Multilateral Validation of Wire Harness Design Outputs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for validating wire harness designs are largely person-dependent and unstructured, lacking a comprehensive system to manage inter-dimensional validation between two-dimensional circuit schematics, wire harness drawings, and three-dimensional assemblies, leading to potential errors and increased costs due to mismatches and manual validation processes.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for multilateral validation that performs alphanumeric comparisons between two-dimensional and three-dimensional design outputs, using Background Data Files (BDFs) to identify mismatches and generate error reports, reducing the need for skilled designers and automating the validation process across different software platforms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual validation by skilled designers is used to validate wire harness designs, then validation accuracy can be maintained through expert knowledge, but the process becomes person-dependent, unstructured, time-consuming, and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical validation process performed by skilled designers with an automated computer-based system. The system uses algorithms to perform alphanumeric comparisons between BDFs from different software platforms (electrical design tools like Mentor Graphics and mechanical design tools like CATIA), eliminating the need for human designers to manually validate wire harness designs while maintaining high accuracy through systematic automated checking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces Background Data Files (BDFs) as an intermediary format that bridges electrical design tools and mechanical design tools. The validation system reads BDFs from both types of software, performs automated comparisons, and generates validation reports. This intermediary approach enables structured automated validation without requiring direct integration between proprietary software platforms.
2Reliability
If comprehensive multilateral validation between multiple design outputs is performed, then design quality and error detection improve, but the complexity of the validation system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex validation task into manageable components by validating specific parameters independently: wire counts, wire lengths, connector types, grommet positions, and other critical parameters. The system performs alphanumeric comparisons for each parameter type separately, making the validation process systematic and manageable despite the complexity of validating multiple design outputs simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal validation system that can validate multiple types of design outputs from different software platforms using a single integrated approach. The system handles validation between electrical design tools (Mentor Graphics), mechanical design tools (CATIA), and various output formats ( drawings, assemblies, bills of material) through a common validation methodology, reducing overall system complexity despite the diversity of inputs.
3Productivity
If automated validation systems are implemented to reduce manual effort, then productivity and consistency improve, but the initial system complexity and development cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses copying by creating and utilizing Background Data Files (BDFs) that replicate essential design information from both electrical and mechanical design tools in a standardized format. Instead of developing complex direct integration with multiple proprietary software platforms, the system copies relevant data into BDFs and performs validation on these copied files, significantly reducing system complexity while maintaining high productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
System and Method for multilateral Validation of Wire Harness Design Outputs wherein said method comprises of validating with respect to one another and with respect to component database, the background data files (BDF). Such BDFs are generated by software platforms for creating two dimensional circuit schematic and two dimensional & three dimensional wire harness outputs and are not friendly for use by humans. The system as per said method is a computer program, capable of plugging-in on product Life Cycle management Software suites. The system and method makes validation possible by comparing BDF instead of conventional validation of comparing the technical contents by skilled designers, thus saves need of skilled designers, besides saving time and improving quality of Wire harness Design Outputs.