Application Watch: Smaller diameter, enhanced resistance stressed in cable assemblies for medical electronics

Suppliers of cable assemblies for medical electronics products adapt development initiatives to cover portable, wearable and remote-controlled applications.

Reliability and safety specifications are higher in interconnects used in medical electronics, and are expanded as the mobility trend spawns portable, wearable and remote-controlled devices, instruments and equipment.

Without effect on performance, cable assemblies for this application must have smaller cross sections to allow greater flexibility that can withstand repeated bending and tugging, and also be lightweight. These need to display enhanced resistance to shock, vibration and water, and better adaptability to temperature and humidity changes indoors and outdoors.

Dongguan Rayconn has introduced highly flexible cable assemblies for portable medical devices. The units use connectors from Amphenol, 22AWG tinned stranded conductors and color-coded PVC insulation, and support 80 C operations. These undergo VW-1 and FT1 flame tests as stipulated respectively by UL and CSA.

Most local manufacturers of cable assemblies for medical electronics ensure products merit CSA, RoHS and UL certification, and their quality management systems follow the standards set under ISO 13485 and 10993. Some secure additional FDA and AAMI-53 approval, and comply with ISO 60601 requirements.

Besides this, product development in China remains driven by customization, with tailor-made units constituting more than 80 percent of makers' total shipments. Suppliers such as Suntek Electronics Co. Ltd accept buyers' specifications on the types of connectors and cables to be used.

The application market continues to provide opportunities to cable assembly makers, encouraging a number to keep investing in equipment. Aubade Electronic Technology Co. Ltd has allotted $0.07 million to procure machines, including four for vertical molding, three for automatic welding, one for automatic wiring, one for laser welding and four for testing. Suntek spent $3 million to build a new factory, and acquire production and test equipment.

Suppliers can count on sustained high growth in the next two years. In the domestic medical electronics industry alone, the market is projected to hit $51.5 billion by this year's end from $44.1 billion in 2018, according to AskCI Consulting.

Globally, the medical wearables segment will experience a significant increase. By 2023, it is expected to double to $6 billion from its 2018 value based on statistics from EEWorld.

On the local front, this application will rise to $1.8 billionin 2020 from $1.04 billion in 2018.

With this development, China manufacturers of cable assemblies look forward to realizing annual sales growth of 15 percent in the years ahead. In exports, they anticipate to beat 15 percent by end-2019 and in 2020. Companies allocate between 30 and 80 percent of output for overseas destinations, mainly Europe, North America, East Asia, the Middle East and Russia.

There are 200-plus makers of cable assemblies for medical devices and equipment in China, more than two-thirds of which are local operations catering to the entry-level and midrange segments of the market. The foreign counterparts based in the country include major players such as Molex, Leoni and TE Connectivity.

The production hubs for the line are in the coastal provinces of Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang and Jiangsu, although there are also a number of suppliers elsewhere such as Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces where the cost of labor is lower.

Typical selection

China companies offer a range of cable assemblies for hospital and home medical devices, instruments and equipment.

The cables have bare or tinned copper conductors, and PFA, ETFE, FEP or Teflon insulation. Makers such as Suntek also adopt TPR, TPU, TPE, PVC and PU. Length ranges from 1 to 3m, although it can be customized along with the cable color.

In terms of connectors, metal and plastic push-pull, screw, spring, board-to-board, D-sub, FPC and back-panel types are used, with options extending to those having a locking and unlocking mechanism.

The contacts are usually made of copper alloy and plated with gold or nickel. PEEK is adopted as insulation material, while it is a typical choice between copper alloy and thermoplastic for the housing.

There are nonwater-resistant and water-resistant models. The latter kinds are available in IP65- to IP68-rated versions.

In addition to CSA, RoHS and UL, some suppliers follow IEC and VDE requirements.

Metal and plastic materials are sourced locally or abroad, depending on customers' specifications. So far, their costs have remained flat and will stay so in the months ahead, keeping product prices stable.

The products in this gallery have been handpicked by our market analyst for representing current trends in cable assemblies for medical electronics from China makers.

D-sub cable assembly with gold-plated plugs

The 160PINDSUB model from Aubade Electronic Technology Co. Ltd is a 16-pin cable assembly with gold-plated D-sub connectors and a PVC cable.

The custom-length model has a minimum order requirement of 1,000 units. Delivery lead time is 10 days.

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Gold-plated RF micro coaxial cable assembly

CviLux Corp.'s CR Series model is an RF micro coaxial cable assembly with gold-plated connectors and 0.81 to 1.37mm-diameter cable.

The negotiable minimum order has a delivery lead time of 7 days.

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Wire harness has PVC insulation

For medical devices, this wire harness from Dongguan Ecocables Electronics Co. Ltd, Eco-MedicalCable model, adopts PVC insulation material. The RoHS-compliant unit comes in black, yellow, red, blue, green and custom colors.

The 1,000-unit minimum order has a 10-day delivery lead time.

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Cable assembly with up to 37 cores

From Suntek Electronics Co. Ltd, the 7CoreMedicalCable model has up to 37 cores, copper conductors, TPR, TPU, TPE or PVC insulation and PU jacket. The operating temperature is -65 to 180 C.

The 100-unit minimum order is for delivery within 7 days.

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