Wire Harness Manufacturing Procedure
Here is the detailed step-wise process wire harness manufacturing companies use to produce cable systems and automotive components.
Designing:
- The design engineers decide on several aspects, like the length of the wire, the material used for the outer covering, the width, and others, customized to its field of application.
- The key raw material that normally constitutes the wire harness is copper, which is preferred over other metals due to its high conductivity, consistency, and flexibility. However, aluminum and plastic are also used.
Prototyping:
- Prototyping helps the design engineer to know whether the produced sample is of suitable features to perform well in the field of its application. This testing helps them modify any features if required before they begin the first production set.
Production and Assembling:
- The complex process of producing and assembling a wire harness is not completely automated due to the precision it requires and the customization, like the varying dimensions of the wires it needs for different uses. Some complicated manufacturing process steps are more cost-effective when performed manually, especially if the required quantity of production is a small number. Here are the steps involved in the production stage.
- With the help of a wire-cutting machine, the wires are cut to the desired length.
- The wires are stripped at the ends to expose the core to attach the terminals to the required connectors.
- The next step is to draw the wires together into a harness. You can use an assembly board or a workbench for the purpose. Steps like crimping multiple terminals onto the wires, inserting sleeves, fastening with tape, and tying the cables are done manually. Other steps, like uniform cutting of wires to a specific length, crimping single terminals, plugging into connector modules, soldering the ends of the wire, and twisting them, are done using machines.
Testing for advanced safety features:
- Wire harnesses are safer to use than loose wires, which is one of the reasons for their demand. The last step followed by wiring harness manufacturers is testing the final product to see if it meets the safety standards and to check its functionality and quality before marking the production complete.
Automotive Wiring Harness Market Insights
The automotive wiring harness market was measured at $93,074 million in 2022. A growth rate of CAGR 4.68% is projected between 2023-2027 to increase the market value to $12286.48mn.
We can study the automotive wiring harness market in various categories as follows.
By material:
The heaviest components in an automobile are the engine and chassis. If a wire harness is made of copper, it becomes the third heaviest component. While copper facilitates easy assembling with its versatile properties, which accounts for its increased demand in the automotive wiring harness market, its price fluctuation poses a challenge to the automotive wiring harness industry. It affects the profitability of automobile manufacturers and automotive wiring harness manufacturers.
Failure of the wiring harness can cause electrical failures in the vehicle. Extreme heat or cold temperatures may cause the wire harness to bend and corrode, decreasing its life span. A wiring harness made from a combination of aluminum and copper causes galvanic corrosion when it comes in contact with an electrolyte solution. Automotive wiring harness manufacturers sometimes prefer aluminum for its lightweight and low cost. However, due to its low conductivity, high thermal expansion, and corrosive properties, leading companies still prefer copper as the first choice for wire harnesses.
Optical fibers are more durable than copper and aluminum wire harnesses and can withstand tough environments. They are lightweight and ideal to use for high-speed data transmission. However, their high price limits their usage in the automobile market.
Manufacturers are shifting towards developing innovative products by using a mix of aluminum and copper in the wiring systems while also using optical fibers to enhance durability.
By application:
Wire harnesses are used in several parts of automobiles, which include the chassis, engine, HVAC, sensors, and body. There is a higher demand for wire harnesses in chassis applications like suspension systems, frames, and air brake pumps than other parts, due to which the chassis harness segment is expected to lead the market soon.
By vehicle type:
With passenger cars being the most sold cars, they occupy a greater share of the automotive wire harness industry than commercial vehicles.
By propulsion:
Based on propulsion, the automotive wire harness market can be categorized into electric vehicles, ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles, and hybrid vehicles. An electric vehicle is environmental-friendly. As it runs on electric power, it needs high voltage wire harnesses of advanced technology. While ICE vehicles dominate the market, increasing usage of electric vehicles contributes to a market rise. There is also a good demand for hybrid cars.
By geographical location:
The Asia-Pacific region tops the list of key players in the automotive wire harness industry with the greatest market share. China is the largest vehicle manufacturer, India is the seventh largest automobile industry in the world, and Japan is popular for its technological advancements in the sector. Due to the large adoption of safety technology in automobiles, North America also holds a high market share. Germany has the biggest market demand for automotive wire harnesses in the European region.
COVID-19 led to the fall of many industries, and the automobile industry is no exception. The pandemic led to a shortage of electrical components and impacted the manufacturing of vehicles. There was also a fall in demand at the time. However, the return to the normal lifestyle back from the pandemic is witnessing a growing demand in the automobile industry again.
The Best Wire Harness Manufacturers In India
You can rely on Violin Technologies as the best electromechanical assembly manufacturer to provide world-class equipment. They are experts in custom cable assemblies, wire harnesses, and precision machined components. You can contact them to procure the best quality equipment for your manufacturing needs.
Priyamvada
About the Author
Priyamvada B admires Nature, loves painting and takes interest in poems and short stories. She has a Masters Degree in English literature and a Bachelor’s degree in Science. She loves learning new things and solving puzzles based on logic. While she has a flair for creative writing, she is also good at researching valuable information and presenting it to the readers in the form of technical content writing.