Under the background of global advocacy of green mobility and sustainable development, the new energy vehicle industry is developing rapidly. As a key component of new energy vehicles, chassis design is making great strides in the direction of modularization. This transformative trend, like a boulder thrown into a lake, has had an extremely far-reaching impact on the wiring harness system, which has brought unprecedented challenges as well as infinite development opportunities.
01 Challenge: breakthrough innovation in the change
1.design complexity surge
Modular chassis is like a highly integrated precision system, requiring wiring harness design must have a high degree of flexibility and standardization. Different models in the functional configuration, space layout and other aspects of the significant differences in the wiring harness needs to be like a strong adaptability of the “deformer”, not only the flexibility to adapt to a variety of changes, but also to follow a unified standard specification, in order to achieve general use between different models and expansion. This difficult design requirements, undoubtedly to the wiring harness design team has brought great challenges, need them to find a precise balance between innovative thinking and rigorous standards.
2.Integration difficulty climbs
The modular chassis closely integrates many modules with different functions, which makes the wiring harness as the nerves connecting each organ, shouldering the important responsibility of efficient connection and communication with these modules. From power transmission to signaling, every aspect of the wiring harness cannot be compromised. This requires wiring harness in the layout must be carefully planned, not only to skillfully avoid the complex chassis structure, but also to ensure that the connection with each module is close, stable; in the installation process, but also requires a higher degree of precision and technical requirements to ensure that the entire system of synergistic operation.
3. testing and verification work is arduous
Modular chassis involves a number of interrelated subsystems, wiring harness as a key link, need to achieve seamless synergy with the subsystems. This means that the wiring harness test verification work is no longer a simple individual detection, but in the complex system environment, a comprehensive examination of its performance in a variety of working conditions. From high temperature, low temperature to humidity, vibration and other extreme environments, from the signal interference of different modules to the overall compatibility of the system, every factor needs to be included in the scope of testing, testing and verification of the complexity of the workload has increased geometrically.
02 Opportunities: Grasping the lead in the midst of change
1. Speed up assembly process optimization
The modular chassis brings a new mode of wiring harness assembly - pre-assembly. In the wiring harness production stage, it can be pre-assembled with the corresponding chassis module, just like building blocks, combining various parts in advance. In this way, the whole vehicle assembly line only needs these pre-assembled modules to be quickly spliced, greatly reducing the workload and time cost of on-site assembly, while improving the efficiency and consistency of assembly to ensure that the assembly quality of each vehicle can meet high standards.
2. Cost control is effective
The standardized design allows the wiring harness to be mass-produced, just like the standard products on the industrial assembly line, the production efficiency is greatly improved, and the unit cost is subsequently reduced. Moreover, the pre-assembly mode reduces the errors and rework phenomenon in the whole vehicle assembly process, further saving the cost of manpower, material resources and time, which brings real economic benefits to the enterprise.
3.Reliability to achieve a qualitative leap
Modular design makes the connection of the wiring harness more scientific and reasonable, and greatly improves the connection reliability of the wiring harness by optimizing the connection method and selecting high-quality connectors. At the same time, the signal transmission path has also been optimized to reduce signal interference and attenuation, ensuring the quality and stability of signal transmission. This not only reduces the failure rate of the wiring harness, but also improves the reliability and stability of the entire vehicle, providing consumers with safer and more reliable travel protection.
03 Wiring harness enterprises to cope with the strategy: to move forward in the midst of change
(A) increase investment in technology research and development
The face of modular chassis brings new challenges, wiring harness enterprises must increase technical research and development efforts, and actively explore to adapt to the new needs of wiring harness design and manufacturing technology. For example, the research and development of flexible wiring harness, so that it can be freely bent in a limited space, deformation, better adapted to the complex structure of the chassis; the development of high-density connectors, in a smaller volume to achieve more signals and power transmission, to meet the modular chassis on the degree of integration requirements.
(B) strengthen the integration capacity building
Wiring harness enterprises to strengthen the depth of cooperation with vehicle manufacturers and chassis module suppliers to establish a close strategic partnership. Through joint research and development, collaborative innovation, in-depth understanding of the vehicle and chassis module design concepts and technical requirements, to enhance the wiring harness and chassis module integration capabilities, to realize the transformation from a pure wire harness supplier to a system integration service provider.
(C) Improve the testing and verification system
The establishment of a set of perfect, scientific wiring harness test verification system is to ensure the quality and reliability of the wiring harness is the key. Harness companies should invest in capital and technology, the introduction of advanced testing equipment and technical means, the development of strict testing standards and procedures, from raw material inspection to the final product testing, each link is strictly controlled to ensure that the harness in the modular chassis can operate stably and reliably.
04 Future development trends: leading the way in the change
（A）Intelligent wiring harnesses are coming into prominence
With the rapid development of autonomous driving technology, new energy vehicles have increasingly high requirements for information perception and transmission. Wiring harness will no longer be just a simple power and signal transmission carrier, but towards the direction of intelligent strides. Future wiring harness will integrate more sensors, real-time collection of various operational data of the vehicle, and through high-speed communication functions to transmit these data to the vehicle control system, for automatic driving to provide accurate and timely information support.
(B) lightweight wiring harness has become a trend
In order to improve the range of new energy vehicles, reducing the weight of the body is the key. Wiring harness as part of the body, its lightweight has become an inevitable trend. Harness companies will use new lightweight materials, such as high-strength, low-weight insulation materials and conductor materials, while optimizing the structural design of the harness, remove unnecessary parts, in order to ensure the performance of the harness under the premise of minimizing its weight.
(C) sustainable wiring harness to lead the green development
In today's increasingly aware of global environmental protection, sustainable development has become the common pursuit of all walks of life. Harness industry is no exception, the future of the harness will be more use of environmentally friendly materials, these materials in the production, use and disposal of waste disposal process on the environment has minimal impact. At the same time, the design of the wiring harness will also pay more attention to recyclability, to facilitate effective recycling and reuse after the end of the vehicle, to promote the development of the industry in a green and sustainable direction.
05 Summary: Embracing the future in the midst of change
The wave of new energy vehicle chassis modularization for the wiring harness industry has brought about a profound change. This change is both a challenge and an opportunity. Harness companies only actively respond to the challenges, innovation, and constantly improve their own technical level and integration capabilities, and grasp the development opportunities, in order to stand out in the fierce market competition, in the new energy automotive industry booming wave of the times, write their own brilliant chapter, leading the harness industry to a brighter future.