A comparison of typical harness assembly methods showed that the solutions that has been proposed up to now to robotize wiring are far too complicated to be economical. Thus, the existing robotized cells are unlikely to be economical unless the design of the harness is changed. This paper presents typical rules of DFA (design for assembly) adapted to the wire harness. These rules are illustrated via the design of a neon light. Redesign of the harness included the use of insulation displacement connection techniques instead of crimped lugs and marking instead of colored wires which simplifies the preparation operation and avoids manipulating the precut wire. This design simplification leads to the definition of a new robotized cell where the wire is directly fed into the cell, marked if needed, then cut and laid on the assembly board. A prototype of this robotic cell has been manufactured and tested. The economic performance has been evaluated and compared with other classical solutions. As a consequence, robotic assembly of wire harnesses should be considered for high production volumes even in the case of low harness complexity, and manual assembly should be considered for low production volumes.
Robotic assembly of wire harnesses: Economic and technical justification
Journal of Manufacturing Systems ; 16 , 3 ; 220-231
1997
12 Seiten, 19 Bilder, 4 Tabellen, 14 Quellen
Article (Journal)
English
WIRE HARNESSES MANUFACTURING METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MANUFACTURING WIRE HARNESSES
European Patent Office | 2023
|Emerald Group Publishing | 1998