Wiring harness design in CATIA V5 - 3D modeling Week 2 Challenge

Steps involved in creating a catalogue-

• First click on FILE and then click on NEW, then click on CATALOGUE DOCUMENT. Then click on FAMILY DEFINITION option.
• Now by clicking the TYPE as ELECTRICAL and name it as CONNECTORS and save the file in folder.
• Then by clicking on TOOLS menu and then further click on OPTIONS menu. Under options menu click on EQUIPMENT and SYSTEMS. In that select ELECTRICAL MAPPING and click on file slection and navigate to the folder above which we have created and click ok.

Steps for defining a component as electrical-

• Download the CAD data and open into CATIA V5
• Now choose the interface as PART DESIGN. Then by using POINT option create a point at the centre of the mating side of the connector and rename it as connector connection point. Then choose the AXIS SYSTEM option and choose the point created as origin and rotate the axes such that the X axis is directing towards the Locking system of connector, Y axis in the direction of mating face and click OK.
• Similarly create a point on the mounting edge of the connector and create a axis system similar to connector connection point. This process is done unless there is mounting edge at the bottom of connector.
• Also create a bundle entry point by using POINT option at the other end of the connector in the centre and name it as bundle entry point.
• Now choose the interface for elctrical part design.
• Then Click on DEFINE CONNECTOR option and click on connector and name the connector type and type the number of terminals present and click OK. Now it in model tree it will showing it as ELECTRICAL.
• Then choose the DEFINE CONNECTOR CONNECTION POINT option from toolbar and select the part body. Then in pop-up window select the REPRESENTATION as the POINT created on the mating side, CONTACT as the face, COINCIDENCE as Y AXIS and ORIENTATION as X AXIS.
• Then click on DEFINE BUNDLE CONNECTION POINT option from toolbar. Then select the part body and choose thE REPRESENTATION as face and select the POINT as the point created on the other side. Then select the INITIAL CONDITION as the face and click OK.
• Similarly by using the DEFINE CAVITY CONNECTION POINT option, click on the part body. Then select the reprentation as the point created on the mounting phase and select the contact as the face which will be in contact with connector clip and coincidence as Y axis and orientation as X axis. This operation is OPTIONAL.