# Wire Harness Build and Inspection Checklist (IPC/WHMA-A-620) > Source: https://netray.co/tools/wire-harness-ipc-whma-a-620-build-checklist > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer A practical checklist for cable and harness builds covering materials, crimping, soldering, routing, marking and final test. ## Category electronics ## Industry Defense Electronics ## Audience - Harness assembler - Quality inspector - Production supervisor ## Tool **Kind:** checklist **Groups:** #### Materials and preparation **Items:** **Text:** Drawing and build revision match the traveler **Critical:** true **Text:** Wire, connectors, contacts and terminals match the BOM and approved sources **Critical:** true **Text:** Lot or date codes recorded for wire, contacts and connectors **Critical:** true **Text:** Tools calibrated and crimp tooling matched to contact and wire gauge **Critical:** true Wire stripped without nicks, cut strands or damaged insulation Work area is clean, ESD controls are in place where required Tinned or untinned conductors handled as the drawing requires #### Crimping and terminals **Items:** **Text:** Crimp height or pull test verified at setup and at the frequency in the work instruction **Critical:** true Conductor strands visible in the inspection window, none cut or folded back Insulation support crimp holds the insulation without cutting through No bent, damaged or contaminated contacts Contacts fully seated and retention verified by light tug **Text:** Correct contact inserted into each cavity per the wiring list **Critical:** true #### Soldering, shielding and termination **Items:** **Text:** Solder joints wet properly and conductor outline visible per the class requirement **Critical:** true No solder wicking under insulation that stiffens the wire Shield terminations meet the drawing: pigtail, solder sleeve or backshell as specified Heat shrink and solder sleeves fully recovered, no scorching Insulation clearance gap within the drawing limit Strain relief fitted and seated #### Routing, lacing and marking **Items:** Bend radius meets the minimum for the cable type Ties, lacing or clamps spaced and tensioned as the drawing states No sharp edges or pinch points on the route **Text:** Wire and cable markings legible, durable and in the correct position **Critical:** true Connector keying and polarity correct **Text:** Labels carry part number, revision and serial number as required **Critical:** true #### Test and release **Items:** **Text:** Continuity and isolation tested against the wiring list **Critical:** true **Text:** High-potential or insulation resistance test performed if specified **Critical:** true **Text:** Test equipment calibration current and results recorded with serial number **Critical:** true Visual final inspection performed to the customer class (1, 2 or 3) **Text:** Nonconformances documented and dispositioned before release **Critical:** true Packaging protects connectors and prevents damage in shipment Records retained per contract retention requirements **Scoring Note:** Mark every item. Any unchecked critical item should stop release until corrected or dispositioned. This checklist follows topics covered by IPC/WHMA-A-620 and is not a copy of the standard, so use the current standard and your drawing for acceptance criteria. ## Content **Intro:** IPC/WHMA-A-620 sets acceptance requirements for cable and wire harness assemblies. This checklist turns the common topics of the standard into a form that an assembler or inspector can fill during a build, then export for the traveler file. **Sections:** #### How to use the checklist **Body:** Print or fill the checklist for each harness or each lot, depending on your work instruction. Go through the groups in order: materials, crimps, soldering, routing, test. Mark critical items first, since they stop release when missed. Export to PDF or Excel and attach it to the build record with the serial number. If your customer specifies a class (1, 2 or 3), record it at the top and apply the matching criteria from the standard to every visual check. #### What the standard covers **Body:** A-620 is an acceptance standard rather than a design guide. It describes target, acceptable and defect conditions for items such as crimped terminations, soldered terminations, wire preparation, insulation, wire dress, marking, and shielding. Class 3 is for high-reliability products, including most defense and aerospace work. The checklist reflects those topics, but the drawing and customer specification may add stricter limits or other test steps. **Bullets:** - Class 1: general electronic products - Class 2: dedicated service electronic products - Class 3: high-performance, harsh environment products - Customer drawing overrides general guidance #### Common mistakes **Body:** Typical problems are crimping with the wrong tool die for the wire gauge, skipping pull tests at changeover, placing a contact in the wrong cavity, and forgetting to record lot codes for traceability. Another common issue is accepting a harness on continuity alone, missing intermittent faults that show up under flex. Keep inspector stamps controlled, train to the current revision and record rework so repeated defects trigger corrective action. **Cta:** Netray can help turn checklist results into searchable quality data in your ERP. Ask us if you want build records analyzed privately on your own hardware. **Faq:** #### Is this checklist a substitute for IPC/WHMA-A-620? **Answer:** No. It lists the topics to check. Acceptance criteria, photos and class-specific limits are in the standard, which you need to license and train to. Use this as a build aid alongside your drawing and the current standard. #### Which class should I build to? **Answer:** Use the class in your purchase order or drawing. Defense and aerospace work is commonly Class 3. If no class is stated, ask the customer, and do not assume. The class changes what counts as an acceptable condition. #### How often should crimp height be checked? **Answer:** Follow your work instruction and the tooling maker. Many shops check at setup, after tool change and at set intervals during a run. The checklist asks you to confirm that your defined frequency was followed. #### Can I add my own items? **Answer:** Yes. After exporting to Excel you can add rows for customer-specific tests, special marking or serialization rules. Keep a controlled revision of the checklist so builds can be traced to the version used. ## Search terms ipc/whma-a-620 checklist, wire harness inspection checklist, cable assembly quality checklist, crimp inspection checklist, harness build traveler, a-620 class 3 inspection, cable and harness acceptance --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json