The global automotive industry is a towering giant that features a massive revenue of $2.52 trillion in 2022. This industry is expected to grow steadily throughout the decade due to the rising need for vehicles, especially electric vehicles. If you wish to break into this industry and become a part of this giant, you can start producing small parts that form a complete car instead of becoming a car manufacturer yourself.
Wire harnesses are among the little forgotten heroes that are forgotten by most users, but they actually play a pivotal role in most automotive vehicles. In this article, we will go through the most important concepts as well as the factors you have to take into account when designing and producing automotive wire harnesses.
What are Automotive Wire Harnesses and the Best Methods to Produce Them?
Wire harnesses are systems of wires that have been streamlined and grouped together depending on their purposes or properties. These wires will be bound together by rubber bands, electrical tapes, or plastic wires, positioning them closer together for easier cable management. Wire harnesses are especially important in automobiles, as these vehicles have so many electrical components that it will be impossible to manage them without wire harnesses.
The best methods to produce wire harnesses would be through injection molding or compression molding, which work particularly well with thermoplastic materials. These production methods can be scaled to improve production output with ease, making it easier for you to meet mass orders.
Factors to Take into Account When Designing Automotive Wire Harnesses
Designing custom automotive wire harnesses will be the most difficult part of the equation, as you will have to take into account many different factors in order to create a good design. A wrong design means that your entire electrical system could be put in danger, and the overall efficiency of the automobile will also be affected.
Purpose
You will first have to take a moment to determine the purpose of your custom automotive wire harnesses. Different applications will require different designs. For example, if you are designing wire harnesses for automobiles, you will have to take into account the vibration as well as the durability of the wire harnesses, two factors that matter a lot less if you design wire harnesses for stereo systems or similar equipment.
Weight
Your wire harnesses should not significantly affect the overall weight of the vehicle. If the harnesses are too heavy, the vehicle’s performance and safety will be negatively affected. The general rule of thumb you should follow is the heavier the automobiles, the heavier the wire harnesses should be.
Durability
The durability of your wire harnesses will also be an important factor, as it is directly related to the overall safety of the system and the user as a whole. To protect the wire harness, experts recommend using strong and reliable materials for the wire insulation and connection points. The best options include PVC and XLPE, which are reliable materials with high durability, which enables them to withstand vibrations and abrasions exceptionally well.
Materials
Finally, there is also the question of materials for your wires. Most wires are made of copper, a very conductive material, but more and more companies are starting to choose aluminum as an alternative. This material is much lighter than copper, and it also costs less to work with as well.
One small tip when you are working on the design of your wire harness: You can choose from a vast range of wire gauges for most of the components within the automobiles. However, for the power cable, you will have to make sure that it is larger than the other wires in order to conduct electricity properly.
The Importance of a Good Design Plan for Custom Automotive Wire Harnesses
Before you start producing wire harnesses, you will have to design these products. The plan is the end result of the design process, and it contains all the necessary information such as wire arrangements as well as materials and insulations. Thus, your success starts with the plan.
A great design plan for custom automotive wire harnesses includes not just the essential information but also presents it in a clear and concise manner, using specific communication tools that both the engineers and the designers are familiar with so that there should be no miscommunication in the process. This design plan should also take into account failsafe in order to preserve the safety of the driver at all costs.
The team that designs the wire harnesses for automobiles include not just electrical engineers but also mechanical engineers to combine the two disciplines fluidly and bring in the best results. The mechanical engineers will handle the materials as well as how the harnesses interact with the environment, while the electrical engineers will handle the logical as well as the electrical aspects of the system.
Thorough Testing After Designing
Testing is also an important part of the equation, as it enables you to confirm that your design works and helps you to find any flaw in the design. Thorough testing is a must in this industry, as one wrong move could end up with fatal accidents and a lot of lawsuits.
Testing should be done right in the design phase. Engineers should take the time to take a step back and look at their design to find any potential flaws. This will greatly save the time and effort of the testing team down the line.
When designing custom automotive wire harnesses, you should pay extra attention to their purpose, weight, durability, and materials. These are the most important factors in the equation. The best production methods for wire harnesses are injection molding and compression molding, as they work particularly well with thermoplastic materials.
If you don’t have the technical team to design wire harnesses for you, we are here to help! Shanghai Arttangent is a team with over 20 years of experience in the industry, and we are proud to provide top-class wire harness design services to you. Contact us now for more information about our services!
Reference:
www.statista.com/topics/1487/automotive-industry/
