Attività

To distinguish between the two, a multicore cable assembly is an external connection to devices and will have different environmental considerations, such as their thickness, insulation type, and flexibility. A wire harness, on the other hand, will provide the connectivity between systems in an electromechanical assembly, such as connecting a power supply to a motherboard.

Wire harnesses are laid out and built on a panel that has pegs positioned strategically where the wires will branch out into different directions, or connectors need to be added. This way, the harness is laid out to the exact dimensions that are required. Usually, you specify these dimensions, and contract manufacturers are used to getting a wide range of information to work with. The information can be something as simple as a hand-drawn note, or a series of complex 3D CAD models, as well as everything in between.

However, as with anything that is manufactured, the more detailed documentation and precise specifications you can provide, the fewer problems there will be on the assembly floor. Here is a sampling of the data that will best help your contract manufacturer when building your wire harness:

Detailed connectors images that show pin locations.

Wire lists that specify wire colors, nets, and connector pin-outs.

Bill of materials with part numbers.

Full assembly drawing with label locations, assembly instructions and tolerances.

Finished harness test specifications.

Key Points of the Manufacturing Process to Build Your Wire Harness

Design review: First off, your CM will examine your bill of materials and other documentation to make sure that everything they need is in place. They will also evaluate your specified parts to see if those are the best choices due to cost, availability, and performance. If not, they will search for available replacements.

Materials preparation: Once the bill of materials is finalized, the CM will next purchase the components and materials needed for production and test of the harness.

Assembly documentation: At the same time as procurement, the CM will be creating assembly documentation for the manufacturing floor based on your input. This will include detailed assembly steps, images and illustrations, and test procedures. Additionally, the assembly panel will be created with all the necessary pegs set at the specified locations.