What are Cable Assemblies? A Comprehensive Guide

Playing a critical role in the world of electronics, cable assemblies are a collection of cables or wires that are bundled together into an assembly.

Cable assemblies are designed to support efficient transmission of electrical power, data or signals, while maximising the efficiency of your product’s build.

At GTK, cable assemblies are a vital part of our offering and we have over 35 years’ experience in supplying custom cable assemblies to customers across a range of different industries.

Different Types of Cable Assemblies

Cable assemblies can be used for a vast range of designs and applications. Since a vast proportion of cable assemblies are entirely customised for purpose, there are almost as many different designs of cable assemblies as there are applications in which they’re found.

However, some commonly used cable assembly types include:

Power Cable Assemblies

Used for the transmission of power between electronics, power cable assemblies are designed to safely transfer electrical current at various voltage levels.

These kinds of cable assemblies can be used in anything from household appliances, like refrigerators and washing machines, to large factory machines.

Data Cable Assemblies

These cable assemblies are used to facilitate the transmission of data between devices, typically supporting high-speed data transfer with high levels of signal integrity and reliability.

Examples of data cable assemblies include ethernet cables, USB cable assemblies and fibre-optic cable assemblies.

Audio/Video Cable Assemblies

Commonly used in displays, TVs, projectors, computers and more, audio/video cable assemblies are designed to accurately transmit high-quality audio and video signals between devices.

These might include HDMI cables for TVs and displays, RCA cables for stereo audio and DisplayPort cables for PCs.

Key Components of Cable Assemblies

While custom cable assemblies may have unique differentiating features, most cable assemblies are comprised of four key parts: the cables and wires themselves, connectors and terminations, insulation and protective sheathing.

Using quality components and materials is the only way to guarantee a durable, high-performance build when it comes to cable assemblies.

Cables and Wires

These individual cables or wires are bundled together into a single function within the cable assembly.

Insulation

Each individual cable within a cable assembly is surrounded by insulation, which prevents the raw copper in different cables from touching each other, retaining electrical isolation and signal integrity. In addition, a jacket or sheathing can be used as the outer layer for the entire cable assembly, which protects it from external damage due to moisture, abrasion and more. Jackets and sheaths can also be reinforced for outdoor use or in order to meet British standards, such as UL, CSA and BS.

Connectors and Terminations

At either end of the cable assembly is the connector or termination, which allows the cable to be easily plugged into (or out of) the devices that are being connected.

In many instances, industry standard connectors must be used with cable assemblies – to the layman, these are what help distinguish one cable from another, such as a USB or HDMI connector.

Cable Assembly Applications

The versatility of cable assemblies means that they’re suited for use in a wide range of industries and applications. At GTK, our custom manufacturing capabilities mean we can build cable assemblies that are optimised for use across a number of different sectors, including:

Take a look at our Application Stories for real-world examples of how our expertise in designing and manufacturing custom cable assemblies has helped our customers achieve their goals.

Choosing the Right Cable Assemblies

Building the right cable assembly for your design requirements can be difficult. There are a number of factors to take into consideration, the most important being: what are you plugging it into? Beyond that, you also need to evaluate things such as environmental conditions and operating requirements, signal transmission needs and compliance with industry standards.

That’s where we come in.

At GTK, we pride ourselves on our ability to provide end-to-end support and the earlier you involve us in your project, the more help we can provide. Our dedication to design and engineering support means we can advise on the best choice for you, while also analysing your product’s existing bill of materials to identify any potential cost-down opportunities.

Contact Us

If you need to know more about cable assemblies, the service GTK offers, or the right course of action for you, our expert team is on hand to help.