Challenge

Project 1

AIM:

  • To design and develop the Wire Harness Routing for the given V16 Engine by following the design and packaging rules.

OBJECTIVE: Connector Catalogue: We will create a comprehensive catalogue of all connectors, documenting their electrical specifications, pinouts, and other relevant information. This catalogue will serve as a reference for future wire harness design and maintenance.

    1. Connector and Cavity Placement: Following the given requirements, we will accurately position the connectors and their corresponding cavities within the engine compartment. This will ensure proper electrical connections and facilitate efficient assembly and maintenance.

    2. P Clamp and Fir Tree Clip Placement: Adhering to packaging rules, we will strategically place P Clamps and Fir Tree clips to secure and route the wire harness effectively. This will prevent excessive movement, chafing, and potential damage to the wires and connectors.

    3. Wire Harness Routing: By considering the required specifications and packaging rules, we will create an optimized wire harness routing. We will carefully plan the paths, ensuring efficient cable management, minimal interference, and ease of maintenance. Branch points will be introduced wherever necessary to accommodate multiple connections.

    4. Wire Harness Flattening: Once the routing is established, we will flatten the wire harness to create a two-dimensional representation. This will provide a clear visualization of the harness layout, allowing for easier analysis, review, and modification if needed.

    5. Drawing Sheet Display: Finally, we will transfer the flattened wire harness view onto a drawing sheet. This drawing will accurately depict the wire harness routing, connector positions, cavities, and support elements. It will serve as a comprehensive reference for assembly, installation, and troubleshooting.

    Design Methodology:

    Step 1: Context Creation Begin by creating a product file named "Engine Wiring Harness Context." This file will serve as the assembly point for all the necessary part and product files required for the wire harness routing process.

    Step 2: Geometric Bundle Next, establish another product file called "Engine Geometric Bundle." Within this file, incorporate all the connectors and finalize the routing configuration, ensuring that the wire harness is included as part of this product file.

    Step 3: Main Assembly Incorporate the V16 Engine, the Geometric Bundle file, and any other necessary parts or products into the primary "Engine Wiring Harness Context" product file. This will provide the complete framework for the wire harness routing design.

    Step 4: Electrical Definition Proceed with the electrical definition of each connector, cavity clip, and channel part. Assign the appropriate Connector Connection Point and Bundle Connection Point for each component. Once the electrical definitions are established for each connector, save them in the Connector catalogue for future reference and utilization.

    By following these steps, we ensure a systematic approach to the design process, starting with the creation of the overall context and progressively refining the assembly. With a dedicated product file for the geometric bundle, we can focus on incorporating the connectors and finalizing the routing configuration. By carefully defining the electrical aspects and saving them in the Connector catalogue, we establish a foundation for the wire harness routing design.

    ELECTRICALLY DEFINING CONNECTORS:

    1. C-1563689-1

    2. C-282080-1

    3. C-173090-2

    4. C-776438-4

    5. C-1924487-2

    6. SPEED AND POSITION SENSOR:

    7. COOLANT/ENGINE OIL TEMPERATURE SENSOR:

    8. P - CLAMP:

    9. FIR TREE CLIP:

    10. FIR TREE:

    11. CHANNEL BOTTOM RIGHT SIDE:

    12. CHANNEL BOTTOM LEFT SIDE:

    SAVING IN THE RESPECTIVE CATALOGUE:

    Step - 5:

    • Add all the connectors to the Geometric Bundle product file and place them using the 'Smart Move' or 'Manipulation Tool' command and the compass into their desired location

    • Here in this V16 Engine we have:
      • 8 Fuel Injectors on each side (8+8)
      • 2 Cam Shaft Sensors on each side of the cylinder block (2+2)
      • 1 Engine Coolant temperature sensor placed on the center of the engine.
      • Engine Oil temperature and pressure sensor placed at the Oil sump of the engine on each side (1+1)
      • 1 Vehicle Speed Sensor at the Cylinder Head Block.
      • 1 Neutral position of the transmission sensor at the Cylinder Head Block.
    • So, all the connectors are placed according to their specified location
    • During the placing of the connectors the important part is the placing of the Interconnecting connector which will connect the Engine Wiring Harness to the Vehicle/Chassis Wiring Harness for the transfer of signals and data.
    • In order to place and position the Interconnecting Connector we need to find the proper place and also, we need to keep in mind that no thread can be can be drilled into the Engine Block because they are tightened using a proper torque wrench and if they are used on the Engine blocks there will be sealing issues after tightening the screws.
    • To place the Interconnection Connector on to our Engine let us assume that the Vehicle harness is on the right side of the engine then we can place the Connector at the right side of the engine.
    • As discussed above we cannot place the cavity clip onto the Engine block so we can use one of the hole provided onto the engine casing to place our 'L-Clip' on which we can place our Interconnection Connector.
    • To decide the proper orientation of the L-Clip we need to consider that during tightening of the screw with a torque wrench the L-Clip may tend to rotate. So, we must place the L-Clip in such a manner that the surrounding provides an obstruction or barrier to the movement of the L-Clip and it doesn't rotate during the tightening of the screws.

    • From the above pictures we can clearly see that the L - Clip is mounted to one of the holes provide on the Engine block for the screw and it is rested onto the ribs so that it restricts it's rotational movement during tightening of the screw.
    • And also, we can see that the Interconnection Connector have been placed and it is Electrically connected with the cavity provided for it.
    • The L - Clip should be added to the main product as it is not a part of the Geometric bundle or the Wire harness bundle.

    Step - 6:

    • To place the P - Clamp and the Fir Tree in proper location which will be required for the routing.
    • The p - Clamps are mounted onto the holes on the Engine block which are provided for the screws to tighten the Engine block.
    • The Fir tree clips are positioned according to the requirement during the wire harness routing.
    • After finalization of the routing, we can request the Engine design team to provide the holes for the Fir tree clips as per their location.

    LOCATION OF THE P - CLAMPS:

    SOME IMPORTANT PACKAGING RULES TO BE CONSIDERED DURING WIRE HARNESS ROUTING AND PLACING OF THE CLIPS AND CLAMPS:

    • P - Clamps, Fir tree clips and other clips can be added to the Geometric bundle as they are electrically defined and are part of the Wire harness routing and should be provided with the Wire bundle package.
    • The minimum bundle length should be 50mm.
    • Enough slack should be provided so, that the wiring harness do not get damaged during the Engine rocking or starting condition.
    • The wire harness routing should be done in such a way that it is easy in manufacturing and serviceability.
    • The wire routing should be done keeping in mind the cost effectiveness of the bundle package.
    • To avoid the harness routing and clipping in blind zones of the operator during the assembly and the service.
    • Additional slack should be given according to the surrounding and harness bending requirements.
    • To avoid giving excess slack and avoid giving slacks wherever not necessary.
    • To provide proper slack at end connectors so that there will be no tension on the wire bundle.
    • To avoid sharp edges on the sheet metal parts and if it is not possible then provide protection parts to prevent damage of the wire bundle.
    • The minimum distance between two straight connection points should be 200mm.
    • The minimum distance between clip and the nearest branching point should be 25mm.
    • The minimum distance between two breakout points should be 50mm.
    • To limit the number of branches from a single branch point to 4.
    • To provide separate branch points for separate connectors to ensure Poka-Yoke.

    Keeping all the above packaging rules we can start the routing of the wire and provide clipping and clamping wherever necessary during the routing process.

    HARNESS ROUTING

    Wire Routing

    ROUTING FOR THE FUEL INJECTORS:

    • To route the wire for the fuel injectors we need to provide a channel so that the wire bundle can be safely routed inside the channel and the wires will not get damaged due to the high temperature.
    • And also, the wire bundle can be packaged with proper orientation inside it.
    • The channel should be added to the Geometric Bundle part as it will be a part of the Geometric Bundle.
    • Also, the channel should be electrically defined for different bundle connection point.
    • An external curve can be used for routing the wire inside the channel to make it easier for the wire routing.

    CHANNEL ROUTING FOR THE RIGHT SIDE:

    CHANNEL ROUTING FOR THE LEFT SIDE:

    Step - 7:

    • After completing the routing, we need to check that if any of the bundles is interacting with the Engine part.
    • There must be proper clearance between the wire bundle and the engine part.
    • Additional slack or Fir tree can be placed to ensure proper routing.
    • We need to ensure that the entire bundle is fully connected.

    Step - 8:

    • After finally completing the wire harness routing by following the packaging rules we need to provide protection parts wherever necessary.

    APPLYING PROTECTION PART TO THE REQUIRED BUNDLES:

    Step - 9:

    • After finally completing the wire harness routing by following the packaging rules we need to flatten our wire harness assembly.
    • To create the wire harness flattening we need to create another product file and navigate to the 'Electrical Harness Flattening' workbench.
    • In the workbench first we need to define the Harness Flattening Parameters and then Extract the geometric bundle from the wiring harness context product file.
    • Then we can select all the branches and flatten the entire Geometric bundle.
    • If all the bundles are fully connected then by selecting 'select all branches' the entire bundle can be selected and flattened.
    • The bundles can be rotated and rolled with a proper radius in order to fit the drawing sheet.

    WIRE HARNESS FLATTENING:

    Step - 10:

    • The main product file can be converted into a part file so that no component is missed out during transfer of files

    Conclusion:

    Throughout this project, we have gained valuable insights into the process of wire harness routing for a V16 Engine. We have learned about the importance of adhering to packaging rules to ensure efficient and optimized wire routing. The project has also provided us with the knowledge and skills necessary to flatten the wire harness and create a clear representation on a drawing sheet.

    In addition to these accomplishments, we have identified a crucial next step in the process. After finalizing the wire routing, it is advisable to collaborate with the Engine design team to request the incorporation of additional holes specifically intended for the mounting of Fir tree clips. This collaboration will ensure that the wire harness is properly secured and supported, further enhancing the overall reliability and functionality of the engine's electrical system.

    By successfully completing this project, we have not only acquired valuable practical experience in wire harness routing but also developed an understanding of the collaborative nature of engineering projects. The knowledge gained from this project will contribute to our future endeavors in designing efficient and reliable wire harness systems for various applications.

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