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.
HKWIRE is a custom cable assembly manufacturer and OEM/ODM supplier in Longgang, Shenzhen. The inspection benches sit in the same building as the molding floor and the assembly lines, so a failure caught at final test turns into a process change the same day — not a claim filed weeks later.
“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.
Test records you can audit, from the floor that built the cable
We are a manufacturer, not a sourcing desk. Inspection sits inside the same Longgang, Shenzhen facility as in-house mold making and cable assembly production, which is why the test scope, the sample size and the report format can be agreed before a single unit is built.
We build and inspect to IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 3 workmanship criteria under an ISO 9001 certified quality management system, and every harness passes 100% continuity and pinout testing before it is packed. Factory audits are welcome — in person or by live video walk-through of the assembly lines and inspection benches, arranged in advance. When a test genuinely needs a third-party laboratory certificate, we say so at quotation rather than at delivery.
What to send with your RFQ
- The standard, or the failure mode you need ruled out
- The limit and the sample size — or ask us to propose both
- Report format — per-unit data, a first article report, or a certificate of conformance
- Quantity, target date and ship-to country
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.
Testing & validation FAQ
Do you test every unit?
Every harness gets 100% continuity and pinout testing. Hipot, insulation resistance and crimp pull-off run at 100% or to an agreed sampling plan depending on the application — the scope is confirmed in writing before production release.
Can you supply third-party certified test reports?
Yes, when the project calls for it. We flag the requirement at quotation so the cost and the lead time are in the price instead of appearing at delivery.
Who sets the test limits?
We propose limits drawn from the applicable standard and the application, then confirm them with you in writing before production starts. Nothing is tested to a limit nobody agreed to.
What goes into a first article report?
Dimensional and visual inspection, continuity and pinout, plus every electrical and mechanical test in scope. See prototyping and first article inspection for how samples and approval work.
Do you ship test data with the order?
Yes if you ask for it: per-unit logs, a summary report, or a certificate of conformance. The format is agreed before production so the data matches what your incoming inspection expects.
Can you test cable assemblies built by another factory?
Yes, where the scope and report format are agreed up front. Most work is on assemblies built in our own factory, but we also run incoming verification for OEM and ODM programs as your cable assembly manufacturer and supplier.
Can you test to IPC/WHMA-A-620?
We build and inspect to IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 3 workmanship criteria, and report results against the limit agreed with you in writing before production starts.