Connections Blog

As a custom cable supplier, one of the things that Galaxy sees time and time again is a cable requirement or bill of material item that is over-specified for the end use application. What does this mean?  Often a design engineer will select a wire or cable from a common brand name manufacturer, or a Mil-Spec or UL style, that will fit the application. It does the trick electrically and environmentally, so not much thought goes into investigating whether there are other constructions that can save time, money, or both. These cables are specified, and many times they are way more robust than they need to be based on what’s commonly available. Galaxy’s Sales Engineers are trained to evaluate a cable for its end application, and on numerous occasions, have helped redesign cables so customers can save on materials, sometimes significantly, while still meeting the application’s requirements.

A prime example of this happened when Galaxy entered a business relationship to build many thousands of high temperature wiring harnesses for a customer’s new lighting product launch. After a site visit and discussions with the mechanical and electrical product design group, it was discovered that a very common UL style of hook-up wire was being utilized for the build. It was readily available, and met the temperature requirement. However, one of our Senior Sales Engineers questioned just how high the temperature needed to be. It turns out that the customer’s product could utilize 150°C material rather than the more standard 200°C material. This meant swapping out silver plated copper and changing the UL style to meet 150°C with tinned copper. The suggested new material is a lesser-known UL style, but this simple swap resulting is a savings for the entire project of over six figures.

Utilizing a wire and cable company that specializes in helping to select the right construction for an end use can be critical for a customer’s bottom line. There is nobody better than Galaxy to make sure over-specified wire and cable products are made more efficiently. For help with reducing costs while still meeting requirements please contact Galaxy for assistance.