Aerospace & Defense Solutions
Custom Molded Cable Assemblies
Nortech custom molded cable assemblies provide a wide variety of benefits including water resistance, abrasion protection and highly effective strain relief. By minimizing flex-induced stress on wires, connectors and contacts, our assemblies ensure optimal performance and longevity so you can focus on what you do best.
Explore the resilience of Nortech Aerospace and Defense molded cable assemblies. They boast excellent qualities like strain relief and industrial-grade sealing. These assemblies also offer superior water-resistance, shock absorption and abrasion resistance. Our advanced casting method ensures a lasting watertight seal. Nortech assemblies are tailored to fit in even narrow spaces, and use many tested, robust materials.
Learn more about the reliability, performance and affordability of Nortech cable solutions below.
Advantages of Molded Cable Assemblies
Custom molded cable assemblies offer many advantages including water-resistance, abrasion protection and maximum strain relief effectiveness. As a result, flex-induced stress on wires, connectors and contacts is significantly reduced. The molding process provides excellent electrical insulation properties, less exposed metal than mechanical backshells and the cable can enter the connector from any angle. This provides ample flexibility.
Nortech has the capabilities to cast various materials, including urethanes, silicones, and epoxies. We can also transfer mold elastomers, i.e., Neoprene and fluorocarbon elastomer, and injection molding of thermoplastics, i.e., polyurethane and PVC.
Cable assemblies with molded connector strain reliefs and junctions provide superior reliability to shrinkable boots and mechanical backshells. Molded assemblies are sealed for life and provide excellent strain relief, environmental protection, abrasion protection, shock and impact resistance, most often at lower cost.
Top Benefits of Molded Cable Assemblies Include:
- Ability to custom fit into tight spaces
- Allow cables to exit connectors at any angle
- Excellent aesthetics
- Moldings don’t use shrink boot adhesives that break apart in the cold or with age
- Cables with moldings don’t pullout due to cold flow as can happen in a cable clamp or grommet
Construction of Aerospace & Defense Custom Molded Cable Assemblies
Advantages
Moldings created with a cast 2-part molding process provide excellent sealing properties as the materials used chemically bond to the backshells and cable jackets. These materials are chemically cured and will not melt or deform with temperature. They have superior low and high temperature capability and environmental resistance compared to thermoplastics. We can use these materials economically in very low quantities and can scale up to high quantities using inexpensive tooling. Our materials are cured at elevated temperature to speed the curing process.
Typical Materials
Polyurethane
Polyurethane is a tough flexible material with excellent sealing and strain relief properties. It can be used with thermoplastic polyurethane and neoprene jackets and has been used for decades as an industry standard. The most commonly used specification is MIL-M-24041 Category B Type 1. We use multiple automated dispense machines to fill molds with this material.
Silicone
Silicone is a highly flexible material with a wide temperature range. It should be used with compatible silicone jackets or silicone molded flat cable. However, it’s not as durable as polyurethane. Typical material callout is Dow Corning Sylgard® 186.
Epoxy
Epoxy is commonly used for potting applications rather than overmolding. Epoxy is usually hard with little flexibility. The typical material callout is Henkel Stycast 2651/CAT 11.
Cast Mold Tooling
Nortech has been producing cast molded cable assemblies since 1964, and we have a large inventory of mold tooling. Our mold tooling uses interchangeable parts to allow different connectors and cable sizes in the same mold body. For standard straight or right-angle molds, we typically have tooling available for immediate use. Because this is not complex and is made of aluminum or 3D printed, lead times and cost to produce custom tooling is minimal.
Advantages
Moldings created with rubber (elastomer) transfer molding provide special advantages over cast molding depending on the rubber material. We use uncured rubber which is pushed into the mold and cured with pressure, temperature and time. Rubber molded cables should be molded to like rubber jackets (e.g. EPDM to EPDM).
Typical Materials
Polycholoroprene (Neoprene) per MIL-PRF-6855, Class 2, Type A, Grade 60, Fungal Resistant. Low temperature flexibility and general purpose.
Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) Per ASTM D 2000 M2DA607, Fungal Resistant. Low temperature flexibility, weatherability-UV resistance and water resistance.
Fluorocarbon Elastomer (Viton®) per ASTM D 2000 M3HK607A1-10B37C12EF31 or AMS 3216. High temperature resistant and Fuel-Hydrocarbon resistant.
Transfer Mold Tooling
Transfer mold tooling is made of aluminum except high volume runs are made from steel. It’s not complex and inexpensive to design and manufacture custom tooling. Our existing tooling is available for many circular connectors.
Advantages
Moldings created with thermoplastics provide superior aesthetics and can be molded with intricate detail and surface texturing. Using primers, our thermoplastics can be bonded to other thermoplastics and metals. Injection molding is great for high volume production runs.
Typical Materials
Thermoplastic Polyurethane
This material is a rugged flexible material with good low temperature properties. It can also be provided in low smoke non-halogen grades. The typical materials we use are Lubrizol Estane® 58300, 58202, and 58370.
Santoprene™
Santoprene thermoplastic vulcanizates are thermoplastic elastomers with excellent flexibility. The typical materials used is Santoprene 101-55.
Injection Mold Tooling
Injection mold tooling is available for many D-Sub connectors and circular connectors. Typically, aluminum is used for medium volume tooling at moderate cost. For low volume runs up to 100 pieces, Nortech offers 3D printed mold tooling for low cost and quick turn production or prototype assemblies. On the other hand, high volume steel tooling with inserts and texturing will increase costs.
Your Partner for Custom Molded Cable Assemblies
At Nortech, everything we do is for our customers. Our goal is to give you the best experience possible, and that means providing you with custom solutions to meet your specific needs. We value each of our customers as a true partner. From the design phase to implementation, Nortech is with you every step of the way.