Mil-spec wiring harness: How They Are Different from Standard Wiring Harness

 

Military and aerospace operations are critical, and one cannot afford to fail them at any stage. Failing such operations not only interrupts the process but may jeopardize human life. Thus, every machine, equipment, or even the smallest product should be high-grade. Most military operations use equipment that passes through specific military standards designed to meet the worst environmental conditions. This article will go through one military product, i.e., a Mil-spec wiring harness.

Large wide cable with wires and connectors and terminals

What is a mil-spec wire harness?

As military and aerospace applications require exposure to extreme environmental conditions, the cable assemblies must be reliable and high-quality. Military cable assemblies and wiring harnesses are specially designed and engineered products that meet MIL-SPEC requirements. The components such as wires, cables, terminations, connectors, and many others used in manufacturing these assemblies must be suitable for military applications.

Mil-Spec wires and cables:

Several mil-spec standards differentiate military cables and wires from others. Some private organizations such as SAE, ANSI, and NEMA have also developed their standards. Cable manufacturers can refer to these military standards while picking materials and manufacturing military-grade cable assemblies.

A mil-spec wire must follow certain standards to fall into the category, perfectly suitable for medium and high-temperature applications to perform maximum, even under high mechanical stress

Mil-Spec Connectors

These shell-type connectors protect electric connections from various environmental factors, making them suitable for military and aerospace purposes.

Connectors comprise a mating pair with a receptacle and a plug, and each mating pair has a male pin or a female socket. Electrical connections are of phosphor bronze or beryllium copper with gold or another non-corrosive and high-conductive metal plating. 

Mil-spec connectors also meet some military specifications.

Features of military cable assemblies

Aerospace and military operations need reliable wiring and cable assemblies for safe equipment operation. Thus, the military cable assemblies are supposed to have the following qualities:

Ruggedization

Military cables and wires should be highly rugged to meet the rigorous military-grade criteria of security and aerospace applications. The cable assemblies should be high-performing and robust for such harsh environmental conditions. 

Miniaturization

Security, Military, and aerospace industries need miniature components installed in their devices, machines, and vehicles. Nowadays, you can find highly miniaturized cables and connectors, which are equally robust and efficient as their bigger versions. However, at the same time, they are much lighter, more flexible, and can integrate easily. With miniaturized components, it becomes easy to use extra space for critical military operations. 

High-frequency electronics

Also, these assemblies work under high-frequency electronic applications with very high temperatures offering stable electrical characteristics with minimal power loss. Military cable assemblies can work in the frequency range of 4GHz to 40GHz. Apart from this, several microwave and RF products can also work in the frequency range of 110 GHz.

Braided wiring harness with electrical connectors

Applications of military cable assemblies

Military wiring harnesses and cable assemblies are suitable for several critical military operations, including:

• Military ground machines and equipment
• Air communication and navigation systems
• Control of remote weapons
• Inter-shelter and fields communication equipment
• Avionics systems
• Space force systems
• Space shuttles and satellite
• Ships, submarines, and other marine systems
• EMI sensitive equipment

Hook-Up Wiring Harness vs. Mil-Spec Wiring Harness: Which is better?

Choosing the right cables can make a significant difference in application processing. 

Hook-Up Wiring Harness vs. Mil-Spec Wiring Harness: Similarities

Hook-up or lead wire refers to the cable having one conductor and is used in the internal wiring of appliances. Despite this, you can use hook-up wire cable assemblies in various applications, such as control cables, power cables, switchboard wires, and motor cables.

Military cables also have one conductor similar to hook-up wire and are similarly used in the internal wiring of appliances. Their range of applications is also identical to the hook-up wire. Thus, all mil-spec wires are hook-up wires except data and communication cables. 

Hook-Up Wiring Harness vs. Mil-Spec Wiring Harness: Differences

The only difference is that mil-spec wires are more flexible hook-up wires which can withstand high-temperature ranges.

Regular or common hook-up wires are unsuitable for military purposes in the United States. These wires follow UL and CSA standards, where UL is a united state standard while CSA is a Canadian one. Common hook-up wire standards are UL 1015, UL 1061, UL 1007, and UL 1569. 

On the other hand, mil-spec wires are only certified and approved for military standards and applications and nowhere stand in UL and CSA standards. The direct analog of UL/CSA hook-wire is M16878, in which the first nine products of this military wire are direct analogs to standard hook-up wires with varied specifications. While some other military wires like M22759 or M81044 have different construction and thus are not direct analogs of hook-up wire falling under UL/CSA standards.

Hook-Up Wiring Harness vs. Mil-Spec Wiring Harness: Can you use them Interchangeably?

You cannot use a regular hook-up wire for military applications, but using the mil-spec wire for non-military uses is fine for applications not requiring UL/CSA approval.

However, as military cable assemblies are expensive, you must know whether your application needs a mil-spec cable or a general lead wire that can solve the purpose. Here are some situations in which you must use mil-spec cable assemblies.

• If your application is critical and failing can put the entire process in danger and may lead to heavy losses, then you need a mil-spec cable. The durability and sturdiness of these cables ensure the process's continuity; thus, investing in them would be a wise decision.
• If the cables and wires you use will face harsh and unpredictable environmental conditions, regular wires and cables won’t work. Get high-quality and robust mil-spec cable assemblies in such situations as they can work in a wide range of temperatures from very low to very high. Further, these cables are abrasion and corrosion-resistant.
• In some applications, equipment, machines, and other devices undergo continuous motion and vibration. A standard lead wire cannot bear high vibration, and mil-spec cable assemblies are also the right choice. These cables can withstand extreme vibrations and movement, ensuring the smooth working of the equipment.
• If your application involves exposure to electromagnetic radiations or radio frequencies, military-grade cable assemblies are a must, as they are correctly shielded from these vibrations.
• Some applications have safety concerns and require product stability during the process. You may need to pick mil-spec assemblies based on such specifications that applications demand. Further, sometimes, you must choose military-grade cables to comply with the industry standards and requirements.

Custom Mil-Spec Wiring Harness from Cloom

You must pick reliable, high-quality, and precisely tested cable assemblies and wiring harnesses for military and aerospace applications. At Cloom, we design and manufacture superior quality mil-spec cable assemblies that meet virtually all standards, including MIL-STD_1460, MIL-STD-2000, and J standard-001 class 3. We also offer 38999 connectors and circular connectors, which we can overmold as per your requirements. 

We can also incorporate potting and pre or over-molding to the cable assemblies to make them perfect for the application specifications, such as vibration-resistant, abrasion resistant, and waterproof to IP67 and IP68. You can be assured of our cable assemblies as they are perfect for extreme temperatures and weather conditions involving severe wind and moisture.