Cable Assemblies and Vacuum Feedthroughs in Facility Design

From mixed-use developments and data centres to hospitals and laboratories, modern commercial buildings are no longer “just” structures – they’re highly connected, digital ecosystems. Power, control, safety, security, HVAC, AV and IT networks all need to work flawlessly, often 24/7. For project teams reading Commercial Construction & Renovation, that means the invisible infrastructure inside walls, risers and plant rooms is just as critical as the finishes your end client can see. 

At the heart of this hidden layer are two unsung heroes: well-designed cable assemblies and, in more specialist environments, hermetically sealed vacuum feedthroughs. Get these right and your facility is safer, easier to maintain and better prepared for the future. Get them wrong and you invite downtime, rework and costly call-backs long after practical completion.

The hidden backbone of modern commercial buildings

Every new commercial project now resembles a small campus of interconnected systems. Think of the typical stack:

• Low-voltage power distribution and backup
  
• Fire detection and voice alarm
  
• Security and access control
  
• Building management systems (BMS)
  
• IT and communications networks
  
• Specialist systems – from MRI scanners to process equipment
  

Each relies on dependable connectivity. The quality of that connectivity isn’t just about “using good cable” – it’s about how those cables are specified, routed, protected, terminated and tested, often across multiple trades and phases of a project.

This is where working with pre-engineered cable solutions and specialist hermetic interfaces can de-risk construction and operation, particularly on complex projects with demanding environments.

Why custom cable assemblies belong in the design narrative

On many projects, cable design is still treated as an afterthought. Individual trades pull and terminate their own runs, often under programme pressure, in congested risers and ceiling voids. The result can be a patchwork of terminations, inconsistent labelling and a higher chance of early-life failures.

By contrast, partnering with a manufacturer of custom Cable Assemblies allows you to engineer whole sections of the connectivity infrastructure off-site. These assemblies can be designed to:

• Match exact lengths and routing requirements
  
• Combine power, control and data where appropriate
  
• Incorporate the correct connectors and backshells from day one
  
• Arrive fully labelled, tested and ready to install
  

For contractors, this means faster installation, fewer termination errors on site and clearer accountability. For clients, it means better long-term reliability and easier troubleshooting because the cabling “story” has been intentionally designed rather than improvised during second fix.

Experienced manufacturers in this space have spent decades refining their assembly processes, building in rigorous testing, quality control and documentation to support critical applications. 

Performance, protection and compliance in demanding spaces

Commercial environments are rarely uniform. Within the same building you might find:

• High-EMI plant rooms packed with variable speed drives
  
• Sensitive AV or clinical equipment demanding ultra-clean signals
  
• External runs exposed to UV, moisture and temperature swings
  
• Food, pharma or R&D areas with stringent hygiene or cleanliness rules
  

Custom cable assemblies let you map these realities directly into the design. You can specify:

• Shielding and grounding strategies for noisy environments
  
• Robust jackets and armour for mechanical protection
  
• Low-smoke, zero-halogen materials for life-safety and code compliance
  
• Colour-coding and labelling conventions aligned with your O&M strategy
  

Instead of juggling multiple SKU codes and ad-hoc field changes, your team works with well-documented, repeatable connectivity “building blocks”.

Where vacuum feedthroughs fit into commercial projects

Not every commercial project needs vacuum technology – but the ones that do are often high-value, high-risk environments: research labs, test facilities, certain manufacturing lines, cleanrooms and medical or life-science spaces. In these areas, you may need to run power, signals or data into a sealed chamber or controlled environment while preserving a vacuum or pressure boundary.

That’s the job of hermetic electrical interfaces such as Vacuum Feedthroughs. These components allow conductors, fibres or complete connectors to pass through a wall or flange while maintaining the integrity of the vacuum or pressure seal.

Specialist manufacturers supply these solutions into sectors like aerospace, automotive testing, defence and research – sectors where failure is simply not an option and components must tolerate extremes of temperature, vibration and repeated cycling.

That same pedigree is increasingly valuable as commercial facilities integrate more sophisticated test rigs, deposition equipment, environmental chambers and other process tools within wider building projects.

Designing with hermetic feedthroughs from day one

From a construction perspective, vacuum and hermetic interfaces can easily become a coordination headache if they’re not brought into the design early enough. Penetrations through chamber walls, glove boxes, isolators or cleanroom boundaries carry structural, architectural and services implications.

Early engagement with a vacuum feedthrough supplier allows you to:

• Select the right connector formats (D-Sub, circular, RF, fibre, RJ45, etc.) for each application
  
• Standardise flange sizes and mounting arrangements across multiple tools
  
• Optimise the number of conductors per feedthrough to reduce penetrations
  
• Ensure materials and finishes are compatible with cleaning, sterilisation or UHV requirements
  
• Integrate cabling and feedthrough layouts into BIM models and coordination drawings
  

Handled this way, hermetic interfaces become part of a clean, repeatable design kit – rather than bespoke one-offs that slow the project down at the worst possible time.

Reducing risk through testing and certification

For both cable assemblies and vacuum feedthroughs, rigorous testing and traceability are non-negotiable. In many cases, assemblies destined for commercial facilities are tested to standards such as IPC/WHMA-A-620 or equivalent, and hermetic interfaces undergo leak, pressure or high-voltage testing before they ever reach site.

For construction professionals, this brings several benefits:

• Predictable performance – components have already been stressed and validated.
  
• Reduced commissioning headaches – fewer intermittent faults and wiring mysteries.
  
• Cleaner documentation – serialised parts, test certificates and clear specifications support handover, FM and future upgrades.
  

On safety-critical systems – fire detection, life-safety controls, critical power, medical or lab equipment – this level of assurance is vital. It’s far easier (and cheaper) to reject a component at FAT than to troubleshoot a hidden fault behind finished walls.

Supporting smarter, more sustainable buildings

As buildings get smarter, the volume and complexity of connectivity grows. IoT sensors, metering, access control, environmental monitoring and integrated AV all add to the cabling burden. Facilities teams expect plug-and-play upgrades rather than disruptive refits.

Thoughtfully designed assemblies and hermetic interfaces support this evolution by:

• Providing modular, labelled interconnects that can be reconfigured or expanded
  
• Reducing waste on site through right-first-time lengths and fewer offcuts
  
• Minimising rework and site-fabricated “temporary” solutions that become permanent
  
• Allowing sensitive or high-value equipment to be integrated without compromising building fabric or controlled environments
  

In sustainability terms, it’s not just about the embodied carbon of the cable itself – it’s about the lifecycle of the system. Fewer failures, less rework and simpler future modifications all contribute to better long-term performance.

Practical tips for specifiers and project teams

If you’re involved in commercial construction, renovation or fit-out and want to make better use of these technologies, consider the following steps on your next project:

1. Bring connectivity into concept design
   Treat cabling and hermetic interfaces as core infrastructure, not late-stage details. Include them in early coordination meetings and design reviews.
   
2. Engage specialist manufacturers early
   Share schematics, loads, environmental conditions and space constraints so your supplier can propose optimal cable assemblies and feedthrough options – rather than simply fulfilling a shopping list.
   
3. Standardise wherever possible
   Re-use proven assembly designs, connector types and flange arrangements across multiple projects or sites. This simplifies procurement, spares and maintenance.
   
4. Design for installation and maintenance
   Consider how assemblies will be pulled, terminated and replaced. Build in adequate bend radii, access panels and clear labelling.
   
5. Document everything
   Ensure final O&M manuals include drawings, part numbers, test certificates and supplier contact details for all critical assemblies and hermetic interfaces.
   

Partnering for long-term reliability

Ultimately, cable assemblies and vacuum feedthroughs are not commodity items – they’re engineered components that underpin the reliability of your project long after the ribbon-cutting photos are taken. Working with experienced manufacturers of custom cable solutions and hermetic interfaces, many of whom have been refining these technologies for decades, gives your project team access to deep application knowledge as well as quality hardware.

For commercial construction and renovation professionals, that partnership can make the difference between a building that merely meets spec on day one and a facility that keeps performing, safely and efficiently, for years to come.

By putting engineered connectivity – from pre-designed Cable Assemblies to high-integrity
Vacuum Feedthroughs– at the heart of your design and delivery process, you give every other system in the building a better chance of success. And in an era where uptime, safety and adaptability are under constant scrutiny, that’s an investment your clients will feel long after the project has left the pages of the magazine.