Many industries, including the aerospace, automotive, and industrial machinery sectors, depend heavily on wire harness design. A wire harness comprises a collection of wires, connections, and additional parts used to distribute power and electrical signals across a system. Engineers must adhere to precise principles to guarantee that wire harnesses are dependable, economical, and satisfy the functional requirements of their applications. This will help to ensure that they are constructed to the highest standards.
Consider a few things if you’re looking for a manufacturing partner for wire harnesses and custom cable assemblies. The importance of lead time and price should not be overlooked, though. The IPC/WHMA-A-620D standard is the gold standard for quality in the wire harness and cable assembly sector. This IPC 620 standard revision covers a wide range of standards, including testing and inspection criteria, soldering, wire routing, crimping, and insulation. It also discusses the materials, tools, equipment, and production process requirements. Choosing a manufacturer who works with IPC/WHMA-A-620D qualified and trained specialists ensures you’ll get the best possible assembly.
IPC/WHMA-A-620E, Requirements and Acceptance for Cable and Wire Harness Assemblies, specifies best practices and standards for producing cable, wire, and harness assemblies. It also outlines the materials, procedures, tests, and acceptability standards for producing crimped, mechanically secured, and soldered interconnections, as well as the associated assembly tasks related to cable and harness assemblies.
Revision E shows off major revisions to the standard at the industry’s request. The WHMA/IPC-A-620 standards development committee modified various portions of the standard, included new figures, and adopted a new chaptering scheme for the entire text. The alignment of soldering criteria with IPC J-STD-001, criteria for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies, was significant.
The IPC/WHMA-A-620E standard, significantly improved by the industry’s requests for amendments, establishes expectations for acceptable quality workmanship for cables and harnesses between WHMA members and their clients.
Why Is A Well-Designed Wire Harness Important?
Several industries, such as aerospace, automotive, and industrial machinery, depend on effective wire harness design to succeed. Several advantages of a well-designed wire harness include the following:
Increased Dependability: By assuring that all wires and connectors are effectively routed, secure, and terminated, a good wire harness design can improve the dependability of a system. This reduces the possibility of electrical shorts, loose connections, and other wiring problems that might result in system failures.
Increased Durability: A correctly built wire harness may be more damage-resistant and wear and tear. The wires and connectors are fastened and shielded from outside pressures like vibration and abrasion.
Better Performance: A cable and wire harness created to satisfy a system’s particular performance needs can enhance the system’s overall performance. The wires and connectors are chosen and routed to improve signal integrity and minimize electrical losses.
Cost Savings: A good wire harness structure can also save money by lowering maintenance and repairs requirements. A well-designed cable and wire harness can help to keep downtime and boost productivity by minimizing wiring difficulties.
Industry Standards Compliance: A wire harness that is created to follow industry guidelines, such as IPC/WHMA-A-620, can help to guarantee that the system is secure, dependable, and complies with all regulations.
Guidelines For Designing Wiring Harnesses
To ensure that the wire harness satisfies the system’s requirements and industry standards, designing the wire harness is a crucial process that calls for careful consideration of numerous elements.
Engineers may design wire harnesses that are dependable and economical, simple to service and maintain, compatible with safety and EMC laws and well-documented for production and testing by taking these elements into account. For systems that depend on wiring harnesses to operate effectively, dependably, and safely, optimal design principles must be followed.
Before creating a wire harness, keep the following things in mind:
Electrical Efficiency
The wire harness needs to fulfill the system’s requirements for electrical performance. This covers the signal integrity, current, and voltage. The wire gauge, insulation, and protection must be chosen to satisfy these requirements.
Environment
The wire harness needs to be built to endure the environment it will work. Humidity, temperature, vibration, and proximity to chemicals and other pollutants are only a few examples of these variables.
Durability
The wire harness needs to be strong and resilient enough to meet the demands of its intended use. This entails picking materials that are impact, abrasion, and wear-resistant.
Serviceability
The wire harness needs to be made so that it may be easily maintained and serviced. This includes the simplicity of replacing individual parts, the usage of color coding and categorization, and the accessibility of the cables and connectors.
Manufacturing
The wire harness needs to be manufactured-friendly in its design. This involves choosing components that are easily accessible, using connectors that are industry standard, and simplifying the assembling procedure.
Cost
The wire harness must be developed to adhere to the project’s budgetary restrictions. This entails choosing affordable materials and parts as well as optimizing the design for effective manufacturing.
Variety Of Connectors
The performance and dependability of the wire harness depend on selecting the proper connections. Factors like pin count, mating cycle life, and voltage-carrying capacity should be considered when choosing connectors.
Wire Choice
For the wire harness to manage the electrical load and climatic conditions, it will be subjected to; the proper wire size, category, and insulation material must be chosen.
Planning And Positioning
The placement and routing of the wires and connectors should be taken into account next. This ensures the cables are routed properly to reduce electrical losses and signal interference. Additionally, the connectors ought to be positioned to be simple to access and adhere to.
Termination Procedures
The next aspect to consider is the methods used to terminate the wires and connectors. This covers insulation displacement, crimping, and soldering. The kind of wires and connectors and the requirements for electrical performance should be considered when choosing the termination method.
Testing
It should be inspected to ensure the wire harness complies with the environmental criteria and electrical performance standards. Environmental testing, continuity testing, and electrical testing are all examples of testing.
Safety
When designing a wire harness, safety must be taken into account. The wire harness must be made to minimize the risk of electrical shock, fire, and other hazards.
EMC, Or Electromagnetic Compatibility
The wire harness should be built to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) and ensure the system complies with EMC rules.
Assembly
It is important to consider assembly while designing the wire harness. This entails choosing components that are easily accessible, using connectors that are industry standard, and designing the harness in a way that makes it simple to install.
Engineering professionals should make arrangements to ensure the wire harness is fully documented. This entails developing a thorough bill of materials (BOM), wiring schematics, and other documentation for production, testing, and maintenance purposes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, meticulous attention to detail and adherence to established practices are necessary while constructing a wiring harness. A well-designed wire harness may guarantee dependable performance, lower the likelihood of failure and time off, and lower the cost of production and maintenance.
