LOW-SMOKE/ZERO HALOGEN PROPRIETARY CABLE ALTERNATIVE TO SATA CABLE ASSEMBLIES
Carr Manufacturing Company, Inc., popularly known as CMC is a leading manufacturer of custom cable assemblies and wire harnesses in the US. We serve customers worldwide through our ISO Compliant manufacturing locations in Southern California and Northern Mexico. Not only does CMC manufacture cable assemblies and custom wire harnesses, but also provides consultation to our clients before undertaking, during, and after the completion of a project.
One of our clients required a Low-Smoke/Zero Halogen (LSZH) solution for Serial ATA (SATA) cable assemblies. The Commercial Aviation Company intended to use those assemblies in their in-flight entertainment systems.
Challenge Faced
No such product existed in the marketplace. Hence, we needed to get involved right from the beginning, from sourcing materials to manufacturing and delivery.
SATA cables are routinely used in PCs and other hardware and networking applications. Their wide use and high demand require a very inexpensive design. In order to reduce costs, manufacturers use PVC jacketed cables to produce the SATA assemblies. However, when heated or ignited, these PVC jackets emit harmful and even fatal gases such as chlorobenzene, and other chlorinated hydrocarbons. For this reason, the use of PVC jacketed SATA cable assemblies is precluded in aviation applications.
Solution Offered
The CMC Research and Development team conducted a session with the client to understand their exact requirements. After which, it was decided instead of using the traditional SATA cable, a proprietary cable should be developed for use in zero halogen environments. The client agreed to our team’s suggestions, and the work was initiated. There were a few issues during production as we were developing the proprietary cable assembly from scratch. However, our experienced production team took care of every problem with great zeal.
Result Obtained
The proprietary cable proved to be an effective alternative to the SATA cable assemblies. The new assemblies offered superior performance, improved functionality, better security, and enhanced longevity. In praise of the research, engineering, and production team of CMC, the client said, “By using a proprietary cable, CMC has produced an effective solution to SATA applications for use in Zero Halogen environments”.