Electrical Engineer inspects Box Build PDU for Semiconductor Capital Equipment

Cable & Wire Harness Assembly

Federal Electronics Semiconductor Capital Equipment Capabilities - Robust ERP, DfMA, SWIs, Supply Chain Management, Vertical Integration, Formal In-house Training, and Streamlined ECOs.

Increasing US tariffs on cable & wire harness assemblies and skyrocketing transportation costs have made nearshore outsourcing options for manufacturers throughout the supply chain increasingly essential for a well-balanced bottom line. Additionally, electronics manufacturers throughout North America are facing labor shortages and challenges with worker retention – as well as trouble finding qualified applicants. While all consumers of cable assemblies and wire harnesses are adversely affected by these realities, defense contractors are notably at an additional disadvantage as the cost of cybersecurity compliance requirements (such as NIST 800-171) continues to drive small businesses, the backbone of the defense industrial base, out of the market.  

Federal Electronics + Cable & Wire Harness Assembly

Federal Electronics addresses challenges like these by utilizing a hybrid model that integrates the strengths and benefits of its Rhode Island facility with its maquiladora in Hermosillo, Sonora Mexico. Product is assigned to each site based upon customer preferences and constraints. Labor intensive cable & wire harness assemblies are strategically placed at our maquiladora in Hermosillo, taking advantage of lower labor rates, greater access to highly trained operators, and lower transportation costs than if obtained from across the Pacific in Asia. Nearshore, low-cost labor is particularly beneficial for customers located in the western half of the US. Now, with the introduction of our new Program Management team to the Hermosillo facility, customers have the option to communicate directly with the appropriate manufacturing site. For instances where either the customer prefers US production, or where US production is required due to industry regulations (for instance, ITAR provisions for defense applications), our Cranston, Rhode Island facility satisfies those requirements. In either case, we pride ourselves on our detailed Standard Work Instructions (SWI/MWI) which increase process repeatability as well as the quality of our finished cable & wire harness assemblies, and their integration in box builds. Federal Electronics has increased our labor capacity and expanded our square footage at both sites to accommodate increasing demand requirements.   

Supply Chain, Cybersecurity, + Cable & Wire Harness Integration

“Achieving a high standard of quality is fundamental to the culture at Federal Electronics and the focal point in all process design. We aim to be the best as we strive to continuously improve even as quality and dependability standards become progressively more demanding.” - Ed Evangelista, Co-Owner Federal Electronics

From a supply chain perspective, to combat rising component costs, and continued material shortages (due to longer lead times and obsolescence), Federal Electronics employs a Supply Chain Risk Manager (SCRM) to identify viable component substitutions. It grades each component to determine whether a high-grade proposed alternative can be a “drop-in” replacement, or if only low-grade options are available – meaning a redesign to the cable & wire harness assembly may be necessary to accommodate the replacement material. Our SCRM also identifies franchised distributors and approved brokers with the lowest price and highest availability.  

Our Material Requirements Planning (MRP) and Production Scheduler systems run nightly, ensuring the optimization of both capacity utilization and material allocations.

For the benefit of our defense contractors, Federal Electronics recently adopted all 110 controls of NIST 800-171. The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s cybersecurity standards, known as NIST 800-171, protect controlled unclassified information in nonfederal systems and organizations. Federal Electronics adopts the NIST 800-171 controls as the baseline for all of its cybersecurity policies and procedures.

Lastly, Federal Electronics integrates cable & wire harness assemblies into higher level assemblies, such as box builds and frames, enabling our customers to focus on their core competencies while rationalizing their supply chain. 

Cable & Wire Harness Capabilities

  • Automated assembly systems  
  • Advanced in-line and final testing  
  • Finished Electro-mechanical assembly  
  • Smart Interconnect PCBA systems  
  • 3PL Kitting  
  • Potting  

Cable & Wire Types

  • Single/Multi Conductor Copper  
  • Fiber Optic  
  • Ground Straps  
  • Pneumatic  
  • RF/EMI  
  • Heavy Gauges up to 500 MCM or  
  • Small Gauges as low as 38 AWG  
  • Braided Straps  

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