MANUFACTURING / JAPAN SOURCING

Custom cable harness quotes: specify the connections, not just the connectors

A matching connector housing does not establish the same cable assembly. Give the supplier an unambiguous connection drawing, material and dimensional requirements, and the checks that make the finished assembly acceptable.

Two matching ends can conceal a different connection

A buyer sends a photograph of a cable with the same connector housing at both ends and asks a supplier to make another batch. The supplier proposes the same housings, but the photograph does not reveal which contact connects to which, where the length was measured, or whether a shield is terminated. This is a fictional order, not a wiring recommendation. The useful next step is a controlled assembly drawing, not a decision that matching shells mean matching cables.

Describe whether you need loose wire, cut lengths, a terminated cable or a complete harness with branches, labels and protective parts. State the application, destination, quantity and intended environment. Use the relevant equipment and connector documentation to resolve the specification; a cable that mates physically may still connect the wrong circuits.

Identify both ends and the view used to number them

Name the ends A and B and give the complete housing and contact part numbers, including relevant suffixes and mating parts. Specify the drawing view—for example, the mating face—and show the key or latch and contact numbering from the manufacturer’s drawing. Do not infer numbering by mentally turning over a photograph.

List each required A-to-B connection by contact identifier, with any intentionally unconnected contacts, branches, splices and shield terminations. Use wire colour as supporting identification, not the only connection definition. If a sample and drawing disagree, settle the discrepancy before making the batch; neither an old sample nor an unlabelled sketch should silently override the released specification.

Keep the endpoint identities with the connection list

1End A: identify the exact connector and contact identifiers
2Connection list: A1–B3, A2–B2 and A3–B1 in this fictional example
3End B: retain its identity rather than assuming one-to-one numbering

Logical connection sketch for a fictional passive three-conductor assembly. Contact positions are arranged for reading, not a physical mating-face view. It is not a pinout for any real connector or an instruction to energize equipment.

Name the wire and define where the length starts

Give the wire or cable specification, conductor size and construction, insulation, any required twisted pairs or shielding, and the environmental or application requirements. Ask the supplier to name any proposed substitution. A colour and nominal diameter alone leave important material choices open.

Put length dimensions on the assembly drawing with their reference points and tolerances. An overall end-to-end dimension, a distance between housing faces and a cut-wire length are different requests. Branch positions, orientation at the ends, label location, strain relief and protective sleeving also need a defined reference where they affect installation.

Hirose’s assembly guidance discusses housing orientation, crimp quality and compatible tooling, and directs readers to product-specific instructions and drawings.[1] For the proposed contact and wire, ask which applicable assembly specification and tooling the maker will use. Do not copy a crimp height or pull-force criterion from a different connector family.

A continuity result answers only the test that was defined

Ask what the supplier means by “electrically tested.” The Komax/Cirris tester description lists continuity, open/short detection and resistance alongside separate insulation-resistance and dielectric-withstand functions.[2] These names are not interchangeable evidence. Define the required connections and prohibited connections, the test method and limits, and what the delivery record will show.

Continuity alone does not establish insulation performance, correct material, reliable crimping or suitability in the equipment. Have the responsible technical team determine which electrical, dimensional, visual or mechanical checks apply and whether the scope is per unit, sampled or another agreed basis. Do not apply a test voltage from a tester’s maximum rating to the assembly, especially when connected electronics may be present.

A quotation that can be compared against the assembly drawing
Item	Put in the request	Ask the supplier to make explicit
Connections	End identifiers, view, contact map, unused contacts, shield and branch details	Exact drawing revision and every proposed deviation
Materials	Housings, contacts, wire or cable, sleeving and labels	Manufacturer part numbers and proposed alternatives
Dimensions	Length reference points, tolerances, branches and orientation	Measurement method and any unresolved dimension
Assembly quality	Applicable specification for the contact and wire; needed evidence	Tools, process controls and agreed workmanship checks
Electrical checks	Connection list, test scope, limits and exclusions	Checks performed, unit or sample scope and result record
Delivery	Quantity, identification, packaging and destination	First-sample approval, batch identification and change handling

Approve a defined sample and carry its revision into repeat orders

For a first order, agree which sample and evidence will confirm the drawing and inspection scope before the batch proceeds. Identify the sample and resolve deviations in writing. Keep the released assembly revision, part list, test requirements and any authorized exceptions together so that a reorder does not depend on a photograph or a remembered colour.

Ask for setup or tooling costs, samples, recurring assembly and inspection, packaging and documentation as identifiable quotation items. Agree how material or connector changes will be proposed and how existing stock will be distinguished. The first accepted sample does not approve an unspecified later substitution.

Send HAM the drawing or sample information, use, quantity, destination and the missing specifications. We can help organise questions to Japanese suppliers and clarify the quoted scope. For an existing sensor or powered device, use its exact manual and the responsible technical team to determine the connections; this article addresses making a specified assembly, not rewiring that device.

Questions to send your supplier

Open supplier questions

Assembly drawing number and revision:
Use, destination, quantity and repeat-order needs:
End A/B housing, contact and mating-part identifiers:
Drawing view, key/latch and manufacturer contact numbering:
Required contact-to-contact map; unused contacts, branches, splices and shield terminations:
Wire/cable specification, conductor size/construction and insulation:
Pairs, shielding, sleeving, strain relief and labels:
Length reference points, tolerances, branch positions and orientation:
Applicable assembly instructions, tooling and workmanship evidence:
Electrical checks, limits, exclusions, unit/sample scope and records:
First-sample identification, approval evidence and proposed deviations:
Setup/tooling, samples, recurring inspection and packaging costs:
Batch identification and proposed material/process change handling:
Please identify missing requirements and proposed substitutions before production; do not infer the connection map from the connector appearance.

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Sources

Hirose Electric Americas — Getting connector assembly right
Read HTML discussion of orientation, crimping, tools and product-specific guides/drawings. Linked videos were not viewed; no product dimensions, crimp settings or qualification claimed.
Komax / Cirris — Easy-Touch Pro cable and harness tester
Read listed continuity, open/short, resistance, insulation-resistance and dielectric-withstand capabilities. Tester ratings do not define the assembly test voltage, limits, sampling or product compliance.