The Production of Automotive Wiring Harness (2)

There are many steps in the process of Wire Harness production, and a perfect customized Wiring Harness can only be completed through complex processes. But in general, wire harness production can be roughly divided into three stages: cutting, pre-assembly and final assembly.
1. Cutting
Wire processing in the cutting area is highly automated. Cut, Strip, and Terminate (CST) machines cut wire to specific lengths (Cut-C), strip insulation (Strip-S), and apply seals and terminations (Termination-T). More complex machines can also perform additional process steps, such as stranding. Wires produced in this way are grouped and supplied to the next production step.
A special MES ensures optimal distribution of orders on the various machines for increased productivity. But quality and traceability are also important here. In CST machines the productivity is usually very high and the diameter of the wire is sometimes very small. Of course, it is mainly the CST machine itself that ensures accuracy and quality, but the MES also makes an important contribution by transmitting control data, such as crimp data, directly to the connected machine. MES can also ensure quality assurance process steps such as scanning wire and terminal bar codes, performing crimp height and pull tests, and monitoring tool maintenance cycles. To establish traceability, MES assigns each produced harness a unique ID and manages it continuously throughout its history.
2. Pre-assembly
The next production stage of the harness is highly manual. In the first pre-assembly stage, the wire harnesses produced in the cutting area are assembled into simple kits using procedures such as crimping, ultrasonic welding and twisting. Of course, history is newer. When a kit is produced, a new ID is generated and all components included in the kit are saved to complete the history.
As mentioned earlier, manufacturers often move production to low-cost labor countries for cost reasons, entire factories appear to be built overnight, and thousands of new employees have to be hired. However, the lack of relevant experience and technical qualifications means that product quality is at great risk. MES software places great emphasis on coaching employees directly in the workplace.
3. Final assembly
In the final assembly area, the wiring harness is assembled on the wiring harness board. Typically, harness boards are installed on a moving assembly line, where assemblers each install one or more wires to the harness boards. At every workstation, every employee must perform the correct work steps. Given that wire harnesses are usually custom-made, the work steps may vary from wire harness to wire harness. As a result, errors are likely to occur, which is an additional challenge for quality assurance. The MES controls this complex process by displaying monitors that provide employees with detailed information about the relevant work steps to be performed. The system can also prompt employees to confirm certain steps, perform test steps, or enter QA-related data.
History will of course be updated in final assembly. Finished Cable Assembly is now composed of hundreds or thousands of components, and the system maintains a complete history of each component. The system tracks which machine, which employee and which tool is used to produce individual circuits and components for each harness.

This means it is then possible to determine which vehicle's wiring harness was made with a specific batch of wire. This also isolates any repairs or recalls and quickly clarifies any product liability issues.
Software-managed quality control is essential for the production of automotive wiring harnesses in an increasingly digital vehicle technology. Otherwise, the quality required for demanding tasks cannot be guaranteed. Traceability is key to ensuring product quality and managing product recalls. Traditional MES systems are not up to the highly specialized task of managing the production of automotive wiring harnesses.