Design rules for the

Automation of the wiring harness

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

Your contact person

Christian Infanger

Komax AG

Mr. Infanger is Director Product Group Harness Machine

Design rules for the automation of the wiring harness

Automation-friendly Wire Harness

In sub-project 1 (TP1), design guidelines are developed that lead to automation-compatible designs of wire harnesses. Important indicators here are the number of different components, the complexity of the processing procedures and the actual structure of the wire harness. Both hard rules are formulated (compliance with which can be evaluated digitally) and recommendations of a less binding nature. The design guidelines are standardized in DIN 72036. The content deliberately goes beyond the current state of the art. An outlook on possible advances in machines and systems is provided.

Initial situation and motivation

The manufacturing process of a wiring harness passes through various disciplines from development to assembly in the vehicle. The value creation itself is presented and carried out in an optimized manner in each company for the respective area of activity. A key factor in enabling more efficient production of the wiring harness is therefore a holistic approach to the value chain. The various motivations and experiences are to be incorporated into the early stages of wire harness development through close coordination between the individual companies. A designated goal is to project the effects of technology decisions onto the Wire Harness in early concept phases. In this way, barriers to automation can be avoided and cost-effective automation made possible.

Current focus of work

In addition to developing the design guidelines, the main focus of work in SP1 is on their practical application - in particular their deep integration into existing processes. A core team is working on TP overarching 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

TP1 aims to raise awareness of the highly automated production of wiring harnesses. The existing design guidelines in the area of low-voltage will be expanded or deepened. Furthermore, topics such as high-voltage, high-frequency or the assembly of partial wiring harnesses and purchased parts will be included in the analysis.