Manufacturing and Designing Wire Harnesses
The wiring harness design and manufacturing process are both fundamental when it comes to producing high-quality units. Wiring harnesses are found in almost every electronic device you can imagine. With technology inundating our lives, manufacturing companies must keep up with demands yet still produce high-quality electronics.
Wire harnesses provide numerous advantages for both manufacturers and consumers. Installing a good wiring harness into a machine or device reinforces it and prevents any possible risk of short-circuits. If you’re planning to construct some sort of electronic gadget or device, knowing about the design and manufacturing process can help you conceptualize how you can tackle this type of project at home.
Designing Wiring Harnesses
Designing a wiring harness is usually considered tedious and laborious. The complexity of the harness design depends on the features of the device it will be installed in. Usually, a complex and intricately designed wiring harness is responsible for the efficiency of an ingenious device. A wiring harness design must be able to distribute all the wires properly and systematically. Careful planning and design can make the entire construction process more efficient and effective.
The design process also involves choosing different types of materials that would be suitable to the environment of the harness in the future. For automotive wire harness manufacturers, the wiring harness design should be able to allow the unit to withstand vibrations, moisture, and extreme temperatures. The wiring insulation, for example, has different variations that are utilized depending on the application.
However, the wiring design of your car will never be the same as the one found in your computer. Each wiring harness design is made specific and unique according to the machine it’s designated for. Terminals and connectors differ in terms of purpose and function so feasibility studies are important to avoid errors and eliminate the risk of failure before assembly.
The Manufacturing Process
After a tedious and intricate design process, wiring harness engineers and designers can send the final blueprint to the manufacturing company where the production and assembly will take place. It’s also not unusual for the manufacturers to get in touch with the designers in case design problems are encountered during production. In some cases, the design engineer may also come from the manufacturing company itself so both the wiring harness design and manufacturing process are done under one entity.
Manufacturers typically have automated machines that can prepare and measure the wires used for the wiring harness. These machines group the wires according to the same type and purpose. The machines used by the manufacturers can accurately perform the measurement and sort of different parts. Manufacturers strictly follow instructions and protocols that reduce the risk of post-production errors and malfunctions.
However, some processes may still be done manually by skilled workers depending on how simple or complex the wiring harness design is. A wiring harness must be checked and quality tested before it can be approved for distribution. The wiring consists of several parts that perform different functions, so an inspection of all parts is essential to avoid problems after distribution.
