to allow all of the safety and performance benefits of Code-60 to be fully realised.

What is the Code 60 flag?

Introduced in 2000’s, the Code-60 flag concept was deemed to be safer, quicker and fairer way to neutralise a race when an on-track incident required marshal intervention.  Although successfully used in top level endurance racing in Europe, when this concept was later introduced to club level, circuit racing in the UK, several problems were encountered.  This was mainly due to cars and drivers at this level of racing not being equipped with the communication systems or instrumentation as commonly found in high level GT racing.  As such, it was almost impossible for a club level driver to hold their speed to the required 60kph when required and also for officials to monitor a drivers’ behaviour during a Code-60 situation.

How does it work?

Each system has a Code 60 Driver Indicator System (C60DIS) that is GPS driven and through a sequence of LED’s on the C60DIS, it gives the driver a visual bright indicator of what speed they are doing.  This gives the driver the feedback they need to maintain a safe 60kph, but also external indicators show to other drivers and observers whether the car is above or at the desired 60kph speed limit in place set by the Code 60 flag.

 

For more information and a live demo of the C60VCS system do come and visit our booth at #8244


How it all started – Patrick J. Kiely

Posted on March 31, 2016 by

St Cross Electronics was set up in the early 1980’s and still, today, trades with some of its first customers.  It even has some of the same staff members that joined in those very early years.  This post is written by its founder Mr. Patrick J. Kiely, who really did take a big gamble to leave what was a secure job to “go on his own”. Patrick retired from the business in 2003 after Adrian Jukes and Dax Ward carried out an MBO.  Below is Patrick’s story.

 

I always had a burning desire to run my own business and Vicky and I have, over the years, come up with many different ideas such as building houses, as I had done in Loughborough, to selling solar panels in Spain (this was the early days of solar panels).  But we could never see a way of getting things started until I joined ITT Cannon.  The new experience of dealing with people in the electronics industry made me realise that although these people were very good at something I knew very little about, I could do the mechanical and packaging side of it at least as good as them.

One day, visiting Mullards of Southampton, an engineer showed me a complicated assembly consisting of many soldered wires which, he said, would be very expensive to produce “in house” and did I know of a suitable sub contractor who could handle it.  I gave it two seconds thought and replied that I knew exactly the right people and would get back to him later with details.  Next day I registered “St. Cross Electronics” at companies house as “ sole trader”.

In the event nothing came of the Mullard deal but at least I had made the first step: we had a company.

Although wildly ambitious I was always very aware that I should never compromise my position with Cannon; in terms of taking business that should be theirs or spending their time on my project.  So I was pleased that the very first order taken by St. Cross was to the benefit of me and Cannon.   A company in Egham wanted a “D-Sub” Connector for board mounting but with clinch- nuts to fix to a front panel.  Not a difficult request, I thought, but “D-Sub” was manufactured in France and they were not interested in producing a special.  My solution , accepted by them, was to buy the standard connector from Cannon and free issue it to me to be modified.  This first order was followed by various cable assemblies which I made in my little workshop.

Jumpers

The jumper is a very simple device for joining two printed circuit boards together. It consists of ribbon cable (usually on 0.100 pitch) of various ways with both conductor ends bared for soldering to the boards.  The first we saw at Cannon was supplied by “Spectrastrip”, an ITT company in the USA, for the “Oxford Calculator”.  I can’t remember now what it cost but for what it was the price was enormous.  I could see the future. I had to make them; but how to achieve that perfect 3 mm strip at each end?

As we were selling Spectrastrip in its many forms I had no trouble in getting cable to play with.  We tried a special abrasive machine that the makers claimed was designed for just that purpose and was nearly successful but not quite.  I nearly bought it thinking I could make it work but, fortunately, Vicky was not persuaded.  Eventually I  found a simple hand tool from Weidmuller that did the trick but, clearly, was not for mass production.  One of my first orders, using the new tool, was a from a speaker company.  They needed to get from a 10 way switch on the front of the unit to a PC board 800mm away.  The perfect solution was to free issue the switches to be soldered to a 10way colour coded ribbon cable stripped at the free end to be soldered, by them, to their board.

By this time I had so much work that I had to recruit and train a small army of “home workers” two of whom I entrusted with the Weidmuller tools and small solder pots to produce the jumpers.

By the summer of 1982 I became unhappy at Cannon due to changes in the Sales management and, in a fit of pique, I left to join Harting.   An action I regretted almost as soon as I committed it.  However, being more unhappy with my new company gave me the incentive to take my “hobby company” to the next level.  That September wandering around the InterNepcon exhibition in Brighton I was thrilled to discover the “Komax machine”.  This was a revelation: I had never heard of it before, and it did exactly what I wanted.  The demonstrator produced jumpers using Molex cable which with its single core conductor meant that they could be produced very cheaply because they required no secondary tinning operation.  The biggest customer for jumpers that I knew of was STC in Belfast who used them to join two boards together in their “Viscount” telephone hand set.  This was a hugely popular phone.  Indeed, every new BT subscriber was given one.

An old chum at Cannon who covered the area was kind enough to introduce me to the company and the Buyer was keen to receive a competitive quotation. So I bought a reel of cable and agreed with the distributor of the “Komax” that, if he would run off a batch of the three way jumpers as samples and if they were accepted, I would buy the machine.

Our samples and quote were accepted and we bought our first machine.  I partitioned off the end of my garage to produce a sixteen by eight foot workshop and installed the new machine together with a small hydrovane compressor.  I now needed to make the vital decision to leave full time employment and try earning my living through my tiny new company.  I can not pretend that I was not frightened by the prospect.  I knew I could not rely just on jumpers to create a successful company but needed more customers for cable harness.  Nowadays one can count the number of computer manufactures almost on the fingers of one hand but in the early eighties there were literally hundreds.  One of which, a company in Woking, I was hoping to supply.  When I got my first order from them I made the decision, left Harting, took a lease on a Vauxhall Cavalier and was on my own.  This was July 1983 and by the autumn of that year I had to find a proper factory if I was to expand and be taken seriously by the sort of companies I aspired to supply.

Southampton City Council, in their endeavour to promote industry bought a row of terraced houses and converted them to basic workshops to be let to start-up companies   at a reasonable rent.  We moved there in November and employed three young men under the governments “Young Workers Scheme”.

This got us started and when the council built smaller units behind we took one of them as well.  Finally, in 1986, we outgrew both units and took a twenty five year lease on a new factory in Mount Pleasant where we are to this day.


DFM – Design for Manufacturability

Posted on March 23, 2016 by

At St Cross Electronics Ltd we have been supporting our customers with Design for Manufacturability (DFM) for many years.  We work closely with our customers to ensure the most effective final design for efficient, high quality manufacture.

Although not a direct design house, we have over 30 years experience of manufacturing cable assemblies. So we can advise on better practices, components, sourcing on all entities involved with the design and manufacture of a cable assembly.

If this process is adopted at the start of a project it can reduce manufacturing costs.  DFM will allow potential problems to be fixed in the design phase which is the least expensive place to address them.

Other factors may affect the manufacturability such as the type of raw material, the form of the raw material, dimensional tolerances, and secondary processing such as finishing. If you get the foundations right the rest will follow.

Design for Manufacturability is a part of our business that we feel very passionate about, and we would value the opportunity to discuss any new projects with you, assisting in any way we can.

We also support rapid prototyping department, drawings and First Article Inspections.

Please contact one of our sales team to discuss your requirements in more detail and be directed to an engineer.


Exhibition season starting at PMW Köln

Posted on October 29, 2015 by

PMW2015LOGO

Adrian and Ryan will be heading up Booth 5022 in Cologne this year at the PMW show. This will be our 10 straight year of being at this show.  Products on display will be electronics hardware and of course our cable assemblies showcasing some examples of our motorsport range of product, but also other types from different industries.  Motorsport only makes up 15% of our turnover, with involvement mainly in military, medical and audio projects.

Our products can be found in hospitals throughout the world, in Boeing and Airbus aircraft, and they have even played their part in the new James Bond movie, Spectre.  Not bad for a company who has stuck to its routes and manufactured in Southampton, UK for the past 32 years.

What makes us as a world class facility is the constant investment in our quality systems.  Being UL approved and ISO aproved sets us apart from some of the competition out there.  In fact it is unheard of in the motorsport sector.  These approvals are essential for some of the other markets we are manufacturing for.  We are actively looking at replacing ISO with the AS9100 spec for 2016.

Please do come along and see the guys next week in Cologne, or alternatively contact them through the contact us page on the website.  We hope to see you all soon.


Ribbon / Flat Cables and Assemblies

Posted on August 14, 2015 by

Since the company was founded back in 1983, we have been very successful at producing Ribbon/Flat cable assemblies.  Be that in the form of IDC types with connectors terminated on them, or in the form of PVC Interboard connects that provide a low cost solution for connecting PCB’s together.  In fact the latter was how the company was founded by Patrick Kiely.  He had the opportunity to provide this solution to one of his clients whilst working in his previous company.  It was so well received that Patrick decided to start up his own business, and here we are today some 32 years later and still providing this cost effective solution to all corners of the globe.

ribcab1ribcab2

 

 

 

 

 

IDC Cable Assemblies

These are produced here using automatic machinery for cutting and even for terminating.  We are tooled for every connector manufacturer and in most cases could start delivering within 48 hours of processing your order.  All cables are of course made to our own ISO and UL approvals and meet RoHS standards.  Every single assembly we produce is manufactured in house, controlled by our ERP and QA procedures and then passes through QA for 100% electrical test and visual inspection.  Every aspect of manufacture is documented, recorded and stored.  Test certificates can be produced and a Certificate of Conformance is provided free of charge as standard, as with all our cable assemblies.

PVC Ribbon Cables

We use as standard a UL approved flat ribbon cable in either 24 or 26 AWG formats.  Both types are stranded and pre tinned so you have flexibility and ease when terminating through a PCB.  We offer various different pitches with 2.54mm being the most popular.  We can produce from 2 to 24 conductors, with or without a polarisation stripe, and from lengths of 25mm to over 3000mm.  Again all these products go through our strict manufacture and quality checks and is again recorded into our QA system.

Please do contact one of our sales team on +44 (0) 23 8022 7636 or here


New Production Manager.

Posted on May 13, 2015 by

We are very pleased to announce Mr. Martin Handley as our new Production Manager.

Martin joined the company back in 2011 initially starting in production.  His enthusiasm and adaptability eventually led to him working on customer sites, and running parts of the company ISO system.

Having the first hand experience of how our products are manufactured, and familirisation with the wide range of tooling we have will not only be a great asset to us, but also to our customer base.

Dax Ward, MD commented, “We had some strong candidates apply internally for this position.  I was very pleased Martin was one of the them.  I have admired his work and his attitude to the company from afar for some time.  I am positive Martin taking on this role will further enhance St Cross Electronics position as a world class manufacturer of cable assemblies, I look forward to working with him on our management team”.

 


Low Pressure Moulding Solutions

Posted on January 20, 2015 by

WHAT WE CAN DO

With electronics in every aspect of life, resin encapsulation is an increasingly popular option for protecting sensitive components.  Low pressure overmoulding is quite simply a better and faster option.  Here at St Cross Electronics, low pressure over moulding is something we have been perfecting for a number of years.

We can provide a full subcontract overmoulding service to the entire electronics sector. We use various materials including Macromelt products that meet UL94 V-0 requirements.

From the exacting standards of Medical and Industrial X-Ray equipment, the rigorous requirements of the off-shore and airborne industries, to the precision demanded by aerospace, military and motorsport customers, we provide excellent solutions for even the toughest applications.
With over 30 years of manufacturing experience manufacturing cable assemblies both here in the UK and at our Far East facility we are equipped to support high volume work, as well as the flexibility and dedication for small or special batches and for prototype and development projects. Pre-encapsulation of electrical assemblies and cabling can also be undertaken if applicable.

Some of our partners utilise overmolding in their designs for the following benefits.

Impact & Vibration

When the moulding material cools, it hardens . This provides the finished moulded assembly with very good protection against impact and vibration. All connectors, components and wires are encapsulated and held in place within the material.  This is very effective for the motorsport and automotive industry, military, medical and technology industries where motion, vibration and impact are a concern.

Waterproofing

We have found that all market sectors we supply have a requirement to protect electronics from moisture, condensation, immersion in water (inc. saltwater), or even from liquids such as bodily fluids.

Strain Relief

We can create a design, that gives the finished article using the same materials, a strain relief where a cable exits the rear of the assembly.   This same technology and process can even be used to create and incorporate grommets and create strain relief.

Please do contact one of our sales team if you have any requirements today on +44 23 8022 7636, or via our contact us page.

Many thanks for reading this blog.


Thanks for visiting us at PRI 2014!!

Posted on December 24, 2014 by

Thanks to everyone that came to see us at PRI Indianapolis this month.  It was a fantastic trade show and we got to meet some old friends and made some new ones too.

The days were packed full of visitors and the weather was not as brutal as 2013 either.  A great chance to network and show everyone what we can do!

Next trade show for us is Autosport Engineering on January 8-9 2015.

See you there and we wish all our customers, suppliers and friend a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.


All shapes and sizes

Posted on December 10, 2014 by

Cable Assemblies come in all shapes and sizes. Here at St. Cross Electronics, our engineers are used to answering questions regarding cable assemblies, such as what custom fitting and cable combinations are available, what performance characteristics are tested, and what are the standard manufacturing turnaround times. So, in this blog we will give a few points of our experience showing you why you can trust St Cross Electronics to manufacture your cable assemblies.

The benefits of St Cross Electronics Cable Assemblies include the following.

Customised: As a manufacturer, we work with each of our customers to identify the application and help you choose the right product for the job. In addition to the many stock hardware and cable combinations we offer, we can make nearly any custom assembly design you need.  From RF, LVDS, Looms, IDC, Network, Motorsport spec looms, Aircraft spec looms and Medical spec cable assemblies.

  • One stop shop: Rather than having to go to many different vendors for your application, St Cross Electronics will be able meet all of your requirements. From the copper cable to the connectors and crimp terminals all the way through to final test and inspection. We have the expertise and the experience to get it done right.
  • Large inventory: We maintain a large inventory of copper cable including discrete wires and multicore cables as well as a huge range of crimp terminals and connectors to ensure that we are able to deliver on short turnaround times. On top of that our huge range of tooling enables us to react very quickly, sometimes less than 24 hours.

 

St Cross Electronics focuses on quality and performance above all else. QUALITY IS KEY!! Everything we manufacture is 100% electrically tested to a wide range of standards, and all crimp terminals are tested to destruction on set up.

Are you ready to place a cable assembly order with us? Please contact our excellent team and I am sure we can help with your requirements.


Need more info? Call Us +44 (023) 8022 7636

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