Digital Wire Harness Testing With Moving Assembly Stations
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual assembly and testing of wire harnesses are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to human error, leading to inefficiencies and inaccuracies in the manufacturing process.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of automated wire harness assembly and testing systems, which include digital wire harness diagrams, ergonomic assembly stations, and automated electrical testing units, to streamline the manufacturing process and improve accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual routing and testing methods are used, then flexibility in handling different wire harness designs is maintained, but labor intensity and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service through automated testing units that autonomously perform electrical connectivity tests without human intervention. The testing unit automatically connects to test points, executes test programs, and generates reports, allowing the wire harness assembly process to self-verify its quality without requiring manual testing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical testing operations are replaced by an automated electrical testing system. The testing unit uses electrical signals and automated connectors instead of manual multimeters and visual inspection, substituting mechanical human operations with an automated electromechanical system that performs testing rapidly and consistently.
2Measurement precision
If manual visual inspection and testing are performed, then adaptability to different wire harness designs is maintained, but measurement precision and error detection capability are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses digital wire harness diagrams as virtual copies of the physical assembly to guide and verify the testing process. The test program references the digital diagram to automatically determine which test points to connect and what electrical characteristics to measure, ensuring precise verification without requiring complex manual interpretation of design specifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The computing device acts as an intermediary between the digital wire harness diagram and the automated testing unit. It processes the digital diagram information, generates appropriate test programs, and controls the testing unit's operations, thereby managing the complexity of adapting to different wire harness designs through software rather than hardware reconfiguration.
3Loss of time
If conventional testing protocols are used for different wire harness designs, then versatility in testing various configurations is achieved, but time consumption and manufacturing cycle time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The testing system is dynamic and adaptable through software-controlled test programs that can be automatically generated or selected based on the specific wire harness design. The computing device dynamically configures the testing parameters, test point connections, and measurement sequences according to the digital wire harness diagram, allowing rapid adaptation to different designs without fixed mechanical test fixtures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves versatility through parameter changes in the test program rather than physical reconfiguration. By modifying electrical test parameters (voltage levels, current measurements, resistance thresholds) and test sequence parameters through software, the same automated testing unit can efficiently test various wire harness configurations without changing its physical structure or requiring extensive setup time.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the present disclosure include digital wire harness assembly stations, and automated testing techniques. Examples include systems and methods for assembling and testing wire harnesses. A wire harness assembly system may include a display, a screen, a cable connector mount, an electrical testing unit, and at least one computing device to execute a test program associated with a digital wire harness diagram. At least one wire harness assembly station may move along a first track, and a test adapter associated with the electrical testing unit may be movable along a second track. The at least one computing device may execute a test program at the wire harness assembly station while the wire harness assembly and the test adapter move, respectively, along the first and second tracks.