What Do Wiring Harness Manufacturers Do, Exactly?
The custom harness that was designed especially for all the different electronic systems you own and come into contact with on a daily basis, required some pretty sophisticated engineering. At the micro-level, the engineering that went into the engineering i.e. the machines that create a custom wiring harness also required a great deal of design and thought. After nearly three decades designing and manufacturing wiring harnesses, we’ve gotten pretty good at what we do. So what exactly does a manufacturer of wiring harnesses do? Read on as we explore what it takes to create this vital and oft-overlooked support system for nearly every type of electrical system in use today.
From Hand Tools to Precision Robots
Even down to the hand tools we use, our exact specifications have gone into every step of the manufacturing process. For manufacturing wiring harnesses, cable assemblies, wiring assemblies, and however else you refer to the systematic binding of cables and wires, our tools have to be extremely precise. Depending on the exact level of precision needed, we can deploy hand tools, semi-autonomous machines, and fully automated machines to meet the project’s design requirements. While our manufacturing engineers are extremely accurate and really good at what they do, when a design has to be absolutely correct, we rely on automation to do the job. However, even with automation, a lot of the assembly is still done by hand due to the complexity of steps that goes into even making a simple wiring harness.
Tool Cribs Not For Sleeping
When you’re in the middle of a project, not having the tools you need at hand can be a real time-killer. In a production setting, delays can cost thousands of dollars and cause tight deadlines to be missed. That’s where a tool crib comes into play. Far from just a ubiquitous toolbox, a tool crib is an ordered, efficient storage of the myriad of different specialty tools we require on a job. Most often, these tools are not utilized all that frequently, but when needed, costly delays are avoided because the tools are available and ready to use right when they’re needed. When a project comes in, our project planners will detail all the tools required to do the job in a set amount of time. This includes “checking out” the specialty tools in the tool crib so that they are available for this particular job and don’t accidentally get pulled for another product run. We ascribe to kanban manufacturing techniques, which takes advantage of just-in-time ordering and lean manufacturing principles in order to economically produce the best products for our clients. Without the vital support of systems like the humble tool crib, we wouldn’t be able to produce wiring harness assemblies at a reasonable pace or price.
Great Recipes Begin with Quality Ingredients
The cable and wiring we use are all United Laboratories (UL) certified. ULⓇ certification means the components have been uniformly tested and certified for safety and function. UL is one of only a handful of U.S. corporations approved by OSHA to provide this rating to products. Even when we apply one of more than 50 colors available for wiring and vary the striping employed, we can still maintain ULⓇ certification on our wires and cables. Starting with the industry’s best components ensures the final product is both safe and will serve its function through many life cycles.
Custom Creations
When we create a custom design, two factors presented to us by our clients have the greatest impact on the overall design. First, is the space we have to work with. Imagine the difference between a remote-control car’s wiring and the steering wheel assembly in a NASCAR race car. Both require precise electrical and signal transfers, but space, where these occur, is night and day and our engineers expertly work within the physical confines of the project. The second factor affecting the design is the project’s electrical requirements. This can determine wire size and thickness, and also affects additional design requirements like insulation and all the different materials needed. With these two factors in mind, our in-house engineers’ design and manufacture small batches of harnesses that will be tested and retested to ensure durability and longevity of the components.
Ready to talk over your project specs?
At Meridian Cable, we pride ourselves on listening to your exact needs and designing the perfect assembly to meet those needs. Our greatest advantage lies in our custom solutions. On-staff engineers, planners, and designers come together with our expert manufacturing team to produce a one-of-a-kind product, built to the highest industry standards, to meet the rigors of the job. From Military, Industrial, and Medical applications, our products are simply too vital to produce anything but our very best. Our wiring harness specialists are ready to review your project specifications and start building you the perfect components for your project. Contact us today to start the process.