Cable & Harness Process Control App

An interactive knowledge, planning and evidence tool for cable and wire-harness manufacture. Build a process-control project, define the technical baseline, evaluate special-process risks, plan validation and revalidation, record crimping, soldering, shielding, potting, inspection and electrical test evidence, then save the complete record as JSON or a professional SPI PDF report.

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How to use this application

Use the knowledge sections for education and the project sections to create a controlled manufacturing record.

0Technical baseline entries

0Control-plan rows

0Validation activities

0Risk records

Purpose

Product assurance

Control the complete route from contract review and material receipt through wire preparation, termination, forming, test, release and retained evidence.

Special process

Hidden quality

Crimping, soldering, welding, potting, moulding and some shield terminations can contain internal conditions that final visual inspection cannot fully verify.

Verification

Do not rely on continuity alone

A harness may pass continuity while containing damaged strands, a marginal crimp, excessive solder wicking, insulation damage or inadequate shielding.

Configuration

Technical data is part of the process

The approved drawing, wire list, BOM, tooling matrix, process specifications and test programme must all be revision-controlled.

Validation

Validate combinations

A qualified wire, contact and tool do not automatically prove the exact wire/contact/tool combination. Validate the complete combination and its process window.

Best practice

Inspect before concealment

Inspect splices before sleeving, shields before backshell closure, solder joints before heat-shrink and all internal work before potting or overmoulding.

Cable and harness manufacturing lifecycle

1. Review

Contract, drawing, standards, customer requirements, class, critical items, special processes and order of precedence.

2. Prepare

Approve sources, receive materials, control shelf life, programme cut-and-strip equipment and prepare form boards and tooling.

3. Terminate

Strip, crimp, solder, splice, weld, insert contacts and assemble connectors using approved combinations and trained personnel.

4. Form and protect

Route, twist, lace, clamp, shield, sleeve, braid, seal, pot or overmould while protecting bend radius and insulation.

5. Verify

Visual and dimensional inspection, pull tests, crimp height, contact retention, continuity, shorts, IR, hipot and functional tests.

6. Release

Review traceability, test data, concessions, FAI, CoC, packaging and preservation before formal acceptance.

This application summarises good practice but does not reproduce proprietary acceptance criteria. Use authorised copies of all contractually applicable standards, drawings, component specifications and manufacturer application instructions.

Standards and specification guide

Always confirm the required revision, product class, addendum, customer precedence and programme-specific deviations.

IPC/WHMA-A-620

Primary industry standard for requirements and acceptance of cable and wire-harness assemblies, including wire preparation, crimping, soldered terminations, connectorisation, splices, shielding, coaxial cable, securing, protective coverings, potting and test.

IPC J-STD-001

Controls materials, methods, process control and acceptance for soldered electrical and electronic assemblies. Apply where harnesses contain solder cups, soldered terminals, solder sleeves, shield terminations or soldered wire-to-board connections.

IPC-A-610

Relevant where a harness incorporates a printed circuit assembly. Use with J-STD-001 for assembly acceptance; it is not a substitute for process control.

SAE AS50881

Electrical Wiring Interconnection System design and installation requirements for aerospace vehicles. Covers wire selection, routing, separation, bend radius, support, protection, identification and installation safety.

NASA-STD-8739.4

High-reliability workmanship requirements for crimping, cables, harnesses and wiring used in NASA critical work. Particularly relevant to spaceflight and critical ground-support equipment.

ECSS-Q-ST-70 series

European space product-assurance requirements for materials, mechanical parts and processes. Programme clauses may govern crimping, soldering, wiring and qualification.

SAE AS22759 / AS81044

Aerospace wire families defining conductor, plating, insulation, temperature, voltage and construction requirements through base documents and slash sheets.

SAE AS39029

Common specification family for removable crimp contacts used in high-reliability connectors. Exact contact part number, wire range and approved tooling are essential.

MIL-DTL-22520

Crimping tools, turrets, positioners and accessories. Tool qualification does not remove the need to verify correct setup, condition, calibration or functional performance.

AS7928 / AS81824

Terminal lugs, conductor splices and environmental splices. Apply the relevant slash sheet and installation tooling requirements.

IEC 60352 series

Solderless connection technologies including crimped, insulation-displacement and press-in connections, with test methods and performance requirements.

AS9100 / AS9102

Quality-management and first-article expectations for aerospace. Special-process validation, configuration, traceability, change control and full characteristic accountability may apply.

Product classes

Class 1

General electronic products where basic function is the principal requirement.

Class 2

Dedicated-service products requiring continued performance and extended life.

Class 3

High-performance or harsh-environment products where continued function is critical and downtime may be unacceptable.

The product class must be specified by contract or drawing. Class 3 alone does not prove flight, weapon, medical or space suitability; additional design, material, qualification and programme controls remain necessary.

Project and document control

Organisation

Customer

Project / Contract

Purchase Order

Harness Name

Harness Part Number

Drawing / Revision

Quantity

Production Lot / Batch

Serial Number Range

Traveller / Route Card

Control Plan No. / Rev.

Wire List / Revision

BOM / Revision

Form Board / Revision

Test Programme / Revision

Build Date

Manufacturing Area / Cell

Responsible Engineer

Lead Inspector

Assembly description, intended use, environment and critical functions

Project classification

IPC Product Class

Sector

Criticality

FAI Requirement

Applicable requirements

Record the contractual baseline and order of precedence. Never assume a revision or class.

Document / Standard	Revision	Applicable Section	Requirement / Purpose	Precedence	Evidence / Record	Status

Technical data completeness

Harness drawing defines datums, branch lengths and tolerances

Wire list defines every from-to connection

BOM identifies approved manufacturers and part numbers

Connector keying, clocking and backshell orientation defined

Crimp tooling matrix approved

Shield termination method fully defined

Electrical test limits and prohibited connections defined

Materials, finishes and restricted substances resolved

Special-process and key-characteristic requirements identified

Wire, contact and tooling matrix

Define the exact validated combination. Use manufacturer application data and programme requirements.

Wire Spec / Gauge	Conductor / Plating	Insulation / Diameter	Contact / Terminal	Tool / Applicator	Positioner / Die / Setting	Strip Length	Crimp Height / Pull	Validation Ref.

Prohibited / restricted materials

Approved deviations / concessions

Order of precedence

Manufacturing process knowledge

Preparation

Cutting and marking

Control programmed length, termination allowance, first-off verification, wire identity, marking permanence, location and insulation compatibility.

Critical

Stripping

Control strip length, blade or laser setup, strand nicking, insulation tearing, conductor deformation and cleanliness. Qualify tooling for each wire construction.

Special process style

Crimping

Control wire/contact/tool compatibility, full-cycle tooling, selector setting, bellmouth, conductor position, crimp height, pull force, tool verification and reaction plans.

Special process

Soldering

Control alloy, flux, tip temperature, dwell, wetting, cleanliness, wicking, heat sinks, operator competence, rework and thermal exposure.

Assembly

Contact insertion

Verify cavity position, contact gender, seating, retention, sealing plugs, insertion tooling, connector orientation, backshell torque and FOD.

Special process

Splicing and welding

Control approved splice type, wire combination, stagger, sealing, pull strength and location. Ultrasonic or resistance welding requires validated parameters and monitoring.

EMC critical

Shield termination

Define 360-degree or pigtail termination, braid preparation, overlap, pigtail length, banding or ferrule tooling, shell interface and electrical resistance.

Signal integrity

Twisting and coax

Control member identity, pitch, lay direction, untwist at termination, impedance, shield integrity, return loss and TDR where required.

Mechanical

Forming, lacing and clamping

Control form-board revision, free-state dimensions, bend radius, breakout geometry, support spacing, tie tension, chafing protection and connector strain.

Protection

Sleeving and heat shrink

Control material, size, overlap, recovery temperature, sealing, wall thickness, location, flammability and insulation compatibility.

Special process

Potting and overmoulding

Control batch, shelf life, mix ratio, degassing, application time, cure profile, adhesion, void risk and pre-pot inspection/testing.

Verification

Electrical test

Perform continuity, shorts/miswire and other specified tests with controlled programmes, adapters, calibration, known-good checks and retained results.

Manufacturing route

Create the actual sequence, including hold points and concealed-work inspections.

Seq.	Operation	Instruction / Drawing	Equipment / Tooling	Key Parameters	Operator Qualification	Inspection / Hold Point	Record	Status

Process control plan

Define what is controlled, how it is measured, frequency, responsibility and reaction to loss of control.

Process / Characteristic	Requirement / Limit	Method / Equipment	Frequency / Sample	Responsibility	Record	Reaction Plan	Result

Recommended controls by process

Use a controlled compatibility matrix; uniquely identify tools, dies and positioners; verify full-cycle mechanisms; complete first-off checks; inspect every crimp; monitor crimp height where applicable; conduct defined pull testing; periodically use microsections for qualification or investigation; maintain tooling and define containment when a tool or measurement is out of tolerance.

Use authorised J-STD-001 criteria; control solder alloy and flux; verify tip temperature; limit dwell and thermal cycles; prevent excessive wicking; use heat sinks where required; inspect before covering; control cleanliness; restrict repair cycles and retain operator qualification.

Verify cut and strip programmes by revision; conduct first-off dimensional and visual checks; control blade depth or laser parameters; inspect for cut strands, nicks, scraped plating, stretched insulation, residual insulation and contamination.

Control shelf life, conditioning, batch, ratio, mixing time, degassing, application window, environmental conditions, cure time and temperature. Complete all inspections and tests before concealment. Define void, adhesion and cure verification.

Revision-control test software and fixtures; confirm correct programme before use; perform self-test or known-good verification; calibrate measurement functions; lock access; check both required and prohibited connections; define retest rules and retain raw results by serial number.

Tooling, equipment and personnel

Tool / Equipment	ID / Serial	Purpose / Product	Calibration / Verification	Due Date	Maintenance / Cycle Count	Operator Authorisation	Status

Validation should demonstrate that the defined process, materials, tooling, personnel and parameter window consistently produce conforming output under anticipated manufacturing variation.

Validation and qualification plan

Process / Combination	Validation Objective	Samples / Worst Case	Tests / Examinations	Acceptance Criteria	Report / Evidence	Approval	Status

Typical validation activities

Crimp qualification

Visual and dimensional examination
Crimp height and width
Pull force
Microsection
Resistance or voltage drop
Environmental conditioning if required

Ultrasonic / resistance welding

Energy, amplitude, force and displacement
Peel or pull testing
Microsection or metallography
Resistance
Tool wear and parameter alarms

Potting / encapsulation

Mix ratio and cure profile
Void assessment
Adhesion and hardness
Thermal cycle and fluid exposure
Electrical insulation performance

Shield termination

Visual and dimensional checks
Pull or mechanical retention
DC resistance
Transfer impedance or EMC testing
Vibration and environmental exposure

Wire marking / stripping

Legibility and permanence
Fluid and abrasion resistance
Insulation damage assessment
Dielectric or ageing test where critical

Electrical test process

Known defect challenge set
Programme verification
Adapter and fixture validation
Measurement capability
Access and revision controls

Revalidation triggers and status

Trigger / Change	Risk Review Needed	Required Revalidation	Responsible Authority	Due / Frequency	Evidence	Status

Typical triggers: new wire/contact/tool combination; supplier or material change; tooling repair or replacement; parameter change; software revision; facility relocation; prolonged production break; recurring defects; out-of-tolerance equipment; drawing change; adverse audit or field failure; revised standard or customer requirement.

PFMEA / process risk register

Rate severity, occurrence and detection from 1 to 10. The application calculates RPN and highlights higher-risk rows.

Process	Failure Mode	Effect	Cause	Current Controls	S	O	D	RPN	Action / Owner	Status

Special-process assessment

Usually special

Soldering

Internal metallurgy, intermetallic formation, flux effects and thermal damage cannot be completely confirmed by final visual inspection.

Enhanced control

Crimping

Visual inspection cannot fully confirm internal strand compression, voids, barrel deformation, gas-tight behaviour or long-term electrical stability.

Usually special

Welding

Internal weld quality and metallurgical bonding require validated parameters, destructive qualification and monitored equipment.

Usually special

Potting / moulding

Internal cure, adhesion, voids and hidden damage cannot normally be completely inspected after completion.

Risk dependent

Shield termination

Special-process treatment may be justified where EMC performance depends on a concealed ferrule, band or moulded interface.

Generally verifiable

Cutting, routing and labelling

Often fully verifiable, but still require configuration, tooling and inspection controls proportional to risk.

Key characteristics

Critical items / circuits

Control escalation / independent verification

Inspection and test guidance

Visual and dimensional

Check configuration, dimensions, connector orientation, contact seating, marking, braid, sleeving, ties, clamps, bend radius, damage, cleanliness, repair evidence and FOD.

Continuity and miswire

Verify every required connection and all prohibited connections. A continuity-only check that ignores unintended shorts is inadequate.

Insulation resistance / hipot

Use only approved limits compatible with connectors, cable insulation and incorporated electronics. Control safety, discharge and retest rules.

Low resistance

Use for power, bonding and shield paths. Four-wire Kelvin measurement may be necessary where milliohms matter.

Coax / data

As applicable, verify characteristic impedance, return loss, insertion loss, TDR, attenuation, pair balance, crosstalk or bit-error performance.

Environmental / qualification

May include vibration, thermal cycle, humidity, fluids, altitude, current cycling, ageing, corrosion and EMC performance.

Inspection and test plan

Stage / Characteristic	Requirement	Method / Equipment	Sample / Serial	Result / Value	Pass / Fail	Report / Record	Inspector

Nonconformance, rework and repair register

Serial / Location	Condition / Defect	Requirement	Disposition	Approved Instruction	Operator	Reinspection / Retest	NCR / Concession	Status

Release readiness checklist

Final Status

Certificate of Conformity

FAI / Inspection Report

Document Pack Reference

Packaging / Preservation

Record Retention

NCR / Concession Summary

Customer / Source Inspection

Technical release summary

Approval

Manufactured By

Date

Inspected By

Date

Approved By

Date

Customer / Independent Approval

Date