This section provides an overview for flat cables as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 20 flat cable manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked flat cable companies as of November, 2024: 1.Dongguan Wenchang Electronic Co.,Ltd., 2.Electro-Prep, Inc., 3.Daburn Electronics & Cable.
Table of Contents
A flat cable is a type of cable used for inter-device wiring, consisting of multiple core wires bundled in parallel to form a flat cable.
Each core wire is made of thin conductors coated with resin insulation, and the number of cables varies from about 10 to 100. A flat cable that is relatively narrow in width is sometimes called a ribbon cable.
Since flat cables can send multiple signals at once, they are used to connect devices with parallel interface functions.
Flat cables are suitable for parallel interfaces that send multiple signals at the same time. They are used as wiring cables between devices with parallel interface functions, such as computers, peripheral devices, communication devices, and office equipment.
Flat cables are flat, soft, and can be bent for wiring. However, they have the disadvantage of being weak and may cause noise interference. For this reason, they are used for internal wiring of electronic devices such as hard disks, drivers, and boards inside PCs, rather than for wiring to and from external devices.
There are various types of flat cables, such as bridged, threaded, and twisted pair cables.
The bridge type flat cables are the most common type of flat cables, with each core wire completely fused together.
Sudare flat cables have a structure in which the fusion-bonded and non-fusion-bonded portions of each core wire alternate at regular intervals. The non-fused portions are usually longer and allow for more flexible wiring than the bridge type, making it suitable for wiring in enclosures with complex shapes.
Twisted-pair flat cables have a twisted-pair structure, in which the non-fused portions of the Sudare type are twisted into pairs of two cores each. Compared with the bridge type and the wire of the Sudare type, the twisted pair of flat cables is more resistant to crosstalk and noise from neighboring cores.
There is also a type of cable that is rounded from the Sudare type flat cables and covered with a shield, which is called a round cable. Since round cables are stronger and more resistant to noise than flat cables, they can be used not only for wiring within electronic equipment but also for wiring between external devices.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Daburn Electronics & Cable was founded in 1964 and is based in Dover, New Jersey. The company is a supplier of over 500 products including wire, cable, sleeving, vacuum systems, and related products produced in ISO 9001:2008 and AS9100-certified facilities. The company operates through two divisions: Wire & Cable Division and Electronic Hardware Division. The Wire & Cable Division offs military and commercial specification products including wire, cable, tubing, and over 20,000 standard items, mostly available for special construction to order. The Electronic Hardware Division produces in-house porcelain insulators, plugs, fastening devices, cords, and other devices and components.
SHINE Wire, established in 1984 as Shine Electronics and currently a subsidiary of ComSonics, Inc., is an American manufacturer based in Adams, Massachusetts, specializing in cable and electro-mechanical assemblies as well as wire harnessing. The company’s capabilities in custom cable assemblies include flat, wire, coaxial, telco, potted, and shielded cables. These assemblies support the performance of complex systems such as computers, automobiles, airplanes, ships, and military hardware. Additionally, the company offers subsystem and full-system electro-mechanical assemblies, covering chassis, board-level, front panel, and rack panel installations. Furthermore, the company offers automated wire harness manufacturing, which includes wire cutting, stripping, and terminating equipment.
Electro-Prep is a global manufacturer of custom wire harnesses, cable assemblies, box-build, and other custom assemblies for numerous industries in the medical, military, industrial, and commercial industries. The company also provides various engineering services such as product designing, reverse engineering, component engineering, and engineering and manufacturing documentation. Electro-Prep was established in 1977 in East Falmouth, Massachusetts and it is currently located in Wareham, MA. The company’s Quality Management System has been assessed and approved by NQA USA certified to ISO 9001:2015, with personnel trained by certified trainers with IPC/WHMA-A-620 certification and J-STD-001 certification.
Epec is an American manufacturer of high-reliability electronic components established in 1952 in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The company produces various electronic manufacturing components used in a wide range of industries, including battery packs, printer circuit boards (PCBs), cable assemblies, and fan motors. They also offer custom engineering, supply chain management, and after-sale support services to their customers. Epec operates internationally via a network of facilities and offices in the United States, China, and United Kingdom. The company has served notable clients such as Medtronic, Schneider Electric, and Samsung.
3M Company was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota. 3M provides diversified technology services globally. 3M operates through four segments: Safety and Industrial, Transportation and Electronics, Health Care, and Consumer. The Safety and Industrial segment offerings include industrial abrasives, masking, and natural and color-coated mineral granules for shingles. The Transportation and Electronics segment offerings include ceramic solutions, light management films, and electronics assembly solutions. The Healthcare segment offerings include wound care, dentistry and orthodontia solutions, and filtration and purification systems. The Consumer segment offerings include consumer bandages, picture hanging, and stationery products.
Meridian Cable, an ISO 9001 certified company, established in 1994 in St. Augustine, Florida, USA, is a manufacturer of cable assemblies for the industrial and telecommunications sectors. The company's cable assemblies facilitate the efficient transmission of data, signals, and energy throughout various systems. These industrial control systems are utilized across diverse industries, ranging from aviation and computer sectors to water purification plants and manufacturing facilities. The medical wire assemblies play a pivotal role in connecting power equipment and are essential components in various medical devices, including diagnostic instruments, ultrasound probes, and X-ray machines.
Cypress Industries, founded in 2001, as a global contract manufacturer of custom cable assemblies and wire harnesses, custom control panels, plastic injection molding, machining, and metal castings that operates as a vertically-integrated company. Established as a contract manufacturer, Cypress Industries specializes in providing diverse manufacturing services across its facilities in Austin, Texas, Mexico, India, and China. The company's capabilities span printed circuit board assemblies and sheet metal fabrication, making them a comprehensive manufacturing partner. With quality, Cypress Industries serves as a go-to source for manufacturing solutions tailored to clients' specific needs.
Proterial Cable America, established in 1981 and located in Purchase, NY, USA, is a manufacturer of highly specialized technologies for the data communication, automotive, and medical industries. The company provides performance cable systems and materials such as copper an fiber optic communication cables & assemblies that can support HDMI, ethernet, InfiniBand, and video applications. It also offers automotive products such as power cable harnesses for hybrid vehicles, electrical sensor harnesses, and brake hose products. The company is ISO 13485:2016 compliant, manufacturing components and finished medical devices including catheters, ultrasound devices, introducer sheaths, and fluid transport tubings.
Custom Wire Industries, Inc. was founded in 1968 and is a manufacturer of electrical wire and cable assemblies located in Muskegon, Winconsin. The company's electrical component portfolio includes cable assemblies, ribbon cables, over molding, and lead wires. It also offers customized products to meet specific customer needs and preferences. Its custom assemblies can range from microscopic sizes up to 900 pound alert tower assemblies. Its electromechanical assemblies and harnesses are UL and CSA certified.
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., founded in Newark, Delaware, in 1958 is a manufacturer of medical devices and products that reduce emissions, and explore space. The company's product portfolio includes implantable Medical Devices, Electrochemical Devices & Fuel Cell Components, Ozonation Modules, Workwear & Industrial Fabrics, and Fire & Safety Fabrics. The company serves industries such as Oil and Gas, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Construction, and Power Generation. They have a global distribution and sales channel, customer support center, and R&D center.
Y.C. Cable is a manufacturer and supplier of custom cable and wire harnesses established in 1985 and headquartered in Silicon Valley, California. The company offers cable assemblies such as ethernet, custom robotic, USB C, copper, and custom battery cable assemblies used in power and data transmission. The company is IPC-620-compliant, ISO, and TS16949-certified and offers custom cable assemblies and wire harness assemblies for various industries, including aerospace, consumer electronics, automotive, medical, and industrial.
igus GmbH, established in 1964 and based in Cologne, Germany, is a manufacturer and distributor of technical products made using polymers for movement. Its products include injection molding frames, motor control systems, and plain bearings, and it has over 240,000 products in over 1,000,000 variations. It serves 188,000 companies from over 80 countries worldwide in 50 different industries, including packaging, automotive, and renewable energy. The company is ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 50001 certified, and in 2023, it recorded €1.115 billion in sales. Since 2021, the company has purchased 380 new injection-molding machines and has replaced 275 old ones.
AUK Contractors Co., Ltd., established in 1983 and headquartered in New Taipei City, Taiwan, is a manufacturer of connectors, cable assemblies, and precision metal stamping products. Their wide range of connectors includes board-to-board connectors, cable connectors, and terminal blocks, serving applications in telecommunications, industrial automation, and medical devices to ensure smooth data and power transmission. The company adheres to ISO 14001 environmental management standards, IATF 16949, and ISO 9001 for quality management.
Axon’ Cable established in Montmirail, France in 1965 is a manufacturer engaged in cabling, interconnect solutions, cable assemblies, connectors and mini systems for high tech applications. The compnay provides custom designed interconnect solutions including wires, round or flat cables, composite cables, coaxial cables, assemblies and connectors for applications such as aeromil and space, automotive, consumer electronics, medical, research centres and telecommunications. The company has manufacturing facilities in France, China, India, Hungary, Latvia, Mexico, United Kingdom and USA.
Rego Electronics Inc. is a manufacturer and distributor of interconnectivity and thermal management products that was established in 1979 in Taipei, Taiwan. The company offers its PCI Express series high speed connectors for data storage or transmission devices, its CFexpress card connectors for cameras and video recorders, and DDR5 memory card connectors utilizing the latest iteration of DDR technology. The company is ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and IATF 16949-certified, and chiefly serves clients in the communications sector.
Paraflex is a supplier of flexible couplings and power transmission solutions. The company is based in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, India and was established in 1973. The company specializes in offering flexible couplings and power transmission products for diverse machinery applications. Its product range includes Housing Wire, Industrial Wire, Core Flat Cables, Co-Axial Cables and CCTV Cables. The company serves industries such as manufacturing, mining, and agriculture. Paraflex’s products are manufactured to the IFI, DIN, ISO International standard specifications. The company provides services like technical consultation and product customization.
Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Dongguan Wenchang Electronic Co.,Ltd. |
9.5%
|
2 | Electro-Prep, Inc. |
8.0%
|
3 | Daburn Electronics & Cable |
7.2%
|
4 | Meridian Cable |
6.8%
|
5 | SHINE |
6.4%
|
6 | 3M |
6.4%
|
7 | Y.C. Cable |
5.7%
|
8 | Paraflex |
5.7%
|
9 | SUMIDA flexible connections |
5.3%
|
10 | Proterial Cable America |
5.3%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the flat cable page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
---|---|---|
United States of America | 11 | 78.6% |
Germany | 1 | 7.1% |
China | 1 | 7.1% |
India | 1 | 7.1% |