This cable harness manufacturer FAQ answers common questions we receive from buyers, engineers, and quality teams across our customer base. The questions below cover topics that come up across multiple product lines and industries; for product-specific or industry-specific questions, each industry solutions page and product L2 page has its own dedicated FAQ section. We’ve grouped these into five categories to make navigation easier. If your question isn’t answered here, the contact page goes directly to our sales team.
Manufacturing and Quality
What’s the difference between IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 2 and Class 3?
Class 2 covers dedicated service electronic products — industrial, commercial, automotive body, telecom infrastructure. Class 3 covers high performance and harsh environment applications — medical, aerospace, military, and safety-critical automotive. The acceptance criteria are tighter on Class 3 (strip lengths, conductor nicks, solder joint appearance, crimp pull force consistency). See our IPC/WHMA-A-620 page for full detail.
Are you ISO 13485, IATF 16949, and AS9100 certified?
ISO 13485 (medical) — yes, certified. IATF 16949 (automotive) — yes, certified. AS9100 (aerospace) — we operate aerospace programs through qualified AS9100 partner facilities rather than holding direct certification ourselves. Full quality and certifications page covers the certification scope.
Do you provide PPAP documentation for automotive programs?
Yes. PPAP Level 3 is our default for automotive programs; Level 4 available on request for safety-critical items. Full PSW (Part Submission Warrant), dimensional reports, material certifications, and capability studies included. Level 5 (with parts retention) supported for specific safety items.
Can you support customer audit visits?
Yes. Customer audit visits are routine — buyers, quality auditors, and regulatory reviewers all visit our facility regularly. We schedule audits during normal business hours, prepare relevant documentation in advance, and walk through production floor and test stations. Annual surveillance audits for ISO 13485 and IATF 16949 customers are typical.
Do you handle customer-specific OEM workmanship standards?
Yes. Customer-specific standards beyond IPC/WHMA-A-620 — GMW, Ford SQD, VW 60330, Mercedes MBN, Boeing D6-1276, NASA-STD-8739.4 — are common on automotive and aerospace programs. Operators train on customer specifications during program launch, and qualification records track per-operator certification status.
Ordering and Lead Time
What’s your minimum order quantity?
MOQ varies dramatically by industry and complexity. Consumer electronics typically 1,000-10,000 pieces. Industrial and automotive 100-5,000 pieces depending on program. Medical 100-500 pieces (lower volume offset by higher per-unit value). Aerospace and specialty programs as low as 50 pieces with NRE charged upfront. Prototype batches of 10-25 units available for development.
How fast can I get prototype samples?
5-10 days for standard products using existing tooling. 2-4 weeks if new tooling or specialty material sourcing is required. Rush samples possible with expedite fees on raw material and shift reallocation — typically 3-5 days for premium-priced rush builds.
What’s your typical production lead time?
Production lead times scale with industry complexity. Consumer electronics 2-3 weeks. Industrial automation 2-4 weeks. Automotive 6-10 weeks first production (APQP) and 2-4 weeks repeat. Medical 8-14 weeks first qualification and 10-14 weeks repeat with DHR compilation. Aerospace 8-12 weeks given lower volume and qualification overhead.
Do you accept low-volume or one-off custom orders?
Yes for prototype and development quantities. Production minimums apply for ongoing programs. Crowdfunded products and small-OEM launches sometimes start at 50-100 unit prototype batches with higher per-unit pricing to spread tooling cost across small volume. Once products move to commercial production, standard MOQ economics apply.
Materials and Compliance
Are your products RoHS and REACH compliant?
Yes. RoHS 2.0 (EU restricted substances) and REACH (chemical declaration) compliance is baseline for our work. Material declarations available on request. Heavy metal content and SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern) tracking through our supplier network.
Can you source AEC-Q200 components for automotive programs?
Yes. Automotive programs use AEC-Q200 qualified passive components, AEC-Q100 qualified ICs where applicable, and AEC-Q101 for discretes. Material sourcing through authorized distribution channels with documented pedigree. Supplier qualification records maintained per IATF 16949 requirements.
Do you provide ISO 10993 biocompatibility documentation?
Yes. Materials in patient-contact medical applications have ISO 10993 documentation per parts 1, 5, and 10 as a minimum. Extended testing through qualified partner labs for parts 6, 11, and others. USP Class VI material certifications available for medical-grade silicone and PVC. See our medical solutions page for the full medical compliance scope.
Can you build UL listed cable for North American markets?
Yes. UL listed jacket materials (PVC, TPU, silicone) and UL approved wire stock for North American programs. UL 2089, UL 62368, UL 3239 (HV automotive), and UL 1973 (battery module) all supported per program. Final product UL listing is the customer’s responsibility; we provide certified-component-based assemblies.
Industry-Specific Requirements
Can you build automotive harness to OEM internal standards?
Yes. GMW (General Motors), Ford SQD (Ford Supplier Quality), VW 60330 (Volkswagen wire harness), Mercedes MBN, BMW GS series, and similar OEM internal standards all supported. Programs typically require operator training on customer specs during launch phase, plus updated Material Review Board procedures aligned to customer requirements.
Do you handle full DHR traceability for medical programs?
Yes. Every medical production unit generates a Device History Record (DHR) per FDA 21 CFR 820.184 — material lot codes, operator IDs, equipment calibration state, test results, and nonconforming material handling. DHR retention through device lifetime plus 2 years (indefinite for implantable). Recall response time measured in hours rather than days.
Can you handle 800V EV battery pack harness?
Yes. 800V platform HV harnesses use silicone-insulated wire rated to 1 kV DC minimum (often 1.2-1.5 kV for safety margin), with hipot testing at 4 kV for 60 seconds. Orange-jacketed UL 3239/SAE J1673 rated stock. HVIL safety interlock loop integration standard. See our battery harness page for full HV construction detail.
Do you support cellular IoT module integration and certification?
Yes. We integrate Quectel, Sierra Wireless, u-blox, Telit Cinterion, and Fibocom cellular modules per program. Module-level certification (PTCRB, GCF, FCC, IC, RCM) is the module manufacturer’s responsibility; final product certification is the customer’s regulatory team’s responsibility. We provide samples, integration support, and any production adjustments needed to pass.
What aerospace and defense programs can you support?
Commercial aerospace and most defense programs work fine — IPC Class 3, AS9100 (through partner facilities), MIL-STD environmental, and similar. ITAR-controlled US defense programs typically require US-based supply chains; we’re transparent about this limitation rather than overpromising. Satellite and space programs increasingly common as commercial space sector grows.
Logistics and Pricing
What countries do you ship to?
Worldwide. Regular destinations include the United States, Europe (UK, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland), India, Southeast Asia, Middle East, Australia, and Latin America. Customs documentation, country-specific regulatory labels, and local certification support handled per shipment.
Can you drop-ship products direct to my customer?
Yes. Drop-ship to end customer with customer-branded labels and packaging is common, especially for IoT, smart home, and small-OEM programs. We handle customs clearance from China and end-customer documentation. Return logistics through designated return centers when reverse-logistics support is needed.
What Incoterms do you typically use?
EXW (factory pickup), FOB (port of loading), DAP (delivery to customer location), and DDP (delivered duty paid) all supported. EXW and FOB most common for established trading partners; DAP and DDP for buyers wanting turnkey delivery without managing freight or customs themselves.
What payment terms do you accept?
Wire transfer (T/T) is standard — typically 30% deposit on order confirmation, 70% balance against shipping documents. Letter of Credit (L/C at sight) for larger orders or first-time customer relationships. Net-30 or Net-60 terms available for established customers with credit history.
How fast can you respond to a quote request?
Initial quote within 24 hours for standard products and 48 hours for moderate complexity. Complex programs requiring engineering review (custom overmolding, semiconductor cleanroom requirements, full ISO 13485 medical workflow) may take 3-7 days for full proposal including NRE breakdown and qualification timeline.
Browse More Resources
- Industry Solutions Hub — eight industry-specific solution pages with detailed FAQs per industry.
- Blog — technical deep-dives, industry insights, selection guides, and manufacturing process articles.
- Guides — comprehensive learning paths from getting-started to advanced compliance and manufacturing topics.
- Quality and Certifications — full compliance scope and certification documentation.
- IPC/WHMA-A-620 Compliance — workmanship class details and inspection criteria.
- OEM/ODM Services — design-from-scratch and reference-based engineering capability.
Question not answered in the cable harness manufacturer FAQ?
Our sales and engineering teams respond within 24 hours to questions outside the standard scope above. For complex programs, we recommend an initial scoping call so we can ask the right questions back and provide an accurate quote.