The flow of electronic information between components and subassemblies is almost always carried through some form of cable or wire harness system; unfortunately, the criteria for these systems are often overlooked. A cooperative effort between the IPC 620 committee and the Wire Harness Manufacturers Association (WHMA) has produced the IPC/WHMA-A-620 document establishing accept and reject criteria for the manufacturing of cable and wire harness systems.

The EMPF Learning Center is proud to offer the operator proficiency training IPC/WHMA-A-620 course which encompasses the requirements of acceptance for cable and wire harness assemblies. Like other IPC documents, IPC-A-620 is divided into sections covering topics of interest from general requirements and document structure to test requirements for wiring and cables. Included within are the accept and reject criteria for producing crimped, mechanically secured, or soldered interconnections as well as the lacing and restraining criteria related to cable and wire harness assemblies. The duration of the training program can range from one to three days, depending on the modules selected. Proficiency is determined through a series of written, standardized exams developed by IPC/WHMA. Operators will be tested on each module in which they are trained and will receive a portable certification (valid for two years) in the areas where proficiency is demonstrated. The following is a brief description of each of the modules available.

Module 1 (Mandatory for all students)

• IPC Professional Policies and Procedures
  
• Foreword (Section 1)
  
• Cable/Wire Preparation (Section 3)
  
• Measuring Cable Assemblies and Wires (Section 11)
  
• Testing Cable Assemblies (Section 19)

Module 2

• Crimp Terminations (Section 5, Figure 6-1A)
• Insulation Displacement Connections (IDC) (Section 6)

Module 3

• Soldered Terminations (Section 4)

Module 4

• Connectorization (Section 9)
• Molding/Potting (Section 10)

Module 5

• Splices (Section 8, Figure 6-1B)

Module 6

• Marking and Labeling (Section 12)
  
• Wire Bundle Securing (Section 14)
  
• Shielding (Section 15)
• Cable/Wire Harness Protective Coverings (Section 16, Figure 6-1C)

Module 7

• Coaxial and Twinaxial Cable Assemblies (Section 13)

Module 8

• Solderless Wire Wrap (Section 18)

Employees who attend this regimented training program will be better equipped to recognize acceptable products from defective ones. For further information, please contact the EMPF registrar at 610.362.1295 or registrar@empf.org.