We're exhibiting at LAMMA 2025, find us at stand 6.644
In electrical engineering, the terms wiring loom, wiring harness, and wire (or cable) assembly are often used interchangeably, but they’re not quite the same.
Each offers different levels of complexity, protection, and suitability depending on your project, equipment, installation, and performance needs.
Partners such as Tec-Stop offer a wide variety of bespoke wiring solutions to suit different industry requirements, including demanding market sectors like automotive, aerospace, and industrial machinery.Let's start by looking at the key differences between looms, harnesses and assemblies, and then work out the best fit for your next project.
Wiring looms, cable harnesses, and assemblies all come under the umbrella of 'bespoke wiring solutions' and are the key components behind the scenes of most electrical systems. Found in everything from vehicles to agricultural machinery, these solutions are essential to transmitting electrical power and data reliably.
These products are designed to deliver reliability, safety and ease of installation across a wide variety of equipment and devices. Using advanced technology and techniques like braid or foil screening, manufacturers such as Tec-Stop can design and deliver complex electrical solutions, exactly to specification.
Whether it’s a classic car restoration or a piece of next-gen defence tech, choosing the right wiring solution ensures safe, consistent performance from installation through to everyday operation.
Before diving into definitions, let’s take a look at a scenario where each solution is typically used:
A wiring loom is a group of wires or cables bundled together to keep everything organised and protected. Looms are often built on a board that mirrors the layout of the circuit, making the routing consistent and repeatable. Techniques such as lacing cord, tape, or cable ties help hold everything in place.
Key features of wiring looms:
Used extensively in automotive, aerospace, and industrial machinery, looms help manage space while delivering reliability.
A wiring harness, also called cable harnesses, takes the wiring loom a step further. It not only organises the wires, but also binds them together with tape, conduit, sleeving, or cable ties to form a durable, ready-to-install bundle. Connectors, terminals, and labels are often added to ensure plug-and-play functionality. Wiring harnesses are assembled from a variety of parts and components, offering flexibility to suit different types of applications and specifications.
Key features of wiring harnesses:
A wiring harness is essentially a finished version of a loom - ready to be dropped into a machine, control panel, or enclosure.
A cable assembly is a more advanced and customised solution. It involves a group of cables (not just wires), often with shielding, overmoulding, or jacketing, designed for specific performance and durability requirements. They’re used for power, signal, or hybrid functions.
Key features of cable assemblies:
Cable assemblies are often chosen for demanding roles in medical devices, telecoms, robotics, or renewable energy applications.
The right choice depends on your operating environment, wiring complexity, and performance requirements.
Partnering with a UK-based cable assembly manufacturer means shorter lead times, clearer communication, and full traceability. Customers benefit from a comprehensive service and a wide range of services, including dedicated support throughout the order process to ensure a smooth experience. Whether you’re after a wiring loom, a custom-built electrical harness, or a certified cable assembly solution, our business relies on trained experts in specialised departments whose knowledge and work guarantee every quality product meets IPC standards and customer specifications.
The careful selection and assembly of parts is essential to delivering reliable solutions, so you can be assured your project is delivered on time - and to specification.
Not quite. A cable assembly includes multi-core cables, often with shielding and protection for extreme conditions. Wiring harnesses are simpler but great for bundling and installing wires - and are often the preferred option when UK manufacturers manufacture wiring harnesses for applications where flexibility and fast installation are essential.
Ensuring a precise number of wires, terminals, and connectors helps with consistent performance, compliance, and easy installation - and reduces the risk of wiring faults.
Yes - options like braid or foil screening, conduit, tape, and overmoulding help protect your equipment in different environments and are regularly applied when manufacturers manufacture wiring harnesses or assemblies for harsh or mobile use cases.
Quicker turnaround, easier communication, access to a vast range of parts, and guaranteed quality products that meet your exact needs.
We’ll listen, ask the right questions, and recommend the best-fit solution for your project. No pressure. Just honest advice from people who design and build these every day.
Tec-Stop
Unit 87a
Blackpole West Trading Estate
Worcester
WR3 8TJ
.jpg)
