Answers to the questions we hear most.
Custom manufacturing involves a lot of moving parts — specs, lead times, MOQs, sourcing, logistics. Below are the questions we field most often. If yours isn't here, send it via the contact form or call us at (978) 429-8211.
Manufacturing & Made in USA
Are EPS products actually manufactured in the United States?
Yes. EPS operates an in-house manufacturing facility in Acton, Massachusetts. Our cable assemblies, CNC-machined enclosures, injection and insert molded components, and metal stampings are produced at this facility — not warehoused-and-relabeled overseas product. Customers and prospective partners can visit and tour the facility by appointment.
What manufacturing capabilities does EPS have under one roof?
Five integrated disciplines:
- Custom cable assemblies (our flagship capability)
- CNC machining for enclosures, brackets, and structural components
- Injection and insert molding for housings, strain reliefs, and overmolded assemblies
- Precision metal stamping for contacts, shields, and brackets
- Supply chain management — sourcing, VMI programs, drop-ship fulfillment
Consolidating these under one roof shrinks lead times, tightens quality control, and gives customers a single point of accountability.
Can I tour the EPS facility?
Yes. Facility tours are available by appointment for current and prospective customers. We believe seeing the manufacturing process firsthand is the best way to understand what separates US-based custom manufacturing from drop-shipped catalog product. Schedule a visit through the contact form or by phone.
How long has EPS been in business?
15+ years in custom interconnect manufacturing. Many of our longest-running customer relationships span a decade or more — a function of how custom manufacturing actually works. Once an EPS assembly is designed into an OEM bill of materials, both parties have an interest in long-term continuity.
Custom Engineering & Specifications
What can be customized on a cable assembly?
Effectively every parameter:
- Cable length (inches to meters)
- Conductor sizes and AWG
- Conductor colors and stranding type
- Shielding (foil, braid, or combination)
- Jacket material (PVC, TPU, FEP, LSZH) and temperature ratings
- Plenum, riser, or outdoor-rated jacketing
- Connector type, pin count, and pinout
- Overmolded boots and strain reliefs
- Latch and locking systems
- Custom labeling and color identification
If it is a parameter on a cable assembly, it is a parameter we customize.
Do I need to provide a full engineering drawing?
No. We accept specs in any format you have — drawings, sample part numbers, a sample of an existing assembly, or a description in plain language. The more detail you can provide, the faster and more accurate the quote, but our engineering team is comfortable working from incomplete specs and asking the clarifying questions needed to get to a buildable definition.
Can you customize an existing catalog product?
Yes — frequently. If a current product on MicroSATACables.com or GoRite.com is close to what you need but not quite right, include the SKU and tell us what should change. Customizing a near-match is often faster and lower-cost than starting from a blank specification.
Do you do prototype runs before committing to volume production?
Yes. Most custom projects move through pilot/prototype validation before scaling to full production volume. The pilot run lets your engineering team confirm fit, function, and signal integrity in the actual application before any meaningful volume commitment.
Will you sign an NDA on proprietary specs or designs?
Yes. NDAs are routine in our business. Send your NDA with the initial inquiry, or request ours, and we'll execute before reviewing proprietary specifications.
Quotes, Pricing & Production Timeline
How fast can I get a quote?
Most quotes are returned within one business day. Quotes for highly complex assemblies or large-volume programs may take a few days while engineering reviews specifications and confirms component sourcing — but the initial response acknowledging the request and outlining timeline expectations comes within the same business day.
How long is a typical production run?
Production timelines depend on complexity, volume, and material availability — but for most assemblies in our active production categories, lead times are measured in days, not months. We bias toward stocking common materials and connectors so that production scheduling is not gated on inbound supply.
Does the quote include lead time and pricing, or just pricing?
Both. Every EPS quote includes pricing, confirmed lead time, and any engineering notes the team flagged during specification review. There are no surprises after the PO issues.
What payment terms do you offer?
Standard terms are net-30 for established customers; new accounts and very large prototype runs may require a deposit or prepayment for the first order while credit is established. Specific terms are confirmed with the quote.
Volume, MOQs & Long-term Supply
What is your minimum order quantity?
There is no fixed company-wide MOQ — minimums are set per project. For prototype and pilot work, runs of ten units are common. Production runs scale from there to ten thousand units and beyond. The economics of very small runs differ from production volumes; we will be transparent about pricing tiers when we quote.
Can EPS support OEM-volume ongoing supply?
Yes. Many of our longest-running customers are OEMs with EPS assemblies designed into their bill of materials at production scale. We support these relationships with long-term supply agreements, vendor-managed inventory (VMI) programs, just-in-time delivery scheduling, and direct-to-end-customer fulfillment under OEM labeling.
What is vendor-managed inventory (VMI)?
A VMI program means EPS holds a buffer of your custom assemblies in inventory and ships against your production schedule rather than waiting on individual POs. This compresses your effective lead time on each order to shipping time only. Available for high-volume customers; we'll discuss thresholds and structure during quote review.
Products & Compatible Technologies
What cable interfaces and standards does EPS support?
Active production categories include:
- Server & storage: MCIO x4 / x8 / x16, SlimSAS 8i / 16i, SAS / Mini-SAS / SAS HD
- NVMe: OCuLink (SFF-8612), U.2 / U.3, SFF-8639, SFF-8643, SFF-8644
- Networking: QSFP+, QSFP28, QSFP56 DAC; SFP+, SFP28 DAC; Cat6a, Cat7, Cat8
- Display & consumer: HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C, USB 3.x
- Storage & power: SATA, eSATA, power, Y-splitter assemblies
- Fiber: LC, SC, ST, MPO/MTP connector types
- Legacy: IDE, Firewire, ZIF/LIF, SCSI, RS-232/422/485
If your interface isn't in this list, ask. Active production includes assemblies we don't yet showcase publicly.
Can EPS keep up with new standards as they ratify (e.g., PCIe 5/6, MCIO revisions)?
Yes — that's a core part of our value to the server and storage market. The interconnect landscape moves fast: SAS gives way to NVMe, NVMe extends into U.3 tri-mode, OCuLink and MCIO emerge as the new high-speed standards. EPS bias is to manufacture to the latest standards as they ratify, often before catalog vendors stock them.
Do you make connectors, or just terminate them?
Both, depending on the project. We integrate standard connectors from established manufacturers for most assemblies. For projects requiring custom contacts, EMI shields, retention clips, or non-standard connector housings, we produce the metal stampings and molded housings in-house.
Location, Tours & Logistics
Where is EPS located?
1A Post Office Square, Unit I, Acton, MA 01720 — about 25 miles northwest of Boston, accessible via I-495 and Route 2. Our manufacturing facility houses cable assembly, CNC machining, and quality control under one roof, with engineering and customer service teams adjacent.
What are your business hours?
Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Quote requests submitted outside business hours are queued for response on the next business day.
Where do you ship?
Domestic and international. Most production ships to North American addresses — server builders, integrators, OEMs, and data center operators across the US and Canada. International shipping is supported for established customers; we'll confirm carrier options and timeline with the quote.
Can you drop-ship to my customer under my label?
Yes. Direct-to-end-customer fulfillment under OEM labeling is one of our standard supply chain programs. The end customer never sees an EPS shipping label or paperwork — they see your brand, on schedule.
MicroSATACables, GoRite & Where to Buy
What's the difference between MicroSATACables.com and GoRite?
Both brands are owned and operated by EPS. MicroSATACables.com serves the server, storage, and data-center market — engineers and system builders sourcing high-speed data interconnects. GoRite serves the prosumer and embedded-systems market — Intel and ASUS NUC integrators sourcing accessories, custom lids, and specialty cabling. Different catalogs, same engineering team, same Acton manufacturing facility.
Which brand should I buy from?
Quick rule of thumb:
- Server, storage, NVMe, or data-center cabling → MicroSATACables.com
- NUC accessories, NUC-specific cabling, HDMI-CEC adapters → GoRite.com
- Custom assembly, OEM partnership, or large-volume manufacturing → contact EPS direct via this site's Custom Quote form
If you are not sure which path fits, contact us directly and we'll route you to the right one.
What does "ASUS NUC Innovation Partner" mean for GoRite?
GoRite is an authorized ASUS NUC Innovation Partner — one of a small number of vendors with formal access to NUC platform information for accessory development. Practically, this means GoRite accessories align with ASUS's NUC roadmap rather than chasing it after launch, and it gives NUC integrators a vendor with verified compatibility instead of guessing.
Can I order through EPS directly instead of the brand sites?
For custom assemblies, OEM partnerships, and any project that doesn't map cleanly to a catalog SKU — yes, EPS direct is the right path. For standard catalog products, the brand sites' e-commerce checkout is faster. Either way, the assemblies come from the same facility.
Ask us directly. We'll get back to you within one business day.
For specs and quote requests, the dedicated form is faster.