Method for creating or selecting cable harnesses and associated computer program product

Abstract

A computer-implemented method is used to create or select cable harnesses that contain multiple cable harness objects, including cables, connectors, and components.It includes: providing circuit diagram information for the cable harness objects from a circuit diagram, including the connection of the cable harness objects to each other; providing criteria for characteristics of the cable harness objects; providing a reference database comprising reference cable harness objects; providing data from a three-dimensional routing of the cable harnesses in a three-dimensional machine model; selecting characteristics of the cable harness objects and / or the circuit diagram information, taking the criteria into account; weighting the selected characteristics; comparing the selected characteristics with the characteristics of the reference cable harness objects; selecting at least one reference cable harness object; assigning the selected reference cable harness object to a cable assembly; and creating the cable assembly.Weighting involves determining the distance between the selected features of the cable harness objects and / or schematic information and the reference cable harness objects. This distance is a measure of the similarity between the features of the reference cable harness objects and the selected features. Different data types are combined during feature weighting by determining a distance function that normalizes the features to a common numerical range. Based on the selected features and the at least one distance function, pattern recognition of cable harness objects is performed, which can then be used analogously for pattern recognition of cable assemblies.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for creating and / or selecting cable components for cable harnesses having the features according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a computer program product for carrying out the method having the features of claim 10. Definitions

[0002] The following definitions are used for the following presentation: For the purposes of this application, a "cable harness" is a grouping of several individual items in a circuit diagram which are directly connected via a connector or connector side, including the connection(s) themselves. A cable harness is therefore, in particular, the connection of connectors or components via cables.

[0003] These elements and their precise interconnection are defined in a specific wiring harness. Such a wiring harness generally consists of: - Cable - Plug - Component (with / without explicit assignment)

[0004] For this application, the components of a wiring harness are referred to as "wiring harness objects." They include, in particular, cables, connectors, and electrical or electronic parts or components. These components, like labels and wire end connections, are also de facto part of a wiring harness, but do not need to be selected using pattern recognition. For example, wire end connections can be defined and stored implicitly on the connectors / components.

[0005] Whenever “distance” or a “distance function” is mentioned in this application, this refers to a distance in the sense of a measure of the similarity of a wiring harness object, a cable assembly or a wiring harness to corresponding database objects, i.e. reference wiring harness object, reference cable assembly or a reference wiring harness. The distance function is designed such that the smaller the determined dimensionless value, the greater the similarity. A general formula can be defined for the distance function of object recognition, with which the characteristics of the objects are collectively converted into a distance. Using this distance, different database objects can be assessed - even jointly - and the most suitable object, which thus has the shortest distance to the circuit diagram object, can be selected.The basic distance function uses the respective standardizations of the features as well as the weighting rules determined by the technical dependencies of the features, which exclude the data object by striving for distance towards infinity. The relationship between the features can be determined automatically using data sets with assigned selections or specifically by a designer.

[0006] When reference is made to “cable component” or “reference cable component” in this application, these terms generically include cable harness objects, cable harnesses and cable assemblies as cable components or reference cable harness objects, reference cable harnesses and reference cable assemblies as reference cable components.

[0007] When "pattern recognition" is mentioned in this application, it refers to the recognition of patterns of cable harness objects that are as consistent as possible, determined using the distance function between cable harness objects and reference cable harness objects in a database and / or between cable harnesses or cable assemblies and reference cable harnesses or reference cable assemblies in a database. In this case, the cable harnesses are generated in the circuit diagram (or with additional three-dimensional information, e.g., via the grouping of the individual materials). These are then defined via the recognition of the individual materials, but can also be specified by designers. Pattern recognition can result from the process and / or can already be present for the cable assemblies at the beginning of the process.

[0008] Various data types and characteristics are used within the scope of this application. Individual characteristic values ​​and characteristics can be divided into the data types "nominal," "ordinal," or "metric." A Boolean distinction, whether the values ​​are equal or not, is a nominal characteristic characteristic, as is, for example, the presence of certification. Fixed numerical scales, such as a temperature scale or voltage values ​​or procurement costs, are metric values. Ordinal values ​​are quantities that are abstracted to a scale, for example, a scale from one to ten, such as the flexibility of a cable. State of the art

[0009] Cable assemblies are still typically created by mechanical draftsmen. Since this data isn't generated from a computer-aided system, discrepancies can occur between the drawings and the system.

[0010] From DE 10 2014 210 374 A1, which is the basis of the preamble of claim 1, a wiring harness evaluation device is known which is used in the design of vehicles.It comprises function allocation means that allocates functions realized by a plurality of electronic control units installed in a vehicle to the electronic control units; routing path setting means that sets a routing path of a wire harness in conformity with the allocation by the function allocation means; component selection means that selects components for configuring the wire harness in conformity with the routing path set by the routing path setting means; and evaluation value calculation means that calculates an evaluation value for a total weight of the components and / or total cost of the components and / or a total length of electric wires configuring the wire harness, based on information about the components selected by the component selection means. Summary of the invention

[0011] Based on this prior art, it is the object of the invention to provide a method for creating and / or selecting cable components such as cable harnesses, which facilitates and automates the provision of cable harnesses.

[0012] This object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1 and by a computer program product having the features of claim 10.

[0013] Advantageous further developments are the subject of the dependent patent claims. The features listed individually in the patent claims can be combined with one another in a technologically expedient manner and can be supplemented by explanatory facts from the description and details from the figures, thereby demonstrating further embodiments of the invention.

[0014] In order to advantageously enable the comprehensive use of computer-aided assembly of cable components such as cable assemblies for cable harnesses, a software architecture or a program is created according to the process that automates the creation and / or selection of cable components such as cable assemblies, cable harnesses or reference cable components such as reference cable assemblies and / or reference cable harness objects with the corresponding drawings and manufacturing documents. This makes it possible to design a software architecture in which cable assemblies are created directly in a computer-aided system. The requirements for the software and the automatic generation of the cable assemblies are cumulated. The properties of the adequate software architecture, such as consideration of, among other things, technical or normative requirements, variations and systemic conditions, are defined and incorporated.This allows pattern recognition of cable components such as cable assemblies to be carried out analogously.

[0015] As a result, manual work for designers is reduced and a standardized procedure for cable assembly production is established.

[0016] Creating cable assemblies preferably involves defining bills of materials, specifying the cable assembly lengths, and creating the drawing. The process can preferably be based on a prototype circuit diagram design and generate the cable assemblies from this design with all the information required for production. Type or pattern recognition of the circuit diagram references is implemented, allowing for appropriate allocation of raw materials.

[0017] In order to advantageously create a cable harness from these individual parts, the cable components such as cable harness objects are preferably automatically grouped into a cable harness.

[0018] In addition, the routing of the connections in the three-dimensional model of the machine can advantageously be automated. This allows the individual components to be placed in the three-dimensional space, taking variations into account, and the drawings of the cable components, such as cable assemblies, can be output in a structured manner.

[0019] According to the method, circuit diagram information of cable components, such as cable harness objects, is provided from a circuit diagram, wherein the circuit diagram information includes information about the connection of the cable components to one another. In addition, criteria for characteristics of the cable components are provided or, for example, recorded from a circuit diagram. Furthermore, a reference database is provided containing the data of reference cable components, such as reference cable harness objects. In order to be able to lay the cable components, such as cable harnesses, data from a three-dimensional laying of the cable components is made available in a three-dimensional machine model.

[0020] Based on the provided or recorded criteria, features of the cable components and / or circuit diagram information are selected. The selected features are then weighted and compared with the reference cable components. Based on the comparison, at least one reference cable component can then be selected. This selected reference cable component is then assigned to a cable assembly, and the cable assembly or cable harness is generated based on this assignment.

[0021] According to the invention, during weighting, at least one distance between the selected features of the cable components and / or circuit diagram information and the reference cable components is determined, wherein this distance is a measure of the correspondence between the features of the reference cable components and the selected features. This allows a similarity to already existing reference cable components to be identified, which advantageously allows suitable reference cable components to be identified in a simple, fast, and inexpensive manner.

[0022] To achieve this advantageously even with different data types, e.g., depending on standards, temperatures, ambient conditions, or routing paths, these different data types are combined when weighting the features by determining at least one distance function in which the features are normalized to a common numerical range. This makes it easier to achieve pattern recognition of cable components such as cable assemblies based on the selected features and the at least one distance function, thereby preferably creating a software architecture that largely automatically supports the designer in the creation and / or selection of cable assemblies and cable harnesses.

[0023] When determining the at least one distance function, the features are preferably assessed to determine whether they are exclusionary features or distance-forming features. Exclusionary features are, for example, features that must be met to meet technical, functional, or normative framework conditions. Because the exclusionary features or distance-forming features form separate multipliers in the distance function, it is advantageous to set the multiplier for this feature to infinity if an exclusionary feature is met as an exclusion criterion, so that the distance function results in the corresponding cable assembly being rejected and not even being subjected to further consideration.

[0024] Preferably, the circuit diagram information of the cable components, such as the cable harness objects, can also be provided virtually or, alternatively, read from a circuit diagram. If they are provided virtually, they are placeholders that are replaced, for example, by actual cable harness objects at the end of the cable assembly creation. However, if information is read from a circuit diagram, the existing information can be advantageously used for pattern recognition.

[0025] To select reference cable components, the suitable reference cable components are preferably determined by selecting those that exhibit the greatest correspondence or, in the distance function, the smallest distance to the selected features. This advantageously allows for a quick selection even from a large data set using the distance function, thus accelerating the creation and / or selection of the cable component, such as a cable harness.

[0026] Preferably, the at least one connector distance is determined before the at least one cable distance, since a connector generally restricts the cable's determination due to its technical dependencies. This can advantageously reduce the effort involved in the design, selection, and / or creation of cable assemblies.

[0027] Preferably, features that comprise at least one feature from the group of nominal and / or ordinal and / or metric features are selected as criteria for the features of the cable components and / or the circuit diagram information. By recording the features according to these groups, features that represent an exclusion criterion can be easily determined, so that the suitability of cable assemblies can be quickly determined. For the exclusion, the features can be converted into a criterion for the suitability of a reference cable component or a reference cable assembly. These values ​​can also be standardized to a range for distance calculation.

[0028] Preferably, the selected reference cable components are laid out in a virtual three-dimensional space of a machine model, taking into account placement specifications and permissible routing paths. This advantageously provides the designer with a tool that allows them to check routing paths specifically in the machine model before creating the cable assembly. This can advantageously reduce costs.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, after the selected reference cable components have been laid, a check is carried out to determine whether the installation is permissible according to the criteria. If the installation is not permissible, the cable is re-routed to longer routes until the shortest permissible installation is found. This reference is used to consider other longer installation routes, which may be optimized with respect to at least one criterion. This advantageously allows the review to determine whether there are similar, possibly even better installation routes that may involve a longer cable but still lead to a better result in terms of a shorter distance.

[0030] When creating the cable assembly, the cable harness objects are preferably grouped into a cable harness, which is placed in a machine for processing plastics, in particular an injection molding machine or a machine for additive manufacturing. This advantageously allows cable assemblies to be produced quickly and cost-effectively in the fields of plastics processing, injection molding, and additive manufacturing.

[0031] The problem is also solved by a computer program product with program code stored on a computer-readable medium. The program code of the computer program product is suitable for executing the method for creating and / or selecting cable components, such as cable harnesses. Short description of the characters

[0032] The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the attached figures. Fig. 1 to 3 Process sequences of the method according to the invention, Fig. 4 a three-dimensional machine model with a wiring harness installed inside. Description of preferred embodiments

[0033] Before describing the invention in detail, it should be noted that it is not limited to the specific components of the device and the specific method steps, as these components and methods may vary. The terms used herein are intended solely to describe particular embodiments and are not intended to be limiting. Furthermore, when the singular or indefinite articles are used in the description or claims, this also refers to the plural of these elements, unless the overall context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0034] This is especially true in the process of Fig. The method shown in Figures 1 to 3 relates to a computer-implemented method for creating and / or selecting cable components, such as cable harnesses 10, which comprise multiple cable harness objects comprising cables, connectors, and components, and / or cable harness objects and / or cable assemblies. However, before explaining the method in more detail, the "relevant features" mentioned in the subsequent steps of the method must first be discussed.

[0035] Since the recognition of cables, connectors, and other components must be based on defined characteristics, feature extraction of the cable components to be processed, such as cable harness objects, is used as the basis for pattern recognition. This pattern recognition can find the appropriate entry in a reference database for each functional cable component in the circuit diagram. To identify the characteristics of cable components, such as cable harnesses, previously used cable components, such as cable harnesses, are also considered. Patterns can be determined according to the process and / or predefined, for example, already present in a database.

[0036] The term cable component broadly encompasses cable harness objects, cable harnesses and cable assemblies.

[0037] The following lists the different distinguishing criteria for cable components, such as cable harness objects. These properties should be defined individually for cables, connectors, and other components such as fuses and terminals.

[0038] The properties of the cable components can be partially obtained from manufacturers through classification systems such as the ECLASS classification during material procurement. The master data can thus be provided, at least in part, automatically for the respective objects directly by the manufacturer.

[0039] The terms cable and wire are used synonymously below.

[0040] A cable classification is provided, for example, by the DIN VDE 0292 standard. This standard can be applied to power cables up to the 1000 / 1000 V type. This standard defines the various properties of a cable. The standard is intended to serve as the basis for the classification criteria and properties of cables. These properties are coded, aggregated, and thus specified as a type abbreviation that represents the cable classifications. The following properties are specified in this order as distinguishing criteria in this standard to classify a specific power cable: - Reference to standards - Nominal voltage - Insulating materials - metal casings - non-metallic coats - structural elements and special designs - Conductor materials - Ladder shape - Number of wires - Mark - Nominal conductor cross-section

[0041] The relevant characteristics or properties of a line are essentially: - Number of wires in a cable, - alphanumeric pattern, determined by the potential of the wire, - Cross-sections in stages and type of metric, limited by the power requirement and the environmental conditions, - Shielding and twisting of data cables, - Certification, limited by the country to which the machine is delivered, - Outer diameter, in addition to the laying limited by screwing the connectors, - Voltage values ​​of the rated voltages, due to the potential, - Oil resistance, depending on the installation route of the cable, - Flexibility, determined by the application or the installation route, - Bending radius, as manufacturer's specification or due to the outer diameter, - Procurement costs.

[0042] The features or properties of connectors in a circuit diagram are: - Number of used and total contact chambers, - alphanumeric pattern, - Pin layout or connector type, - possible cross-sections with crimp or splice protection specifications, - if applicable, the outer diameter of the cable for the screw connection, - Rotation variants, depending on the contact insert and direction of the cable connection, - Modularization, connector type depends on the other modules or support elements, - Rated voltage according to potential with the respective current carrying capacity, - Protection class, minimum requirement depending on accessibility, - Certification, limited by the country to which the machine is delivered, - Procurement costs.

[0043] The characteristics of the distinctions of wiring harnesses are the following properties: - Number of cores of the cable and number of individual cores, - Cross-section of the cables and individual wires, - Tool types or processes for wire end connections or crimp contacts, - outer diameter of the cables, - Shielding of the cables and shielding or twisting of individual wires, - Number of contacts of the plug, - Types of connectors with categories, such as valve connectors, - Number of materials of the plugs or switches, - Use of screw connection and if necessary reduction per plug, - Number of connectors and number of cables and individual wires of the wiring harness, - Length of cables and individual wires, - Use of a protective hose.

[0044] Characteristics of parts or components are: - Switches, terminals, contactors etc. - Classification - Examples: Boolean assignment, number of connections, cross-sectional area of ​​the connections

[0045] The computer-implemented method is used to create and / or select cable components such as cable harnesses 10 and can be used in particular on a machine for processing plastics and other plasticizable materials such as ceramic or metallic masses or also on a machine for additive manufacturing.

[0046] Fig. 4 shows, by way of example and in detail, a machine model 80 of a plastic injection molding machine, of which a mold clamping unit F can be seen on a machine base 70. The injection molding unit, which is usually arranged to the right of the mold clamping unit in the figure, is not shown. A control cabinet 20 is located on the right-hand side of the machine base 70. In the control cabinet there is a converter 30 which is assigned to an ejector motor 50. A cable harness 10 leads from the converter 30 to the ejector motor 50, with the cable harness 10 being guided via a drag chain 60, since the ejector motor 50 moves together with the movable mold carrier 90 during the cyclical movement of the mold clamping unit F. The cable harness 10 is connected to the converter 30 in the control cabinet 20 via a connector 40.

[0047] This wiring harness 10 already clearly demonstrates that there are different criteria for creating and / or selecting a wiring harness. Not only do the connector 40 and cable in the wiring harness 10 have to be matched to one another, but there are also boundary conditions, such as the temperature in the area of ​​the mold clamping unit F, the flexibility and bending radius of the cable when routed through a drag chain 60, or even the oil resistance in a mold clamping unit, which can be relevant when selecting a cable. All of these features, which were already mentioned at the beginning, must be considered when creating or selecting a wiring harness.

[0048] The process for creating and / or selecting cable harnesses 10 comprises the following steps: - Providing circuit diagram information of the cable components such as cable harness objects from a circuit diagram, wherein the circuit diagram information includes information about the connection of the cable components to each other, - Defining criteria for characteristics of cable components, - Providing a reference database comprising reference cable components such as reference cable harness objects, - Providing data from a three-dimensional layout of the cable components such as cable harnesses 10 in a three-dimensional machine model 80, - Selecting characteristics of the cable components and / or the circuit diagram information taking into account the criteria, - weights of the selected features, - Matching the selected characteristics with the characteristics of the reference cable components, - Selecting at least one reference cable component, - Assigning the selected at least one reference cable component to a cable assembly, - Creating the cable assembly,

[0049] While in the prior art the selected features are weighted according to certain criteria, but each is considered individually, according to the invention at least one distance between the selected features of the cable components, such as cable harness objects and / or circuit diagram information, and the reference cable components, such as reference cable harness objects, is determined, the distance being a measure of the correspondence between the features of the reference cable components and the selected features. In addition, different data types are combined when weighting the features by determining at least one distance function in which the features are normalized to a common numerical range. On the basis of the selected features and the at least one distance function, pattern recognition of cable components takes place, with which the pattern recognition of the cable components, such as the cable assembly, is carried out.Such a distance function can also be applied to existing cable components such as cable assemblies.

[0050] The distance function can be formed, for example, by the following formula: d(x, y)=∏i=1mnormi(xi−yi)|1∞︸Excluding features∗1n−m∗∑j=1n−mvjvtotal∗wj(Dep.)|1∞∗normj(xj−yj)|01︸Distance−forming features

[0051] The parameters / formula parts have the following meaning: x Data record of the cable harness object or cable assembly with all relevant characteristics y Data record of the reference cable harness object or the reference cable assembly with all the relevant characteristics d(x, y) Distance between the two data sets, which lies in the defined interval or tends towards infinity n total number of relevant features or information of the cable harness object or cable assembly m: Number of relevant features or information of the cable harness object or cable assembly that are not included in the distance calculation, but can only lead to the exclusion of the reference data set y. (Number of excluding features) Normalization function of the values ​​of the respective feature to 1 or to infinity. Using criteria, the values ​​of the feature are assigned to these two limits. This results in the total distance tending toward infinity, thus excluding the reference data set y. (excluding features) Normalization function of the values ​​of the respective feature to the range from 0 to 1. This allows the normalized distance relative to the feature to be lowest for the value 0 and highest for the value 1. The normalization function transfers the values ​​of the feature to this range using a mathematical function (distance-forming features). Weighting function of the values ​​of the respective feature to 1 or to infinity, depending on the technical dependency. Using criteria, the feature values ​​are assigned to these two limits. This results in the total distance tending toward infinity, thus excluding the reference data set y. This is analogous to the excluding features, as well as the distance-forming features, since these can also lead to the exclusion of the reference data set y through the technical dependencies. (Distance-forming features) v j : Relative weighting of distance-forming features. More relevant or important features are prioritized with a higher weighting. (Distance-forming features) v gesamt : Sum of all weights for normalizing the distance to the range from 0 to 1, provided the distance of at least one feature tends toward infinity. (Distance-forming features)

[0052] The distance function is structured in such a way that features can also be differentiated according to whether they are exclusionary features or distance-forming features. Both feature groups—that is, the exclusionary features on the one hand and the distance-forming features on the other—form separate multipliers in the distance function. If an exclusionary feature is met as an exclusion criterion, the corresponding multiplier results in infinity, so that a reference cable component determined in this way, such as a reference cable assembly, is rejected.

[0053] Thus, these features only assume a Boolean assignment, whether the feature leads to exclusion or not. This applies analogously to the distance-forming features; however, these features can also assume the values ​​for a distance-forming range if the reference cable assembly or the respective reference cable harness object is not excluded. This ensures the adjustment of the similarity of the two objects to be compared and thus distinguishes which reference cable component, such as the reference cable harness object or reference cable assembly, should be used.

[0054] The distance function is suitable for selecting reference cable components by determining the reference cable components with the greatest match to the selected cable component characteristics, which preferably corresponds to the smallest distance in the distance function. Therefore, the smaller the distance between the reference cable components in the reference database and the cable components in the circuit diagram, the more suitable the corresponding reference cable components are for the respective cable assembly or cable harness.

[0055] The procedure will now be based on the Fig. 1 to 3. Specifically, cable construction objects, cable assemblies, and cable harnesses are discussed, but these should generally be understood as examples of the generic cable components or reference cable components.

[0056] The automatic creation and / or selection of cable assemblies or cable harnesses can be divided into three parts.

[0057] Part 1 is in accordance with Fig. 1 Pattern recognition of the wiring harness objects without three-dimensional information. Pattern recognition involves identifying and assigning the reference wiring harness objects from the reference database to the wiring harness objects in the circuit diagram. For this purpose, distance functions and selection based on the shortest distance are used to locate the reference wiring harness objects that are most similar to the wiring harness objects.

[0058] Part 2 concerns, according to Fig. 2 the laying of the cable harness objects in three-dimensional space with pattern recognition of the cable harness objects, i.e. the laying of the objects in three-dimensional space and pattern recognition of the reference cable harness objects initially without associated three-dimensional information, whereby the pattern recognition is preferably carried out with three-dimensional information and the two-dimensional information, i.e. circuit diagram information

[0059] Part 3 concerns Fig. 3 the grouping of the cable harnesses with pattern recognition of the cable harnesses and selection of the cable assemblies or the reference cable assembly from a database.

[0060] This three-part process involves the realization of a prototype (i.e., if no three-dimensional model is available at the beginning), so that a time gap is required between parts 1 and 2 for the creation of the three-dimensional model. If the three-dimensional machine model 80 is already available at the beginning, part 1 can be omitted and part 2 can be started directly according to Fig. 2. However, for connections such as individual wires and cables, as well as for components, fictitious / virtual objects must be inserted as placeholders at the beginning of Part 2 as wire harness objects, and thus placed and routed. The real wire harness objects, such as connector 40 or cables in wire harness 10, are selected at the end of Part 2 using the distance functions.

[0061] The two-dimensional schematic information is generally required in every part of parts 1, 2, or 3 (or the associated step sequences). Only in part 1 is the three-dimensional information not required. Although it would be necessary for accurate use, it is also included in part 2 ( Fig. 2) are included, but in everyday life they are not always present at the beginning, so that if necessary, Part 1 ( Fig. 1). Therefore, the method preferably includes, if necessary, pattern recognition of the wiring harness objects without three-dimensional information, but always routing the wiring harness objects in three-dimensional space with pattern recognition, as well as grouping the wiring harnesses with pattern recognition of the wiring harnesses. Thus, the method can advantageously begin with or without a three-dimensional model, as long as pattern recognition is performed. This contributes to accelerated processing and the use of existing wiring harness objects and wiring harnesses.

[0062] Overall, parts 1, 2 and 3 can also be started separately by a designer in order to ensure interaction with the designer and to provide adequate support to the designer.

[0063] Fig. Figure 1 shows the procedure for pattern recognition of database objects without a three-dimensional model.

[0064] At the beginning, after starting the process in step 100, the objects in the circuit diagram are read in, along with their connections to one another and descriptive information. All circuit diagram information as well as the objects in the circuit diagram, such as components, individual wires, and cables, etc., are read in. The specified information is imported from the circuit diagram for each object. The relevant features of these objects are selected in step 110. This essentially concerns the features of cables, connectors, wiring harnesses, etc. mentioned above. Since the three-dimensional information is not yet available in this Part 1, only the features of the circuit diagram are used for the selection. Likewise, according to step 120, all relevant database entries (reference wiring harness objects in the database) are required.

[0065] For the objects in the circuit diagram and the relevant characteristics of the reference wiring harness objects in the database, the characteristics to be processed are selected in steps 110 and 130 to create the distance functions.

[0066] For each wiring harness object in the schematic (whether cable, connector, component, or wiring harness, etc.), the distances (measure of similarity) to the corresponding database objects are then determined in step 140. Direct exclusion of the database objects occurs when the distance approaches infinity.

[0067] The distance determination of the connectors should preferably be carried out based on the technical dependencies before the distance determination of the cables. For the pattern recognition of a cable harness 10, the connectors 40 and cables should be selected in combination with one another. The distance functions of the individual objects individually form the best possible distances. However, since the selection of the cable depends on the characteristics of the connector, the distance function of the cable is determined by the connector. An optimal selection of a connector in combination with the pattern recognition of a cable can lead to a poorer overall result than, for example, the selection of the second-best connector. Against this background, a selection of the cable harness objects for different connectors can be carried out multiple times. A combination of the cable harness objects which has a smaller average distance can then be selected in step 150.In order to ensure that higher distances are less accepted in the resulting averaging, a root mean square can be used instead of an arithmetic mean.

[0068] This can be performed for all connectors or for a defined range or number of connectors. Only the connectors with the shortest distance are considered in step 150. Using this distance calculation and other criteria, a check of the connections of the wiring harness objects can be integrated into the selection process or preceded by the distance calculation.

[0069] In step 160, a database entry is stored for the cable or connector in the circuit diagram that is used to create or select the cable assembly. The process then switches to step 2 and thus part 2 of the process flow according to Fig. 2

[0070] Part 2 concerns the routing of the wiring harness objects in three-dimensional space and pattern recognition of the reference wiring harness objects in the reference database with the three-dimensional information.

[0071] Part 2 begins in step 200 with the import or provision of information about the control cabinets and the objects, or components, connectors, and connections (cable harness objects) in the circuit diagram. Likewise, the three-dimensional machine model 80 in step 202, as well as the placement specifications of the components and the defined routing paths with the characteristics of the routes or route information in the three-dimensional machine model, are imported or provided in step 201. This route information can include, for example, temperature values ​​and requirements for the flexibility of the cable harnesses, e.g., when arranged in a drag chain 60 ( Fig. 4), and / or oil resistance.

[0072] Using this information, the cable harness objects in the three-dimensional machine model 80, as well as the control cabinets 20 with their internal structures, can be placed in three-dimensional space in step 203. Positionings of parts or components, such as a converter 30, in the control cabinets 20 can also be placed and imported from another application or other software. The control cabinets 20 can thus be placed directly with their internal structure. Using this information, the automatic routing of the connections via the shortest paths in the spatial route network of the three-dimensional machine model 80 can be performed in step 204.

[0073] The relevant information or characteristics of the routes, as explained at the beginning, are then selected and read in step 205 and the three-dimensional routing is checked with these in step 206.

[0074] To verify the routing in the three-dimensional machine model 80, the data of the environment and the routing paths are preferably stored. From this routing, the feature requirements for pattern recognition of the objects can be derived and a functionally faulty routing can be identified. The following properties and criteria can be used in particular. - Oil resistance - Flexibility - Temperature resistance - Bending radius - Rotation variants of the plug depending on the connection direction of the cables - Protection class of the plugs - Screw connections of the plugs - Technical route bans - Current carrying capacity

[0075] If the selected routing is not permissible after step 207, the connection is rerouted to the next longer route after step 208 and the routing in step 206 is checked again.

[0076] If the routing was permissible or is permissible after the iterative rerouting (if applicable) according to step 207, the next longer routes can be checked in step 209 using this routing as a reference and selected as options, i.e., possible alternative routing routes. Only those routings that demonstrate an improvement (lower requirements for the cable assembly) in at least one cable routing feature are considered. An example of such a lower requirement would be that the routing requires lower oil resistance or lower cable flexibility.

[0077] The circuit diagram information of the cable harness objects with their connections to one another is obtained for step 210 for all paths or alternatives. This is essentially all cable and connector information, which includes the characteristics and other data that are specified for the cable harness objects in the circuit diagram, but which may also be irrelevant. These characteristics essentially include the characteristics of connectors, cables and components mentioned above. These characteristics are merged with the relevant characteristics from the three-dimensional routing and placement information. For connectors, for example, the protection class can be added as a characteristic, and for cables, for example, the length. If all characteristics from the circuit diagram are stored at the beginning of part 2 of the process flow in step 200, this merging of the characteristics can be omitted.

[0078] Using this information, the distance of the wire harness objects to the database entries of the reference wire harness objects can now be (re)calculated in step 211. For this purpose, the database entries and the relevant characteristics of these database entries are selected in step 212. For each wire harness object in the circuit diagram (whether cable or connector), the distances to the associated database objects are determined - analogous to step 150. Here, too, the database objects are directly excluded if the distance approaches infinity. Here, too, the distance of the connectors should be determined before the distance of the cables due to the technical dependencies. This can be done for all connectors or for a defined range, such as a range of the shortest distances, i.e. up to a distance threshold, or for a defined number of connectors. Only the connectors with the shortest distance are taken into account.By calculating this distance and applying additional criteria, a check of the connections between the wiring harness objects can be integrated into the selection process or preceded by the distance calculation. As above, a root mean square can be calculated for the distances of the connector-cable combinations to select the optimal combination (with the shortest distance).

[0079] Subsequently, in the query in step 213, the connection can be rerouted within the room to the respective longer optional path determined in step 209, after step 214, if this leads to an optimal (shortest distance) or better result based on the distance function. Finally, the data is stored in the circuit diagram after step 215.

[0080] Part 2 of the procedure is hereby terminated and the procedure proceeds to Part 3 in accordance with Fig.3. Part 3 concerns the grouping of the cable harnesses and selection of the cable assemblies.

[0081] In Part 3, the schematic information of the wiring harness objects and their connections, along with the considered three-dimensional information, is initially obtained or provided in step 300, and the relevant features are selected in step 310. These relevant features can be the features explained above.

[0082] Based on separation criteria for the connections, which can also be company- or machine-specific, the individual objects are grouped into a cable harness 10 in step 320. Such separation criteria can exist, for example, when a separation or an end of a cable harness 10 occurs via a connector connection of a component (when the component is not part of the cable harness). Another example is the separation at a connector 40 when this is used as an interface between, for example, the machine and the machine's peripherals. Here, one connector side is grouped into a different cable harness than the other. These connectors accordingly define the separation or the end of the cable harness 10.

[0083] The entire wiring harness can now be checked again in step 330 to check any adjustments made by the designer and to ensure the consistency of the wiring harness.

[0084] For the cable harnesses thus determined, the distances to other already defined cable assemblies can then be determined from a database in step 340. The relevant features are also selected here.

[0085] The already defined or pre-assembled cable assemblies can be selected at this point in the query in step 350 based on the shortest distance. If no suitable cable assembly is available or the distance exceeds a threshold, a new cable assembly can be created using the stored data after step 360, either by a designer or automatically using all stored data. This data includes, in particular, the characteristics of the cable harness objects and the length information from the three-dimensional routing. Likewise, the most similar cable assemblies with the shortest distance can serve as a reference for the (manual) creation of the new cable assembly.

[0086] The existing cable assembly or the cable harness itself selected in step 370 or newly created in step 360 can then be stored in the circuit diagram and three-dimensional routing in step 380. Part 3 of the process sequence ends here. The automatic generation of the cable assemblies in development / machine-specific design is thus completed, and the cable harnesses or cable assemblies can be manufactured for the machine.

[0087] The invention also provides a computer program product comprising program code stored on a computer-readable medium. The program code of the computer program product is suitable for executing the method for creating and / or selecting cable components, such as cable harnesses, thereby achieving the advantages of the method. List of reference symbols 10 Wiring harness 20 control cabinet 30 inverters 40 plugs 50 ejector motor 60 drag chain 70 machine base 80 machine model 90 movable mold carrier 100-160 steps 200-215 steps 300-380 steps F mold clamping unit QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 10 2014 210 374 A1

[0010]

Claims

[1] Computer-implemented method for creating and / or selecting cable components such as cable harnesses (10) comprising a plurality of cable harness objects comprising cables, connectors (40) and components, and / or cable harness objects and / or cable assemblies, comprising the steps: - Providing circuit diagram information of the cable components from a circuit diagram, wherein the circuit diagram information includes information about the connection of the cable components to one another, - Defining criteria for characteristics of cable components, - Providing a reference database comprising reference cable components, - providing data from a three-dimensional routing of the cable harnesses (10) in a three-dimensional machine model (80), - Selecting characteristics of the cable components and / or the circuit diagram information taking into account the criteria, - weights of the selected features, - Matching the selected characteristics with the characteristics of the reference cable components, - Selecting at least one reference cable component, - Assigning the selected at least one reference cable component to a cable assembly, - Creating or using the cable assembly, characterized by , that during the weighting, at least one distance of the selected features of the cable components and / or circuit diagram information to the reference cable components is determined, wherein the distance is a measure of a match between the features of the reference cable components and the selected features, that different data types are combined when weighting the features by determining at least one distance function in which the features are normalized to a common numerical range, and that on the basis of the selected features and the at least one distance function, a pattern recognition of cable components is carried out, with which a pattern recognition of the cable components is carried out. [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by that when determining the at least one distance function, the features are assessed as to whether they are exclusive features or distance-forming features which form separate multipliers in the distance function, wherein in the event that an exclusive feature is met as an exclusion criterion, the multiplier relating to the exclusive feature is set to infinity. [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat the circuit diagram information of the cable components such as cable harness objects is provided virtually or read from a circuit diagram. [4] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the selection of reference cable components is carried out by determining the reference cable components with a greatest match or a smallest distance to the selected features. [5] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the determination of the at least one distance of the plugs (40) takes place before the determination of the at least one distance of the cables. [6] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that as criteria for the characteristics of the cable components and / or the circuit diagram information, features are selected which comprise at least one feature from the group of nominal and / or ordinal and / or metric features. [7] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the selected reference cable components are laid in a virtual three-dimensional space of a machine model (80), taking into account placement specifications and permissible laying paths. [8] Method according to claim 7, characterized by that after the installation of the selected reference cable components, it is checked whether the installation is permissible according to the criteria and, in the event that the installation is not permissible, a re-routing is carried out which is optimized with regard to at least one criterion. [9] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that when creating the cable assembly, the cable harness objects are grouped into a cable harness (10) which is placed in a machine for processing plastics, in particular in an injection molding machine or in a machine for additive manufacturing. [10] Computer program product with a program code stored on a computer-readable medium, characterized by that the program code of the computer program product is suitable for carrying out the method according to one of claims 1 to 9 for creating and / or selecting cable elements.

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