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Success Stories

Improving Cable Assembly Reliability in a High-Vibration Application

Warehouse Automation & Robotics Success Story

Background

Safety and Reliability Risks in a Constrained Design

A global automation OEM building AI-enabled warehouse automation systems encountered field issues with a cable assembly used in high-density, autonomous material-handling environments.

The assembly operated in a tight routing area with sharp bends and constant vibration, causing heat-shrink tubing to become unseated and raising safety, reliability, and uptime concerns.

The customer needed a fast, production-safe fix, along with a lower-cost, more reliable long-term design.

Our Approach

A Two-Phase Strategy Balancing Speed, Safety, and Cost

Phase 1: Bottleneck Analysis

ECI evaluated the production process to isolate the primary constraint:

  • Manual strip and crimp operations limiting throughput.
  • Excess handling increasing variation and cycle time.

Phase 2: Automated Execution

ECI transitioned the process to automation to support growth and consistency:

  • Deployed automated strip and crimp equipment.
  • Partnered with equipment suppliers for rapid implementation.
  • Integrated in-line quality monitoring.

Breakthrough Impact

Fast Stabilization and
Long-Term Cost Reduction

The combined approach delivered both immediate stabilization and long-term improvement:

40,000+ assemblies

40,000+ cable assemblies installed within 12 months across new production and field replacements

<30 days

<30 days to implement the initial corrective action in the field

22% cost reduction

22% overall cost reduction achieved by eliminating manual potting and improving assembly efficiency

Improved safety

Significantly improved safety and reliability with enhanced strain relief and termination protection

Awarded

Awarded additional project releases in multiple OEM sites

Why ECI Won

Speed, Collaboration, & Design-Driven Execution

ECI balanced speed, collaboration, and design expertise to resolve the issue:

  • Application-driven engineering for high-vibration, safety-critical environments

  • Rapid quality resolution without disrupting production

  • Design-for-manufacturability improvements that reduced costs and improved consistency

  • Cross-functional collaboration between the customer and ECI

  • Stable, reliable production performance through the design transition

Success Stories