How do I tell a real cable factory from a trading company?

Ask for the production process, not the certificate. A trading company can hold the same ISO certificate.

Answer: ask questions only a factory can answer — process, equipment and failure handling.

  1. Which operations are in-house? Stranding, extrusion, braiding, soldering/crimping, injection, testing. A trader answers in generalities.
  2. How is the shield terminated? A factory describes its own tooling; a trader describes a photo.
  3. What happens when a lot fails the test? A factory describes quarantine and rework; a trader says it will not happen.
  4. Can you show the line in operation during a video call? Not a photo gallery.

ISO 9001 and product certificates can be held by either type of company — they do not answer this question.

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Frequently asked questions

How can I tell a real cable factory from a trader?

Ask about in-house processes, tooling and what happens when a lot fails — certificates do not distinguish them.