Built for Extreme Environments
Nortech understands the extreme environments your components will be subject to and the challenges that come with mission-critical aerospace and defense applications. Whether for aircraft, military equipment, marine vessel, or satellite, we continually push the boundaries of engineering and manufacturing to provide our customers with the highest quality products and services. We always know whom we’re working for and helping to protect.

AS9100 Quality-Certified

Nortech Systems is AS9100 and ISO 9001-certified, ITAR compliant, and meets MIL-STD-810 Test Standards. We are a multi-disciplinary engineering and manufacturing firm delivering cable assembly and PCBA solutions for global aerospace and defense applications.

World-Class Electronics Manufacturing Services

Design and Engineering Capabilities

Start with a team that excels at selecting materials that can withstand harsh operating conditions. We work with your team to tailor your model, so it meets your specs and is optimized for manufacturability.

We provide engineering services for tooling, testing, and making the right cable and PCB assemblies for the right environment. All engineered to help survive any necessary NBC requirements. Additional services include CAD and mechanical, electrical, and software engineering.

Quality, Compliance, and Test Capabilities

Our tests are designed to simulate the most severe conditions products may face in aerospace and defense applications, such as extreme temperatures, salt spray, abrasion, water and chemical immersions, and EMI interference. Some of our PCBA test capabilities include functional testing, flying probe, and automated test platforms.

We have a flexible yet robust quality management system that ensures our products and services meet customer specifications and exceed their expectations for all quality workmanship requirements.

Proven Results

For decades, we have partnered with every major defense contractor, large and small, to build electromechanical assemblies that will withstand extreme temperatures, pressures, and other stressors found in environments ranging from frozen tundra to scorching desert to saltwater oceans to the absolute zero vacuum of space.

We’ve been a reliable and consistent manufacturing partner for many of the world’s most demanding aerospace and defense applications. You will find our quality cable and PCB assemblies within premier DoD programs. We’re a trusted name because we deliver on our promises and always put our customers first. When you choose Nortech, you’re choosing a proven partner with a history of success.

Ruggedized Cable Assembly

Increasing complexity combined with a smaller footprint and increased performance requirements take a unique knowledge set and expertise to reconcile. At Nortech, we combine the latest materials and manufacturing processes to create ruggedized custom bulk cables and molded cable assemblies to meet any need you may have.
Our expertise extends to an additional wide array of cable assemblies, including:
  • 2-part casted molded
  • Rubber transfer molded
  • Injection molded
  • Flat molded
  • Molded field repairable
  • Underwater, subsea, and marine
  • Mechanical and harness
  • Fiber Optic
  • RF
  • High-Speed Data and Vision
  • Active Optical Xtreme (AOXTM)
  • Flex Faraday XtremeTM

Custom housings, connectors, and feedthroughs require tight tolerances and precision machining requirements. Custom backshells can be designed to incorporate circuit boards, filter arrays, or other electrical components and remain field accessible. We overcome these design and manufacturing challenges with our in-house machining and 3D printing capabilities, which also speed supply chain delivery and reduce cost.

Nortech also provides electrical and fiber termination, including soldering and crimping on almost every type of connector, as well as ESD assembly and custom marking/stamping.

PCB Assembly

At Nortech Systems, we specialize in designing and manufacturing rugged and reliable Printed Circuit Board Assemblies (PCBAs) ranging from traditional standards to those with state-of-the-art cutting-edge technologies.

Our surface mount technology (SMT) and plated through hole (PTH) lines are fully automated, while our semi-automated through hole line allows us to create customized solutions. We also offer state-of-the-art conformal coating and potting services, functional and flying probe testing, electromechanical high-level box build, and system integration.

Our experienced team will partner with you to create well-defined physical, test, and serviceability requirements that consider the entire product lifecycle. Our wide array of manufacturing technologies allows us to work with any production mix, including low volume/high mix runs. No matter your needs, we have the experience and expertise to get the job done right.

Cable Solutions

Customized Bulk Cable

We use the latest manufacturing processes with hands-on expertise and craftsmanship. We offer planetary cabling machines, automated lay-up tables, hand breakouts, metallic shielding/fiber braiding and jacketing to meet any need you may have

Custom-Made Backshells

We also manufacture custom backshell designs for superior strain relief and field-repairable assemblies. These designs are specifically designed to provide dust, water immersion, and EMI protection.

Molded Cable Assemblies

For rugged applications, you need the reliability and sensibility of a molded cable design. Molded connector strain reliefs and junctions provide superior dependability. These assemblies are sealed for life and provide:
  • superior environmental and abrasion protection,
  • shock and impact resistance, and
  • a customizable fit for tight quarters or unique angle connectors.
Molded cables do not pull out or break apart when in contact with the cold or as they age, so replacement needs and costs will go down.

Casted Two-Part, Elastomer Transfer, or Injection Molded

Molded cable assemblies can be created with a few different methodologies, each providing its own benefit. A casted two-part process provides excellent sealing properties as the materials used chemically bond to the backshells and cable jackets. These are chemically cured materials that won’t melt or deform with temperature. These materials can be economically used in very low quantities and can scale up to high quantities using inexpensive tooling.

Moldings can also be created with rubber (elastomer) transfer molding. This process uses uncured rubber, which is pushed into the mold and cured with pressure, temperature and time. Rubber molded cables are designed to be molded to similar rubber jackets (e.g., EPDM to EPDM), which may provide extra dependability.

Lastly, there’s the option of injection molded cables using thermoplastics, which can provide superior aesthetics, including detailing and surface texturing. Thermoplastics can be bonded to other thermoplastics and metals using primers. Injection molding is ideal for high-volume production run rates.

Metallic-Based, Injection Molded, or 3-D Printed Tooling

At Nortech, we offer two methods to tool for molded cable assemblies. For most cases, we use traditional metallic-based tools, which would be aluminum for most cases and steel for high-volume designs. These tools are simple to design and inexpensive to manufacture. Additionally, a number of popular circular connector designs may already have tools in place.

For some applications, injection mold tooling may be more appropriate, including many D-Sub and circular connectors. In this variant, aluminum tooling or steel tooling with special inserts can be acquired for a moderate cost. Still, for sub-100 production runs, a 3-D printed mold tool can provide a reasonable cost, a quick turn prototype, and production capabilities. At Nortech, we provide a 3-D printer on-site specifically to support quick-turn mold designs.