The Manufacturing Process of USB Cables

The Manufacturing Process of USB Cables

The USB cable has two main parts – the cable and the connector. However, it’s not that simple to make one. The USB manufacturing process goes through various steps to ensure that the cables are of high-quality and are functioning well.

Step 1: Cutting the Cables

Raw cables are the unprocessed materials from which USB cables will be made. They are often long, so they need to be cut in appropriate lengths, such as 1m and 2m, to meet the requirements of customers. So the first step of manufacturing USB cables is cutting the cables into the requested length.

Step 2: Exposing the Inner Conductor

Cables are made up of various wires, and they are braided and foiled to avoid any electromagnetic interference. In this step, the inner conductor needs to be exposed so that they can be linked to the connector properly.

• Stripping the outer jacket – This is done to remove the cover that protects the entire cable.
• Braid and spiral arrangement – The braids are arranged by clearing them out, weaving, and folding them in the opposite direction.
• Stripping the foil – This is done to uncover the core wire found inside.
• Stripping the inner jacket – This process will finally reveal the conductors inside.

Step 3: Connecting the Wire and Terminal

Most of the time, tin is used to solder electronic materials as it has many features that include excellent affinity to copper or iron surface, excellent fluidity once melted and has a low melting point. All these characteristics make it the best option in the electronics industry.

• Tin dipping – First, dip the conductor’s endpoint in soldering flux, then dip it in the tin in fluid form.
• Soldering – Solder the conductor and the connector’s pinpoint basing on the wire’s color, which is the indication of the wire’s usage.
• Soldering examination – This is done to make sure that the soldering point passes the requirements.

Step 4: Molding

This step will involve covering again the connection of the cable and connector through the injection molding machine.

• Internal injection molding – This means that the first layer of protection is being molded.
• Iron shell installation – This is applicable to some products only where an iron shell is installed for further protection.
• First electrical test – This is done through an electrical test device to check the electrical efficiency of semi-finished products.
• External injection molding – Once the semi-finished products pass the first electrical test, they will be brought to the molding machine to mold the final layer of protection, along with the tag and logo of the brand.
• Second electrical test – Another electrical test is done to the finished products to ensure effective electrical performance.

Step 5: Final Checking and Packaging

The final step includes conducting a final electrical test to double-check its electrical performance and inspecting the cables’ overall appearance and watching for any flaws that will compromise the quality of the products. Also, manufacturers need to make sure that all defective cables are cleared out.

Finally, when everything looks great, the products are packed according to the clients’ requirements.

Conclusion

Even though it’s quite easy to find USB cable suppliers nowadays, not all USB cables are made equally. If you’re starting your own line with this high in demand product, make sure that you find a reliable cable manufacturer like STC-Cable

 

The Parts of USB Cable

1.The USB Bulk Cable

2.The Connector

The connectors found at both ends of the USB cable are usually made from brass, which is a copper-zinc alloy. Many of them are nickel-plated; but, some are gold-plated as well. The “A” stream will be plugged into the computer, while the “B” stream will go to the device. Often, the connectors come in different shapes to prevent users from getting confused about which end to connect. The connectors of the USB cables come in different types as they serve various functions, primarily to maintain compatibility as well as to support new devices.

These are the Type-A (the original standard), Type-B, Mini and Micro USBs (the smaller connectors), Type-C (the most recent), and the lightning (not really a USB, but Apple’s connector to their recent devices).

3.Ferrite bead

Ferrite bead is a type of choke that suppresses high-frequency electronic noise in electronic circuits. Ferrite beads employ high-frequency current dissipation in a ferrite ceramic to build high-frequency noise suppression devices.