At the heart of cable assemblies lie certifications that testify to their safety, quality, and performance standards, as industry regulatory bodies define. These certificates are essential in guaranteeing a product that is both safe to use and meets the industry's expectations. Cable assembly manufacturers hold certificates, each serving a unique purpose in ensuring top-quality products. Let's explore these certificates together and discover the peace of mind they offer.
•ISO 9001: This is a certification for quality management systems. This certifies that the company plans to ensure consistent product and service quality. Cable assembly manufacturers must document procedures for activities like design control, purchasing, production control, inspection/testing, corrective actions, handling non-conformances, training, etc. Requires control over monitoring and measuring equipment used for testing cable assemblies. Calibration records must be maintained. Companies need to perform internal audits and management reviews to ensure the QMS remains effective. An external registrar audits the QMS to confirm it aligns with ISO 9001 before issuing the certification. Periodic surveillance audits occur after initial certification.
•ISO 13485: This is a certification for quality management systems specifically for medical devices. It is more rigorous than ISO 9001. To achieve ISO 13485 certification, a cable assembly manufacturer must demonstrate compliance with additional requirements related to risk management, design controls, documentation, and more. Medical device cable assemblies require a thorough validation process covering equipment, testing methods, traceability, and other relevant factors. ISO 13485 requires more control over suppliers; cable component suppliers would also need ISO 13485 certification in most cases. The standard requires procedures to ensure cable assemblies meet regulatory requirements like the FDA Quality System Regulation. ISO 13485 test equipment needs more frequent calibration and maintenance than ISO 9001. Certified companies must document changes and conduct regular audits to maintain ISO 13485 certification.
•IATF16949 ,Many major automotive manufacturers require their parts and component suppliers, including cable assembly suppliers, to adhere to the IATF 16949 quality management system standard. This standard is based on ISO 9001 but includes additional requirements specific to the automotive industry. The focus is on preventing defects, reducing variation and waste, and continuous improvement. Certified cable assembly suppliers must follow strict traceability and record retention rules, which require the retention of records for at least 30 years. Tools like FMEA, MSA, SPC, APQP, and PPAP are required for new product introduction and process development. These tools are also necessary for meeting customer-specific requirements like VDA standards or customer portals/reporting. Special guidelines for labeling, packaging, and shipping cable assemblies to automakers are necessary to control suspect and counterfeit parts like wires and connectors. There are also more stringent change control requirements for cable/connector changes, and extensive contingency planning is required for the continuity of supply in case of emergencies or disasters.
•UL, UL is an autonomous organization for product safety certification. It conducts tests to certify that products comply with the safety standards of the United States. Cable assemblies can obtain UL certification to ensure their safety and minimize the risk of fire, electric shock, or injury. The UL standards applicable to cable assemblies vary according to their design and intended purpose.
UL ZPFW2 and ZPFW8 are comprehensive programs that certify wire harnesses for interconnecting components in various appliances, industrial control panels, and equipment. They involve rigorous testing for electrical, mechanical, and environmental factors, and save time and money on multiple end-product certifications. These standards provide exceptional quality assurance and safety for wire harnesses, and we are confident they will exceed your expectations. Please reach out if you have any further questions or concerns.
•CE : This is a certification that indicates conformity with health, safety, and environmental protection standards for products sold within the European Economic Area. It’s important to keep in mind certain directives that are relevant. These may include the Low Voltage Directive (LVD), Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), RoHS, and Radio Equipment Directive (RED). For wire harnesses, it's necessary to comply with at least EMC and LVD. Automotive wire harnesses have additional standards. To ensure compliance with these standards, testing needs to be conducted either internally or by an accredited lab. It's also crucial to compile technical construction files to document compliance. Moreover, the product must feature proper CE marking with identification details, and an EU Declaration of Conformity is required. Finally, ongoing compliance is necessary. To meet quality requirements, many manufacturers choose to use ISO 9001, which indicates that cables/harnesses meet the EU safety and performance standards that are necessary to sell in the region.
•RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances): Electrical and electronic products have certain hazardous substances restricted under RoHS regulations. These substances include lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ether. All components used in cables and wire harnesses, such as insulation, jackets, connectors, and terminals, must meet RoHS requirements. Suppliers must provide RoHS compliance statements for their materials and parts, and regular testing of incoming materials is recommended. Manufacturing processes cannot use banned substances and must avoid cross-contamination. Dedicated RoHS production lines are ideal. RoHS compliance must be ensured for finished cable assemblies, as well as during repair, rework, maintenance, or upgrade activities. Once compliance is verified, proper product labeling as RoHS compliant is mandatory. Manufacturers must conduct due diligence and have documentation, such as material certifications, to prove RoHS conformance if audited. Periodic spot testing by accredited labs helps validate that no banned substances are present above maximum threshold levels. If any exceptions or exemptions are allowed under RoHS, they must be appropriately documented and justified if utilized.
•IPC/WHMA-A-620: The manufacturing standard known as IPC-620 is concerned with the quality and standards of electronic cables and wire harnesses. It outlines specific guidelines for materials, construction methods, installation practices, documentation, inspection testing, and repair/rework. IPC-620 divides product criteria into three levels - Target, Acceptable, and Non-conforming, allowing for flexibility based on the importance of the application. Specific requirements include conductor termination, marking legibility, protective sleeving, shrink tubing, shielding, etc. The standard provides acceptance criteria for assembly dimensions, crimp heights, pull force, shield grounding, continuity, and hi-pot testing. It also defines processes like soldering, crimping, wire prep, heat shrink procedures, shield grounding, and strain relief. The standard covers artistry criteria for defects such as shorts, opens, crossed wires, cold solder joints, and bell-mouthing. Documentation guidelines address schematics, wire lists, inspection reports, certifications, and as-built drawings. There are training and certification programs available for IPC-620 to qualify and demonstrate the competency of assembly technicians.
Certifications like IATF 16949, UL, CE, RoHS, and IPC/WHMA-A-620 ensure cable assembly products meet safety, quality, and performance standards. These strict certifications require rigorous testing and ongoing compliance to provide customers with reliable and high-quality products.
