Coaxial cable is used in a variety of products serving many different markets.  It is used to carry higher frequency signals from point A to point B with minimal signal loss and degradation.  Cables and interconnect systems are getting smaller, and overall volume is increasing. The most common applications include antenna cabling, cable TV equipment interconnects and automotive applications.  In automobiles, for example, more and more systems (satellite radio, AM/FM radio, GPS, cell phones, etc.) are being packed into extremely tight spaces.  This increased density of signal carrying cables makes coaxial cable an obvious choice to reduce or eliminate signal interference.  

      Higher volume jobs for standard applications are usually produced offshore, and smaller jobs are produced locally using varying levels of automation.   OEM’s tend to outsource coaxial cable assemblies since they are considered a commodity and not part of their core business.  Increasingly, cable and connector manufacturers are producing and providing finished cable assemblies to the OEM’s.  Since they manufacture the cable and connectors, these manufacturers have a cost advantage over subcontractors who must purchase the components on the outside.   

Cable preparation

      The first step in producing a coaxial cable assembly is to measure and cut the cable to length.  Many cables are in the 3 to 12 feet length range and can be produced using an automatic cutting machine and then laid into an automatic stacker.  Longer lengths must be coiled and tied for easy handling.  A semi-automatic cutting machine (with an optional coiler) can make quick work of this step.  The next step is to strip the cable ends to prepare them for termination.  This step is best done using a semi-automatic programmable coaxial cable stripper (see photo above).  These types of strippers can store parameters for a wide range of cable types and can typically perform a 2 or 3 level strip in approximately 6 seconds.  An operator must feed each cable end into the machine and wait until the stripping operation is completed.  Fully automatic cable preparation machines are available which eliminate the need for an operator to present each cable end.  These machines can measure, cut and strip cables with a cycle time of approximately10 seconds, depending on cable length...

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