Design rules for the

automation of the wire harness

Development of design guidelines for an automation-compatible design of the wire harness

Contact

Christian Infanger

Komax AG

Mr. Infanger is Director for Product Group Harness Machine

Design rules for the automation of the wire harness

Automation-compatible wire harness design

In sub-project 1 (SP1), design guidelines are being developed that will lead to automation-compatible wire harness designs. Important indicators here are the number of different components, the complexity of the processing procedures, as well as the actual structure of the wire harness. Hard rules (compliance with which can be digitally evaluated) as well as recommendations of a less binding nature are being formulated. The design guidelines are standardised in DIN 72036. The content is deliberately set above and beyond the current state of the art. A look ahead at possible advances in machinery and equipment is presented.

Starting point and motivation

The manufacturing process of a wiring harness involves a series of different disciplines from development to assembly in the vehicle. The value creation itself is presented and carried out in each company in an optimised way for the respective area of impact. Maintaining a holistic view of the value chain is therefore an essential factor in enabling more efficient wire harness production. The various motivations and experiences are to be incorporated into the early stages of wire harness development through close coordination between the individual companies. One designated goal is to project the impact on the wire harness of technology decisions made at early concept stages. In this way, reservations about automation can be prevented and cost-effective automation enabled.

Current working focuses

In addition to the development of design guidelines, the main focal points in SP1 also concern their application in practice – namely deep integration into existing processes. A core team is dealing with overarching SP contexts as well as real use cases for the application of these design guidelines. For example, it should be possible to integrate them into standard industry software systems.

Outlook

SP1 aims to raise awareness of the highly automated production of wire harnesses. The existing low-voltage design guidelines will be expanded and enhanced. In addition, topics such as high-voltage, high-frequency or the assembly of partial wire harnesses and purchased parts are included for consideration.