TP7 -

TP7 - Digital product description (KBL/VEC)

Subproject 7 (TP7) is the central subproject for all topics related to the digital description of line sets. Its focus is on the development and standardization of data profiles that not only describe design guidelines but also allow them to be verified digitally. In this way, TP7 makes a decisive contribution to end-to-end consistency—because automated manufacturing cannot function without structured, machine-readable data.

The starting point is the realization that wiring harnesses are often not designed for automation in practice. The reasons for this lie not only in technical limitations, but also in the lack of industry-wide standards for digital description - both at component level and at the level of the overall wiring harness.

This is exactly where TP7 comes in: The goal is to derive specific data requirements from the design guidelines of DIN 72036 that can be unambiguously stored and validated in digital development tools. The foundation is provided by the industry-standard exchange formats KBL (wiring harness list) and VEC (Vehicle Electric Container). To make these formats usable, TP7 defined binding data profiles for the first time, including:

• a VEC-based profile for components,
• a VEC-based profile for wire harnesses,
• and a KBL-based profile for line sets.

These profiles specifically define what information must be available so that the software can verify compliance with, for example, minimum bend radii, branch points, cable structures, or tolerance windows. The following principle applies: Only design guidelines that can be verified can also be enforced. An exception to this is currently the component guidelines, which cannot always be fully evaluated digitally—in these cases, TP7 relies on supplementary strategies.

The first data profiles were already included in DIN 72036:2024—as a separate chapter with defined requirements for digital product descriptions. In version 2 of the standard, these profiles were specifically refined, their content was made more concrete, and they were adapted to the current state of data formats, particularly the VEC. TP7 assumes technical responsibility for the corresponding chapter of the standard (Chapter 6)—including quality assurance, consistency checks, and updates with each new version of the standard.

TP7 also coordinates the systematic reporting of technical gaps ("issues") to the responsible standardization committees of the VEC. The aim is to continuously develop the formats in order to ensure an industry-compatible, interoperable and sustainable database - not only for the standard itself, but also for downstream software solutions and production systems along the entire Wire Harness.

In the course of work on version 3 of the standard, new aspects of the digital product description are also coming into focus - including, in particular, component attributes, test characteristics and process-relevant information that is crucial for automation along the entire production chain. In order to systematically develop this content and consistently integrate it into the process landscape, sub-project manager Mr. Becker is actively contributing his IT-oriented perspective to the Processes task force. This ensures that digital product and process data are seamlessly interlinked - and that the standard is also future-proof in terms of data flows, test processes and automation interfaces.

TP7 is the data conscience of SILS: it translates technical requirements into testable data models - and thus creates the basis for genuine automation on a digital basis.