Wire Harness Modular Assembly for Inventory Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturing wire harnesses with varying specifications for different vehicle types and grades poses challenges in meeting delivery dates and preventing excess inventory, as the number of wire harnesses required for each product number can fluctuate significantly, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that optimize wire harness manufacturing by identifying primary and secondary common components across multiple product numbers, allowing for the assembly of basic and additional sub-harnesses, which can be combined with additional components to form wire harnesses efficiently, reducing excess inventory and enabling timely delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If wire harnesses are manufactured overseas and imported to Japan, then manufacturing costs are reduced, but delivery time increases by 2 to 3 weeks
Solution Approach 1:
The wire harness is divided into multiple sub-harnesses that can be manufactured independently at different locations. Common sub-harnesses can be produced overseas in advance, while vehicle-specific sub-harnesses are assembled locally, reducing overall delivery time while maintaining cost efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
Sub-harnesses with common configurations are manufactured in advance based on predicted demand before the final order quantity is confirmed. This allows overseas production to begin earlier, reducing the import lead time while avoiding excessive inventory through flexible assembly later.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of wire harnesses for each product number is not confirmed in advance, then adaptability to customer requirements is improved, but manufacturing planning becomes difficult leading to potential shortages or excess inventory
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary manufacturing of sub-harnesses based on predicted quantities for each product number before the final order is confirmed. This allows production to start early while maintaining the flexibility to adjust final assembly based on actual customer orders, resolving the contradiction between early production and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the wire harness into common and vehicle-specific sub-harnesses, the system can manufacture common parts in advance with high productivity, while maintaining flexibility in assembling different configurations later based on confirmed orders.
3Adaptability or versatility
If various types of wire harnesses are manufactured individually according to customer requirements, then customization for different vehicle types is achieved, but manufacturing complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wire harness is segmented into common sub-harnesses (applicable to multiple vehicle types) and vehicle-specific sub-harnesses. This reduces manufacturing complexity by standardizing common components while maintaining customization capability through modular assembly of different sub-harness combinations.
Solution Approach 2:
Common sub-harnesses are designed to be universal and applicable to multiple product numbers and vehicle types. This reduces the total number of unique components that need to be manufactured individually, simplifying the manufacturing process while still allowing customization through different assembly configurations.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A wire harness designing method includes, extracting, as a primary common component (Pc1), a component commonly provided in the wire harnesses of all the product numbers, and determining a configuration of a basic part (B1); classifying, as an optional component (Po), the rest of the primary common component among all the components that form the wire harnesses of all the product numbers (S14); extracting, as a secondary common component (Pc2), component groups commonly provided in product numbers among the optional components of which the usage rate is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, and determining a configuration of an additional part (OB); classifying, as an additional component (Pa), each component of the rest of secondary common components among the optional components (S21); and forming the whole wire harness of each product number with a combination of the wire harness of the basic part, the wire harness of the additional part, and the additional component (S22).