Electrical wire harnessing is an important process that comprises many steps. It is not wrong to say that these steps come together to bring out precision in electronics and electrical devices.
Without this process, these electronics might fail to perform efficiently.
The involvement of the current in this process is also a crucial factor that promises great results later. The purpose of a wire harness is to seamlessly execute the electrical transmission.
Nylon is a helpful material to bind these wires together. The role of the wire harness is to conduct energy regulation and electrical transmission within an electrical device.
Basics about Wire Harness Design
The wire harness is mainly for increasing the reliability and performance of electronics. However, it is better to learn about the basics of wire-harness design to have in-depth knowledge about it completely. In this section, we are going to take a look at some important factors that are helpful for the efficient performance of electronics in the long run.
1. Purpose
It is important to know that different wire harnesses have specific roles in electronics. Some are important for thermal resistance, while others serve for thermal regulation and current flow. Due to this reason, these are application and purpose-specific. Before using a wire harness, it is important to determine its purpose so that it will better perform for a particular electronic as well.
2. Wire selection
You need to rely on a wire which is suitable for your application. There are tons of wires available out there, and each of them serves a different purpose. So the type of wire you need eventually depends on the applications. Below are some helpful tips that will let you decide among the wire harnesses easily.
· Specifications of Wire Harness Design
You need to aim for considering wire specifications. Does it conduct a good amount of current? Is it good for thermal regulation? Can it work on a heat-sensitive electronic device? What is the impact of voltage on this wire? The better you will be able to study the wire specifications, it will be easier for you to choose the right wire for your application.
· Environmental conditions
The next thing is to select a wire harness that proves to be effective to withstand environmental damage. If your electronic device needs something like this, then it is better to choose from such wire harness designs that prevent weather and environmental damage to the electronic easily.
· Mechanical properties
You also need to rely on a wire type that has good mechanical properties. So that later it can prove to be useful for the efficiency of the electronic device you are using it for. Similarly, the electrical properties of these wires also play a crucial role in the optimum performance of the electronics on the whole.
3. Wire connection
Connectors are important for protecting the wires from environmental damage and providing them sustainability to work efficiently in the long run. However, the connectors should match the electrical and mechanical properties of the wire harnessing. Due to this reason, relying on suitable connectors is important, which proves to be healthy for electronics.
· Termination End Type
It is important to pay close attention to the termination and en-type. Be it wire-to-wire or board-to-wire, you need to aim for effective approaches for this purpose. This will help reduce the chances of failure and potential damage to the system on all counts. The termination depends on the nature and type of the electronics, and it implies the wiring too.
· Significance of Standardization
Experts always recommend relying on standard components and wiring to prevent confusion and mishandling. Problems can occur when you are using an unfamiliar component for which you have no experience at all. The standard components will help you not only enhance the quality of the device, but their assembly and incorporation will also be much easier.
4. Routing
You can never neglect the importance of routing for wire harnessing. Without accurate routing, these can fail to perform effectively. You need to aim for the correct position of the wires so that these can work effectively for the electronic device. Also, EMI regulation is important for routing. The purpose of routing is to reduce the chances of interference and signal disturbances.
· Segregating the wires
This step depends on the type of wires you are using. Also, first, determine the voltage and its purpose before segregating them. This leads to less interference and better connections of the wires at the same time. Due to this reason, with proper segregation, we can ensure the strong bonding of the wires to their electronics on the whole.
5. Strain relief
When using wire harnessing, it is important to reduce the strain. The reason is that with this step, we can ensure better wire protection. In case when there is too much strain on the wires, these can loosen ad breakout as well. When this happens, the risk of short circuits and electrical fires increases. Therefore, reducing strain will prevent damage to a great extent.
· Strain-relief segments
It is crucial to determine the components that can undergo serious damage due to strain. Also, replacing suitable strain-relief components is crucial sot hat we can prevent electronics from undergoing severe damage later. Strain-relief components are important since these not only mimic the functions of the crucial parts but also make the electronics work in a strain-free manner. Therefore relying on such special components is necessary to avoid damage as much as possible.
· Material Importance
The materials of the wires are important to enhance their performance and efficiency. The reason is that good quality materials make them durable to work with highly sensitive and critical electronics. Due to this reason, the materials are of great importance to avoid complications in the performance and quality later.
6. Diagram of Wire Harness Design
The wire harness diagrams prove to be effective for a better understanding of the system. The reason is that through this approach, we can learn about the system in a much more comprehensible way as well. We can do this by using computer-based software like ECAD. Such software proves to be handy for the efficient development of these challenging diagrams. Another solution for this can be the Arcadia suite. It is a special supportive tool for the development of designs and seamless electrical simulation. With the help of these designs, it becomes easier to check the design quality and voltage changes on the whole.
· Recognize potential issues
Arcadia Suite is a special tool for the development of such intricate diagrams. You can easily rely on this tool for the detection of potential flaws like voltage changes, current problems, and much more. This helps in the real-time detection of risks so that you can later fix these issues before the development of prototypes and practical assembly of the wire harnessing as well. In this way, we can ensure better quality and performance in electronics.
· Running up the design process
When it comes to such diagrams, it is important to use your time efficiently. You cannot waste time on redundant steps and invest your time in what is necessary. Therefore, to speed up the process of diagram development, you can rely on Arcadia Suite. With effective options and quick tools, you can rely on this tool to cope with bulk diagram development easily.
· Ensure flexibility
With the help of this tool, it is easier to ensure flexibility. Also, when it comes to the assembly of wire harnessing, you need effective and flexible options. This is possible with Arcadia Suite, which gives you much freedom for diagram development. Also, with an accurate diagram, it gets much more feasible to practically assemble the wire harnessing on all counts.
7. Protective covering
The wire harnesses that come with covering are also considerable. These prove to be more durable as compared to uncovered wiring. The covering of these wires also proves to be effective when it comes to insulation from damage and abrasive environmental conditions.
· Material properties
For instance, if you are working on the design of an engine wiring harness, then it is important to take a look at the fluids, vibration, and rattles. Due to this reason, such factors can create problems if not treated in time. Therefore, the covering of these wires, which provides insulation, has to be made from effective materials on the whole. Heat shrink sleeves, spiral wrap, and pulled-on braided tubing are some common types.
8. Testing
It is important to follow stringent quality control and inspection methods to completely check the wire harnessing. In this way, you can ensure better quality of the wire harnessing, and ultimately, the performance of the electronics also increases with this approach.
The procedure of Wire Harness Design
Make sure to follow the process of wiring harness design below since we are going to discuss it in the following steps for better understanding!
- You can start by cutting the wires as per your diagram. There is a need for a special machine that helps in precise wire cutting. But in case you don’t have a machine for this purpose, you can rely on a wire cutter as well. Now it’s time to strip the wires and reach out to the material beneath the wires. The core is always metallic, and you will be able to find it between the crimping, aka connector housings.
- At this point, we need to clamp the wires as per our diagram instructions. We can rely on crimpers to make this happen. Also, we need to use a workbench and a pinboard to do this step seamlessly. Once you have clamped the wires successfully, it’s time to tighten the connections using zip and cable ties. After this, it will be much easier to fit the cable parts according to the diagram.
- To wind up the process, it is important to check the efficiency and functionality of the wire harnessing through stringent testing methods. We will use a test board for this. You can either test single wires or check them collectively as well. If you don’t get the desired output, then it means there is a problem with the assembly. You need to make some adjustments in this case and find out the issues to ensure the accuracy of the setup.
Mistakes to Avoid in Electrical Harness Design
It is possible that wire harnessing might not work, which is due to the inaccurate diagram. Due to this reason, it is important to carefully read the tips below and try to consider them to increase accuracy on all counts. These tips are important to give you a vivid idea about successfully executing wire harness assembly without struggling with complications as well.
- Make sure you are cutting the wires in appropriate sizes to avoid problems with the connections.
- It is important to work with accurate signals and workflows so that functional and analytical needs can be fulfilled easily.
- There is no need to change the diagram instructions, and try to stick to the diagram as much as possible.
- Not using standard components can complicate the procedure, and due to this reason, problems with the setup can occur, leading to potential damage as well.
Finding the Right Wire Harness Design Assembly Partner
There is no doubt that you can ensure better quality wire harness assembly by relying on ont he professional help for it.
From nitty-gritty to exceptional performance, these partners provide you with much freedom of the wire harness assembly on the whole.
You can also leave the technical work to them and easily avail of their professional services on the whole! Contact RayPCB for further guidance and details.
