Connecting your power electronics, not just shipping loose cables.
Custom cable assemblies and wire harness assembly for industrial, e-mobility and medical systems
TPS manufactures custom cable assemblies, wire harness assemblies and control panel wiring that match your power electronics and cabinet design. Instead of buying standard cables from one supplier and integrating them yourself, you receive tested cable and wire harness assemblies that plug into TPS-built PCBs, magnetics, coolers and sheet-metal cabinets.
This page explains how our cable and wire harness assembly capability fits into the rest of the TPS EMS stack, which industries we focus on, and what information we need to start a project with you.
Custom cable assemblies Wire harness assembly Industrial cable assemblies Medical cable assemblies
Why custom cable assemblies matter for power electronics
Cables are often the last thing added to a system, but they are the first place where reliability problems show up. A single loose crimp, mis-labeled connector or under-rated wire gauge can stop an entire battery system, EV charger or medical device.
- Electrical performance: choosing the right conductor size, insulation, shielding and routing keeps voltage drop and noise under control.
- Mechanical reliability: strain-relief, proper bend radii and correct crimp height prevent fatigue and intermittent faults.
- Assembly efficiency: labelled connectors and harness boards help technicians wire cabinets quickly and without mistakes.
TPS builds custom cable assemblies together with your PCBs, magnetics and cabinets so you receive complete, documented sub-systems instead of loose parts.
TPS cable and wire harness assembly capabilities
Core processes for cable and wire harness assembly
- Cutting and stripping: automated cut-and-strip equipment for consistent conductor length and strip quality, including multi-core and shielded cables.
- Crimping and termination: semi-automatic and applicator-based crimping for contacts, terminals and IDC; optional soldering where required by your standard.
- Overmolding and strain-relief: moulded backshells, boots and strain-relief features for connectors in harsh or high-flex environments.
- Harness board assembly: building complex wire harness assemblies on form boards to maintain routing, branch lengths and bundling.
Quality and standards
- Workmanship to IPC/WHMA-A-620-style requirements for cable and wire harness assemblies, covering crimp, solder and insulation support criteria.
- 100% electrical testing for continuity and shorts on multi-way harnesses; optional hipot and insulation resistance testing for safety-related cables.
- Traceability and labelling with harness IDs, revision status, serial / batch numbers and customer drawing references.
Integration with the rest of the EMS stack
- Control panel wiring inside TPS-built sheet-metal cabinets, using the same harness documentation and test data as stand-alone cable sets.
- PCBA to cabinet integration: routing harnesses between PCBs, power modules, magnetics and front-panel components.
- Logistics and packaging: harness kits grouped by installation step, with labels and documentation that match your build sequence.
For an overview of how cable assembly works together with PCBA, cabinets and coolers, see our electronic manufacturing services and integration solutions.
From specification to tested harness: assembly process
A custom cable assembly project usually follows these steps. The same flow applies whether you need a single prototype or a series production run for thousands of industrial cable assemblies.
Cable types we build for industrial, e-mobility and medical applications
Industrial cable assemblies
- Power cable assemblies for drives, power supplies, DC links and battery systems.
- Signal and control cables for PLC IO, sensors, actuators and industrial communication.
- Hybrid cables that combine power, signal and shielding in one jacket to simplify routing.
Control panel wiring and harnesses
- Control panel wiring assemblies pre-cut and labelled to populate your cabinets and racks.
- Wire harness assembly boards for complex harnesses that run between modules and cabinets.
Medical and laboratory cable assemblies
- Low-noise measurement cables for diagnostics and analytical equipment.
- Multi-lead assemblies for patient monitoring and lab instruments, designed to suit your EMC and cleaning requirements.
- Cables designed with ISO 13485-style requirements in mind, so electrical performance, traceability and documentation support your own certified environment.
Overmolded and custom wire harness assembly
- Overmolded connectors for harsh environments, frequent mating or ergonomic requirements.
- Custom wire harness assemblies that tie together several standard components into a single plug-and-play loom.
Industry examples: where TPS cable assemblies are used
Industrial power and automation
- Control panel wiring assemblies that connect PLC IO, drives, contactors and sensors inside machine and factory cabinets.
- Industrial cable assemblies between racks, power supplies and test benches, supplied with labelled connectors and harness documentation.
Automotive and e-mobility
- Cables and harnesses for DC/DC converters, on-board chargers and charging infrastructure.
- Harness assemblies for battery test benches and validation equipment.
Battery systems and energy storage
- Power and sense cables for industrial battery racks and DC power shelves.
- Harnesses that link BMS PCBs, contactors, sensors and communication modules.
Medical and laboratory equipment
- Medical cable assemblies for diagnostics, life-science and lab automation equipment, designed to support your ISO 13485 quality environment.
- Low-noise cables and harnesses for precision measurement, imaging and analytical instruments.
You can align these examples with our industry overview on the electronic manufacturing services page.
How to start a custom cable assembly project with TPS
To quote and build custom cable assemblies or custom wire harness assemblies efficiently, we usually ask for:
- Drawings and pin-outs: cable assembly drawings or sketches, connector part numbers, pin assignments and wire colours.
- Electrical requirements: voltage and current per circuit, allowable voltage drop, shielding and EMC requirements.
- Mechanical and environmental requirements: minimum bend radius, movement cycles, temperature range and chemical exposure.
- Standards and testing: any requirements linked to IPC/WHMA-A-620, ISO 13485, automotive or your in-house specifications, plus test coverage (continuity, hipot, resistance, labelling checks).
- Volumes and lifecycle: expected annual quantity, prototype/validation phase and how often design changes are expected.
FAQ about cable and wire harness assembly
- What is the difference between a cable assembly and a wire harness assembly?
- A cable assembly usually refers to one or more insulated conductors bundled with common protection, such as an outer jacket and sometimes shielding, terminated with connectors. A wire harness assembly is a group of individual wires or small cables that are bundled, branched and routed to connect multiple points in a machine or cabinet. In practice, many projects use both: cable assemblies for external connections and wire harnesses inside cabinets.
- Which standards does TPS follow for cable and wire harness assemblies?
- TPS builds cable and wire harness assemblies to workmanship requirements based on the IPC/WHMA-A-620 family of standards for cables and wire harnesses, together with any customer-specific specifications. For medical or automotive projects, we align our documentation and testing with the relevant quality and application standards defined in your project.
- Can you test every cable and harness?
- Yes. For complex harnesses we typically perform 100% continuity and short testing against the defined netlist. Where required, we can add hipot, insulation resistance or functional tests and provide test reports or digital records linked to harness IDs.
- Do you supply stand-alone cable assemblies or only as part of a complete system?
- Both options are possible. Many customers start with stand-alone industrial cable assemblies and later move towards complete sub-systems where TPS builds the PCBs, cables, magnetics and cabinets as one integrated package.
- How early should we involve TPS in cable design?
- The best results come when we review cable and harness designs together with the mechanical layout and power electronics early in the project. This allows us to optimise routing, choose suitable materials and define test strategies before the design is locked.
