Sustainability

Initial situation and motivation

The production of a wire harness is currently still characterized by manual activities. The frequent handling of the wire harness, which can weigh up to 50 kg, is a strenuous activity for employees and carries the risk of damage. The energy input for the production of the wire harness is low compared to the usual highly automated production of other components for the automotive industry.

Current focus of work

At the beginning of TP13, the topic of sustainability was defined in the first process as part of the production of an automated wire harness.

The team members focused on the evaluation criteria that must be taken into account in the automated production of a wire harness from a sustainability perspective.

The product, processes and transportation were identified as key areas of work for SP13.

Product

Data collection is an essential topic for sustainability in a process. A standard catalog for components could be copper, for example. This could be calculated independently of the manufacturer. The origin of the material would have to be taken into account (where does the material come from, where was it mined and how was it transported).

Various car manufacturers are demanding the recyclability of materials. For example, there are already demands for the use of a certain proportion of recyclate in plastics. The extent to which materials can be used more flexibly needs to be examined.

The traceability of data is very important. How and when was the original material produced? In the case of recyclates, how many cycles are there, how much was added? How much energy is used during recycling?

The complexity of the wire harness continues to play a major role. For example, will grommets etc. continue to be used or can these be omitted in automation. What is important here is how the integration of functions develops.

Another important aspect is service life. By extending the service life of the cable set (> 8,000 h), the CO2 footprint can be reduced.

In future, the architecture of the wiring harness must also be evaluated to see whether the new concepts can reduce the amount of materials used.

When new materials are integrated, the corresponding data must be supplied so that this can be included in the balances.

Processes

Automated production increases process reliability and therefore product safety even after years of use.

By reducing the number of rejects in automated production, a lower reject rate can be expected, which ultimately leads to a reduction in waste.

The comparison of manual and automated workstations is very complex and difficult to evaluate. The use of materials and energy for machines should also be considered throughout, as this is very likely to be a relevant aspect.

Transportation:

Disposable vs. reusable: Reusable is not necessarily more convenient, as wood or cardboard packaging, for example, offer easier disposal at the destination for intercontinental transportation.

The transport quantity of dimensionally stable cable harnesses must also be assessed. It must be checked whether larger packaging is necessary. The entire supply chain, from the subcontractor to the OEM, must be taken into account. Automated production can lead to a reduction in manual activities and a move away from production in low-cost countries.

Outlook

The topic of sustainability is a cross-cutting function across all other sub-projects. In order to take all influencing factors or boundary conditions into account, an intensive exchange must be conducted with the other sub-projects.

A digital twin would be one way of exchanging information that would enable the project to achieve more sustainable production by collecting data across the entire value creation process. The involvement of suppliers with regard to the way in which data is collected and the comparability of data will play a key role, as a lot of data is not collected or known during the development process.

The following key question needs to be answered at this point:

• How is data verified, what data quality is used and how is it secured?