Hi,

Good day! I need your expert help in Wire Harness Fabrication.

1. What is the step by step process in doing wire harness? (any link or material to read?).

2. What are basic equipments/machines to do automation of wire harness fabrication?

We target to supply wire harness for automotive, aerospace, medical and commercial.

Any comment are much appreciated. I am just new in this thing.

Any wire harness fabricators out there?

It's very much dependent upon the design of the wire harness. Simple single length, or are there multiple points where connectors or wiring split from the main harness? Type of conduit, if any, or type of wrapping? Crimp connections? Solder connections? A combination? Type of connectors, etc., etc.

I don't know of any 'generic' procedure.

It's very much dependent upon the design of the wire harness. Simple single length, or are there multiple points where connectors or wiring split from the main harness? Type of conduit, if any, or type of wrapping? Crimp connections? Solder connections? A combination? Type of connectors, etc., etc.

I don't know of any 'generic' procedure.

Not only that, but a wiring harness can be anything from a few inches long and two or three conductors to hundreds of feet and hundreds of conductors. There's a trade publication called Wiring Harness News (http://www.wiringharnessnews.com/Articles/articles.asp) that has a lot of articles online that might help in learning about the business and the technologies available. Note that their website doesn't seem to have been updated in quite a while.

Spent several years in contract mfg. primarily working on wire harnesses and cable assemblies. A lot of it is currently in storage, but I'll log on later to answer your questions.

Wayne

1. What is the step by step process in doing wire harness? (any link or material to read?).


This really depends on the harness and the application where it will be used. In some instances you may be required to apply flexible, electrical tape, cable ties, etc.

One aspect that is critical is the quotation process, both in the identification of materials and in the labor standards. Not getting this right can cost you significantly, either in material/labor costs or credibility. Make sure you double check the Bill-of-Materials (BOM) against the drawings and be sure to read any comments on the drawing/s thoroughly.

Depending on the quality of the drawing/s you may not need to determine your own cut lengths for wire or the strip lengths where the various types of connectors can be applied. If not, then you'll need to determine that yourself.


2. What are basic equipments/machines to do automation of wire harness fabrication?


You can use either automated or manual methods. In the simplest form you'll need a ruler and tape measure, wire cutters, wire strippers (there are different types for certain applications and wire types), crimp tools (some connectors have very specific tools and dies in order to meet the minimum pull-test requirements), and a soldering iron.

If you want to take a more automated approach, look to Komax (http://www.komaxgroup.com/home/wire-processing.htm). I've always had good experiences with Komax. Keep in mind that the biggest pieces of equipment aren't always necessary or even the best approach. Look for equipment that is flexible and can be moved around easily. Think work-cells.

I know I have binders and books on wire harness making and associated practices but I probably won't have access to them until late October/early November. If you want to pay for shipping costs, they are yours.

Don't be afraid to contact vendors of components and see what training materials/programs they might have available.

If you want help to determine appropriate labor standards and review quotes, let me know and I'm sure we can work something out. I'd be willing to sign any non-disclosures/non-competes you might need since I'm not in active in that industry anymore.

Wayne

@Wayne,

All points are taken down, thanks for your time to answer my query.
I will contact you once we have clear directions.

@Jim Wayne
Yes, i have browse on that site and it seems not sufficient enough. Maybe i will read through again. Thanks.

As everyone previously mentioned, wire harnesses come in many different forms. Many years ago I was the methods engineer for harnesses used in complex defense products

The process usually is as follows:

1. Usually you are provided with a drawing which shows the branches and connections of the harness. This could either be a schematic or an actual harness drawing.
2. Based on the lengths and branches of the harness, design a harness board. Use special harness nail (rounded on the top) for routing the harness.
3. Get a cutiing list. Cut and strip wires to required lengths using manual wire cutters or strippers or using fully automated equipment. The best equipment I know is from Schleuniger.
4. Group the wires in bundles and use either ty raps or lacing cord to fasten them. Ensure that there is some slack in the wires
5. Connection can be either soldered or crimped. If crimped, use an automatic wire crimper.
6. Insert crimped connections into the cable.
7. Test for continuity

If there are still some open questions here then i can help a little also.
I am currently working for one of the bigger wiring harness manufactures worldwide.

Hallo,
for every harness desing, I suggest creating separate flowchart showing all operations; with us, this process flow is designed by an engineer or technician. For short series production, there are generally 3 steps - cutting (automated, on Komax machines or special cutting machines for heavy multicore), semi-finish and final assembly. Semi-finish means all operations that for some reasons must be done manually, but preferably in controlled way - like crimping ring terminals, crimping splices, cutting and shrinking protective hoses, ultra-sound welding, twisting and others. Final assembly is a true manufacure and can involve taping, tying with cable clamps, assembly in PVC hoses (corrugated or not) and assembling terminals in connectors. Final step is always the electrical test. Here you can apply poka-yoke for vulnerable points detected by FMEA.
If you have a relativey simple harness in huge volumes (like 1,000,000 per year), you can design the manufacturing process in a nest.
This is very general, I know, but I cannot describe it in detail - short series production is just like that; a true manufacture.;)