The challenge of wiring harness supply reflects global logistics

Wiring harnesses became an industry hot spot when the war in Ukraine caused a sudden shortage, but the challenges facing the industry go well beyond the events of 2022.

Due to advanced driver assistance features and the already severe lack of automation and high chip requirements in manufacturing, increasing complexity makes automotive wiring harness production one of the most critical development areas in the industry.

Auto Wire harness

Increasing sensor technology and driver assistance features in cars are making them safer and providing drivers with peace of mind.

Autopilot mode is on the rise in popularity, but even relatively basic cameras to help with parking and infotainment displays can make wiring harps more complex and require more high-speed data cables.

Electrification adds extra complexity by introducing battery and brake regeneration management, which means more computing power to make the car as efficient as possible. The more wires and structures are needed, the greater the challenge of supplying the parts and actually making the harness.

Automation

Automation in harness manufacturing comes from two sources: the need to make production lines and harness manufacturing processes more efficient, and on the vehicle side, the increasing need for sensors and computers to manage advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

Although fully autonomous vehicles are still a long way from production, consumers now expect a variety of driver assistants in their cars. Features such as lidar or other camera technology increase the need for a new data line that must be high-speed enough to provide information in real time.

Companies such as Aptiv are providing the technology for smart cars. Do Sohn, Aptiv's global director of innovation, will speak at the Automotive Wiring Harness Conference in Detroit in October.

Also, manufacturers need to look for new technologies, such as fully automatic stranding. Simon Abegg, director of twist machines in Komax's product group, will detail the new robotic process, even for 0.13mm wires.

Bob Potock, Zuken's vice president of marketing, will also talk about how digital visualization can help set up wiring harnesses and streamline processes.

Connection

The increasing complexity of wiring harness design, the need for faster cables, and the increasing amount of data being transferred in the car mean that the speed at which data can be moved is important.

Frederic Holtzman and Johannes Schmid argue that copper wiring is an essential part of this, not a limitation, and he will show how wiring has been able to reach 100G in automotive wiring harnesses, but the problem lies more in semiconductors. Trying to make the most of lightweight wiring will be key to driving vehicle automation.

Electrification  

As the auto industry moves toward electrification, it faces a number of challenges in adapting to combustion norms.

Ditermar Haba, leader of ASTOTEC's automotive Electrical safety product development team, will discuss a relatively simple mechanical solution to the charging risk. Due to the risk of battery fires while charging, a number of companies have been forced into very costly recalls, most notably LG and General Motors completely recalling the Chevrolet Bolt to replace any batteries. However, in the case of overcurrent, firework activated fuses can easily cut the system.