TP0 –

Standardization in the field of automation of wire harness production

The publication of DIN 72036 marked a first milestone in the automation of wire harness production. The SILS continues to work with the working group on this standard, which was founded by the German Institute for Standardization (DIN) on the initiative of the IILS. Other experts from the industry are also involved in the DIN working group, ensuring that the standard is widely accepted beyond the SILS. In the upcoming revision, the standard will be extended to other areas and feedback from the industry on its applicability will be taken into account.

Initial situation and motivation

Today, there are specifications for the automation of wire harness production that are coordinated by OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and suppliers in order to achieve a basis for automation. These can vary slightly depending on the OEM and supplier and today correspond to the best practices in this environment. The specifications have evolved over time, but are not subject to a coordinated process for adapting to the evolving state of the art. Standardization at DIN achieves an open, controlled and transparent development of automation through a standard that is also subject to a process of continuous further development. Every market participant can follow and constructively shape this development.

Due to the increasing growth in E/E components in vehicles and new applications such as autonomous driving, the wiring harness will have to meet higher requirements in terms of quality and safety, among other things. The error-free and precise traceability of components and their production process can only be achieved by increasing automation in the wire harness. Automation also reduces human factors and thus enables the production of wire harnesses close to the point of assembly in the vehicle. In addition, a definition of data profiles for wire harnesses enables model-based, consistent development and serves to ensure safety and quality targets and consistent use of the data in the IT toolchain used.

Current focus of work

The focus is on further developing the first version of the standard, including new areas of application such as high-voltage wiring harnesses and ensuring its applicability. To this end, the new or updated principles, methods, processes and rules developed in the individual sub-projects are being harmonized and prepared for a consistent update of the standard. An important aspect of this is to standardize the complex field of automation step by step.

In addition, the standard will extend the specifications for digital interoperability with regard to wiring harnesses. These will use the KBL (Kabelbaumliste) and VEC (Vehicle Electric Container) data formats as a basis and set binding specifications for the implementation of rules.

Outlook

The current focus of the published standard is on low-voltage wiring harnesses (LV) in order to be able to manage the complexity and diversity of variants and to enable consistent standardization. This is the first step required to standardize the automation of the wiring harness.

In the update of the standard, TP0 deals with the addition of further areas of application such as high-voltage wiring harnesses, the improvement of the applicability of the standard and the correction of inconsistencies in the first version of DIN 72036.

In the future, DIN 72036 may be extended to an entire family of standards and include and standardize further areas of application and methods. This potentially includes the evaluation of the degree of automation with key figures, the standardization of methods for unbundling the wiring harness and the creation of a framework for the modularization of connectors.