WIRE & CABLE HARNESS ASSEMBLY

A wire harness is a bundled arrangement of individual wires or cables organized with ties, lacing, or conduit to route signals and power within a system. Wire harnesses are typically custom-shaped for a specific chassis or enclosure layout. A cable assembly is a group of wires or cables enclosed in an outer jacket or sheath, forming a single unit with connectors terminated at each end. Cable assemblies are generally designed for point-to-point connections between systems or subsystems. Calpak USA manufactures both wire harnesses and cable assemblies at our Hawthorne, California facility, from simple two-conductor cables to complex multi-branch harnesses with 200-plus terminations. Both product types are built and inspected to IPC/WHMA-A-620 workmanship standards, and all assemblies include full material traceability under our AS9100 Rev. D quality management system.

Calpak USA performs 100 percent electrical continuity testing on every wire harness to verify correct pin-to-pin connections and detect opens, shorts, and miswires. Hi-pot (dielectric withstand) testing is performed at voltages up to 1500 VDC to verify insulation integrity between conductors and between conductors and shield. For harnesses with shielded cables, Calpak USA tests shield continuity and isolation. Pull-force testing on crimped terminals verifies that crimp strength meets IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 2 or Class 3 requirements depending on your specification. Visual inspection covers wire routing, lacing, connector seating, strain relief, and labeling accuracy. All test results are documented and archived at our Hawthorne, California facility. For aerospace and defense programs requiring AS9100 Rev. D traceability, Calpak USA provides serialized test reports linked to each harness assembly delivered.

Yes. All wire harness and cable assemblies manufactured at Calpak USA are built and inspected to IPC/WHMA-A-620 workmanship standards, the industry-accepted criteria for cable and wire harness assemblies. Calpak USA supports both Class 2 (dedicated-service electronics) and Class 3 (high-reliability) acceptance criteria, with the applicable class determined by your drawing callouts or purchase order requirements. Our assembly technicians are trained and certified to IPC/WHMA-A-620, and our quality inspectors verify compliance at multiple stages including crimp verification, solder joint evaluation, wire routing, connector backshell torque, and labeling accuracy. Calpak USA also maintains AS9100 Rev. D and ISO 9001 certifications, ensuring that our Hawthorne, California facility operates under a controlled quality management system covering process documentation, nonconformance handling, and full material traceability for every harness we build.

Yes. Calpak USA manufactures wire harnesses and cable assemblies from single prototype units through production volumes of thousands of assemblies per month. Prototype harness builds are used for engineering validation, mechanical fit checks, and system integration testing before committing to production tooling. When the design is finalized, Calpak USA transitions to production using dedicated harness boards, fixture plates, and documented work instructions that ensure repeatable routing and consistent build quality across every unit. Because both prototype and production assembly occur at our single Hawthorne, California facility, first-article inspection data and process learnings carry directly into the production run. Our AS9100 Rev. D quality system governs both phases, so there is no gap in traceability, workmanship standards, or documentation between your prototype and production deliveries.

Calpak USA supports a broad range of connector families and termination methods for wire harness and cable assembly manufacturing. Connector types include D-sub, Mil-spec circular (MIL-DTL-38999, MIL-DTL-26482), Molex, Amphenol, JST, TE Connectivity, IDC ribbon, board-to-wire, and custom application-specific interfaces. Termination methods include crimp (open-barrel, closed-barrel, and insulation-displacement), hand soldering and pot soldering for cup-style contacts, ultrasonic welding for splices, and mechanical terminations such as ring and spade lugs. Calpak USA calibrates all crimp tools to manufacturer specifications and performs pull-force testing per IPC/WHMA-A-620 requirements. For high-reliability aerospace and defense programs, Calpak USA uses QPL-qualified contacts and validates crimp cross-sections when required. All termination work is performed at our Hawthorne, California facility under ANSI/ESD S20.20 controls and AS9100 Rev. D traceability.

A wire harness drawing is the preferred and most reliable way to communicate your design to Calpak USA. An effective harness drawing includes a wiring diagram or schematic showing pin-to-pin connections, wire callouts (gauge, color, insulation type, length), connector part numbers, terminal part numbers, labeling requirements, and overall routing dimensions. Calpak USA also accepts cable assembly specifications in tabular format, from-to wire lists, or even a physical sample that our engineering team can reverse-engineer into a controlled drawing. For complex multi-branch harnesses, a full-scale routing drawing or 3D model export helps ensure accurate bend radii and branch lengths. Submit documentation in PDF, DWG, or STEP format to our Hawthorne, California engineering team. Calpak USA reviews all harness documentation before production and provides feedback on manufacturability, material availability, and any specification ambiguities.