Testing & validation
Electrical & Mechanical Testing for Custom Cable Assemblies
Continuity, insulation resistance, hipot, crimp pull, flex and ingress checks — with the limit, the sample size and the record agreed before production release.
“100% tested” is meaningless until someone says what, to what limit, and with what record.
A continuity beep proves the cable is not open. It does not prove the pinout is right, the shield is terminated correctly, or the seal will hold.
We define the test scope with you before production starts, and the report format at the same time — because a test you cannot audit is a test that did not happen.
Test matrix.
Limits below are the values we typically work to. The applicable limit for your part is agreed in writing before production release.
| Test | What it catches | Typical limit |
|---|---|---|
| Continuity & pinout | Open circuits, miswiring, crossed pairs | 100% of units. Continuity resistance limit typically set at < 1 Ω – 5 Ω |
| Insulation resistance | Contamination, damaged insulation, moisture | ≥ 100 MΩ @ 500 VDC for general harness; ≥ 500 MΩ to ≥ 1 GΩ for high-voltage and medical |
| Dielectric withstand (hipot) | Insulation breakdown risk, insufficient creepage | 1,000 – 1,500 VAC for 1 s, cut-off current < 1 mA or < 5 mA. High-voltage harness up to 2,500 – 3,000 VDC |
| Contact resistance | Poor crimp, cold solder joint, contact oxidation | ≤ 10 mΩ – 20 mΩ per terminal; loop resistance calculated from conductor length and cross-section |
| Crimp pull-off force | Under- or over-crimped terminals, conductor damage | Defined per conductor cross-section, referencing IPC/WHMA-A-620 or UL 486A-B (e.g. AWG 18 ≥ 89 N / 20 lbf; AWG 22 ≥ 36 N / 8 lbf) |
| Bend / flex | Conductor fatigue, strain-relief failure | General industrial ≥ 5,000 – 10,000 cycles. High-flex and drag chain 1 – 10 million cycles (±90°, load 200 g – 1 kg, radius 6 – 10 × cable diameter) |
| Ingress protection | Seal design and overmold integrity | IP67 (1 m, 30 min) or IP68 (depth and duration per agreement, e.g. 1.5 m for 1 hour), per IEC 60529 |
| Salt spray | Plating and housing corrosion | 24 h / 48 h consumer; 96 h / 168 h outdoor and industrial; 240 h / 480 h automotive and marine, per ASTM B117 at 5% NaCl |
| Dimensional | Length, branch position, mold geometry | To approved drawing. L ≤ 1000 mm: ±10 mm; L > 1000 mm: ±1% – 2% |
| Visual / workmanship | Flash, labeling, sleeving, surface defects | Per IPC-A-620 Class 2 or Class 3 criteria: no exposed copper, flash < 0.1 mm, no voids. Limit samples agreed where useful |
Two places where limits need the conditions stated.
- Flex life is not a number on its own
- A cycle count means nothing without load, bend radius and angle. We record all three in the test definition, because “1 million cycles” tested at no load and a generous radius is a different part from “1 million cycles” tested at 1 kg over 6 × diameter.
- Salt spray needs an acceptance criterion
- Hours alone do not define pass or fail. We state both the duration and the criterion — no red rust or base-metal corrosion, and contact resistance rise below 10%.
- Sealing can be screened faster than it can be soaked
- For IP-rated builds we typically run 100% air-leakage screening on the line (30 – 50 kPa) and reserve water-immersion testing for periodic verification. It catches the same failure modes without bottlenecking the line.
What we will not claim.
We do not publish a universal equipment list on this page, and we do not quote test limits we cannot run. Available instruments, applicable standards, sample size and report format are confirmed per project.
If a test requires third-party laboratory certification, we will say so at quotation rather than at delivery.
Tell us what has to be proven before the cable ships.
Send the standard, the limit and the report format you need. If you are not sure yet, send the application and we will propose a scope.
