Wire harness manufacturing

PCB Unlimited provides wire harness manufacturing services tailored to a broad range of industries, including aerospace, automotive, industrial equipment, medical devices, and telecommunications.

A wire harness is an organized assembly of wires and cables, bundled together with connectors, terminals, and protective components, designed to transmit electrical power or signals within a device, machine, or system.

Wire harness manufacturing is the end-to-end process of designing, assembling, and testing wire harnesses. It typically involves cutting, stripping, terminating, and assembling wires using a combination of automated machinery and manual labor, due to the complexity and variation of tasks involved.

Components of a wire harness

Wires and Cables

Conductors typically copper or aluminum—that transmit electrical power or signals.

Connectors

Interface devices that securely join wires to other wires or components.

Terminals

Points in the harness where wires connect to other components using metal end crimping or soldering.

Insulation

A layer of material to protect the wires and prevent shorts, moisture, and environmental damage

Protective Sheathing

Additional coverings such as plastic tubing, fabric wrap, or heat shrink to shield wires from abrasion, heat, and moisture

Mounting Hardware

Clips, ties, or fasteners used to secure the wire harness in place.

Stages of wire harness manufacturing

1

DESIGN & ENGINEERING

The first step in the wire harness process is to create a 2D/3D assembly diagram/schematic defining routing, lengths, gauges, connectors, and protective measures. This is done typically using CAD software that generates the BOM (Bill of Materials) and formboard layout.

Several factors need to be considered when designing wire harnesses including type and size of wires, connectors type, how components are connected, esthetics and ergonomics.

2

WIRE PREPARATION

Wires are cut to length using automated machines like MultiStrip 9480. Insulation is removed at connection points.

Wires are labeled with inkjet printers or heat shrink markers.

3

TERMINAL CRIMPING

Terminals are applied using pneumatic or electric crimping machines like CT 60. Crimp quality is monitored in real-time using CFM systems.

Stages of wire harness manufacturing
Stages of wire harness manufacturing 2
4

ASSEMBLY ON FORMBOARD

Technicians route wires on a layout board using clamps, guides, and connectors.

Tying, bundling, and taping to guarantee correct grouping and orientation.

5

CONNECTOR & SLEEVE INSTALLATION

Wires are inserted into connectors and protective sleeves.

Heat-shrink tubing can be used for sealing and strain relief.

6

ELECTRICAL TESTING

Electrical testing includes continuity, shorts, insulation resistance, and pinout verification. Automated testers can be used to compare results with predefined configurations.

7

PACKAGING

Final harnesses are coiled, labeled, and packed to prevent damage during transport. Documentation and traceability tags are included.

Wire harness services we offer

Wire harness offers

Check DESIGN & ENGINEERING

  • Custom wire harness design tailored to specific equipment or machinery.
  • Electrical schematics and CAD drawings for precision and efficiency.
  • Prototyping and testing to ensure functionality and compliance.

Check MANUFACTURING

  • Assembly of wire harnesses using automated and manual processes.
  • Incorporation of components such as connectors, terminals, and protective coverings.
  • High-quality materials for insulation, durability, and environmental resistance.

Check TESTING AND QUALITY ASSURANCE

  • Continuity, voltage, and load testing.
  • Adherence to standards like IPC/WHMA-A-620 for wire harness quality.
  • Environmental testing to ensure reliability in harsh conditions.

Equipment used

  • Check Wire Cutting & Stripping Machines
  • Check Crimping Machines
  • Check Harness Test Benches
  • Check Heat Shrink Ovens
  • Check Labeling Machines
  • Check Formboards & Assembly Fixtures
Ecocut 3300

ECOCUT 3300 CUTTING MACHINE

The Schleuniger EcoCut 3300 can automatically cut all kinds of material including wire, cable, round material such as tubing, flat ribbon and Glass Fiber Optic (GOF) cable.

It processes wire up to 16 mm² (6 AWG), cuts round material up to 12 mm (0.47") O.D. and cuts flat material up to 100 mm (3.94") wide.

Processing Capabilities

  • Flat cables Flat Cables
  • Round cables Round cables, profile
  • Shrink tubing Shrink Tubing
  • Thin metallic nonmetallic sheets Thin metallic, nonmetallic sheets
  • Tubing Tubing
  • Wire marking Wire marking
  • Woven fabric Woven fabric
Strip series b300

STRIP SERIES B300 STRIPPING MACHINE

The Schleuniger Strip Series B300 stripping machine performs reliable stripping of cables with cross sections from 0.03 to 8 mm2 (32 to 8 AWG).

Material

  • Wire
  • Solid Wire
  • Single- Conductor Cable
  • Kapton
  • Discrete Wire
  • Stranded Wire
  • Multiconductor Cable
  • PUR
  • PVC
  • Teflon
  • Tefzel

Processing Capabilities

  • Discrete wire processing Discrete Wire Processing
  • Full strip Full Strip
  • Multiconductor cable stripping Multiconductor Cable Stripping
  • Partial strip Partial Strip
Multistrip 9480

MULTISTRIP 9480 CUT & STRIP MACHINE

The Schleuniger MultiStrip 9480 is a high-performance, fully automatic wire cutting and stripping machine designed for precision and versatility for a variety of wire harness applications.

Material

  • • Microtriaxial Cable
  • • Buffered Fiber
  • • Coated Fiber
  • • Wire
  • • Solid Wire
  • • Duplex Glass Optical Fiber
  • • Single-Conductor Cable
  • • Single Wire
  • • Fiber Ribbon
  • • Fiber Optic Cable, Foils, and More
  • • Flat Ribbon Cable
  • • Flat Material
  • • Shielded Cables
  • • GOF (Glass Optical Cable)
  • • Rubber
  • • Rubber Cords / Profiles
  • • Kevlar
  • • Kevlar Strands
  • • Coaxial Cable
  • • Discrete Wire
  • • Stranded Wire
  • • Wire with Special Isolation
  • • Multiconductor Cable
  • • POF (polymer optical cable)
  • • PUR
  • • PVC
  • • Tubes + Pipes
  • • Tubing
  • • Teflon®
  • • Fiberglass
  • • Triaxial Cable
  • • Jacketed Flat Cable

Processing Capabilities

  • Cut to length Cut to length
  • Full partial strip left right Full or partial strip left and right
  • Jacket inner conductor stripping Jacket and inner conductor stripping
  • Jacket stripping Jacket stripping of extremely thin insulations
  • Jacket stripping multiconductor Jacket stripping of multiconductor cables
  • Multilayer stripping Multilayer stripping
  • Multilayer shield processing Multilayer with shield processing (coax, hybrid, etc.)
  • Multistep jacket stripping Multistep jacket stripping with inner conductor stripping and window slitting
  • Multistep stripping Multistep stripping
  • Trimming separating stripping Trimming, separating and stripping of individual zipcord conductors
  • Wire marking Wire marking
Ct 60

CT 60 PNEUMATIC CRIMPING MACHINE

The Schleuniger CT 60 is a pneumatic benchtop crimping machine engineered for high-force, loose-piece crimping applications. It delivers up to 60 kN (6.7 tons) of parallel crimping force, making it suitable for processing a wide range of terminal types and wire sizes.

The quality of the crimp is guaranteed by a full-cycle mechanism that assures that the dies have closed completely before they are reopened.

Unicrimp 208

UNICRIMP 208 CRIMPING MACHINE

The Schleuniger UniCrimp 208 is a high-performance benchtop crimping machine designed for precise and efficient crimping of rear-feed and side-feed banded terminals. With a crimping force of 33 kN (3.3 tons), it accommodates a wide range of wire sizes and terminal types, making it ideal for various wire harness assembly applications.

Processing Capabilities

  • Discrete wire crimping Discrete wire crimping
  • Multiconductor cable crimping Multiconductor cable crimping
Strip crimp 208

STRIPCRIMP 208 STRIPPING MACHINE

The Schleuniger StripCrimp 208 stripping machine combines the standard working processes of cable processing in a single machine. Short breakout lengths of 22 mm (0.86") and even down to 10 mm (0.39") using special tools permit the processing of sensor applications.

Materials

  • Discrete Wire
  • Multiconductor Cable

Processing Capabilities

  • Discrete wire crimping Discrete wire crimping
  • Discrete wire stripping Discrete wire stripping
  • Discrete wire stripping crimping Discrete wire stripping & crimping
  • Multiconductor cable crimping Multiconductor cable crimping
  • Multiconductor cable stripping Multiconductor cable stripping
  • Multiconductor cable stripping crimping Multiconductor cable stripping & crimping
  • Multistep stripping Multistep stripping
Coaxstrip 6480

COAXSTRIP 6480 STRIPPING MACHINE

The semiautomatic Schleuniger CoaxStrip 6480 stripping machine processes coaxial cables with an outer diameter of 1.2 to 12 millimeters.

It is equipped with "cable end detection" and "cable diameter verification."

Wtt wire terminal

WTT WIRE TERMINAL PULL TESTER

The WTT Wire Terminal Pull Tester is designed to test the pull-out force of crimped wire terminals. It features a digital display for accurate force measurement and can be used for quality control in wire harness production.

The tester helps ensure that crimped connections meet required specifications and industry standards for pull-out strength.

BENEFITS OF WIRE HARNESSES

  • Check

    Efficiency

    Combines multiple wires into one assembly, reducing clutter and improving organization.

  • Check

    Cost-Effectiveness

    Reduces material waste and installation time.

  • Check

    Customization

    Designed to fit specific system requirements.

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    Durability

    Withstands mechanical stress and environmental exposure.

Benefits of wire harness

Applications for Wire Harnesses

Automotive

Automotive

Used for engines, lighting, infotainment systems, and more.

Aerospace

Aerospace

Supports critical avionics and communication systems.

Biomedical

Medical Devices

Found in imaging equipment, diagnostic tools, and patient monitors.

Industrial

Industrial Machinery

Powers automated systems and robotics.

Consumer electronics

Consumer Electronics

Provides connectivity in appliances, computers, and audio systems.

If you're looking for more technical details or advice on wire harness design, manufacturing, or suppliers, feel free to ask!

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