E-Newsletter - Archives

Our newsletter series on improving quality continues with the process of getting value from your BAD cable/harness assemblies.

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In these difficult economic times it's tough enough to make money, we don't need quality problems too. Can eliminating ongoing quality problems be a source of savings? Our newsletter this month begins a series on continuous improvement of wiring, starting with measuring wiring defects. We'll continue in future months by identifying costs, considering cost effective ways to make improvements, and suggesting ways to make sure improvement efforts deliver savings.

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It's April. That means time for another "special" edition of Cirris e-news! Recently we presented technical information about using high current to detect, or "burn out" defects in cables. Well, we've cranked up the juice! This month we go all out to see if we can truly "blow out your shorts" using more power.

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AC Hipot testing can be confusing with a current limit specified as "total", "real" or often not defined at all.
If you wonder why all AC current isn't "real current" or have other questions about Hipot testing with AC rather than DC, learn more in this month's newsletter.

We have introduced a new high voltage AC supply and higher voltage scanners for the easy-wire CH2. With the new supply and scanners the CH2 is now capable of testing up to 1500VAC at up to 22mA of total leakage current, so it can handle much more capacitance in the device under test. This month we review this new high voltage supply and the growing capabilities of the CH2.

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Do you work with crimp and poke style connectors? If so, you've likely seen problems with contact retention, or "pushback" failures. When contacts are not fully seated they can be pushed back during mating, creating a defective cable/harness. Our newsletter this month covers the many approaches to solving this problem.

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If you build cables or harnesses with colored or labeled wires Cirris' new guided pinning tool, Pin-Sight, can significantly improve the speed and accuracy of your process. In this month's newsletter learn how this device, which requires no mating cables or test fixturing, assists you in fast and flawless assembly.

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In a previous e-newsletter we pursued the question "can you detect broken strands?" Using a standard resistive continuity test we got the answer (Can I Test For Broken Strands?). If we want to detect poor continuity, why not turn up the current to find flaws in cables and harnesses? How much current does it take to burn out a few remaining strands of a wire when most have been broken? This month we search for more answers.

We also introduce our CH2 adapter panel system. This is a test adapter that quickly and easily plugs into the front of our easy-wire CH2 testers to transition to mating connectors of your choice.

Six years ago, we began our Cirris Connect newsletter, having never missed a month for 72 issues. With the beginning of our 7th year, I thank our dedicated team that puts them together month after month. Most of all I thank you, our friends and customers who open and read them, follow the links to our articles and web pages, and offer suggestions on topics you'd like to see us cover. Your interest helps keep our commitment high. We appreciate the many kind e-mails thanking us and encouraging us to continue.

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Would you like to print labels for your cables or harnesses with your Cirris tester? The easy-wire testers (CH2 CH+, CR), and now the Signature Touch1, 1100H+ and 1100R+ have the ability to print labels. Our newsletter this month reviews how to make this happen.

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Can you find broken strands? We've been asked this question many times over the years. Have you ever seen a cable assembly with broken wire strands or strands outside the crimp? It would be great if normal testing could find these faults. With such a visible defect, shouldn't your cable/harness tester find it? This month we give you the results of such testing, both empirical and theoretical.

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After 70 CirrisConnect e-newsletters, spanning over 5 years, we decided to review the popularity of all the topics we have covered and bring you our "Top 5." If you are one of the few who have been missing out, take a moment now to see the technical education and humor we bring monthly to the cable and wire harness industry.

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In an ideal world you would always know exactly how much wire has been taken from every spool or barrel, then you'd always know how much is left. All it takes is one lapse in keeping track, however, and you end up with inaccurate, or completely unknown footage. This month's newsletter suggests a few methods for calculating remaining wire length, including a handy new "wire length calculation" capability that has been added to some Cirris testers.

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When I was in school as a kid I liked math and I remember the first calculator I bought. I was amazed at all the things I could do with it and how quick and easy it seemed to make many of the difficult problems. Ever since, I keep a calculator within easy reach and use it almost every day. Since those earlier days, my ability to remember formulas that I don't use very often has lead me to keep web links and cheat sheets handy. This month we've added a couple of new Ohm's Law calculators to the list of handy electronics related calculators on the cirris.com web page, and discuss others you may find useful.

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