UT Automotive Introduces New Foam Application Method For Automotive Wire Harnesses
18 September 1997
UT Automotive Introduces New Foam Application Method For Automotive Wire Harnesses
DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 18 -- UT Automotive, a United
Technologies company, today unveiled a patent-pending new foam-application
process that will improve quality, ease installation and reduce the cost of
producing wire harnesses for automotive customers.
UT Automotive introduced the new foamed-in wire harness application during
the grand opening of the company's new $3 million Idea Center in Dearborn,
Mich.
Though still in the development and testing stages, UT Automotive already
has applied for nine patents on the process and hopes to have the new method
in use before the turn of the century.
"This may be one of the most innovative changes in automotive wire harness
manufacturing," said Ed Buker, president of UT Automotive's Electrical Systems
- Americas organization. "The foam-application process will improve the way
wiring harnesses are manufactured today.
"Eventually, we believe this method will enable us to better integrate our
electrical and interior products and produce one seamless integrated system
for our automotive customers." Today, wiring harnesses are a labor-intensive
manufacturing process in which bundles of wire are held together by tape or
straps, in tubes or troughs, or any other method that can keep the harnesses
in place.
The new method improves past practices by sealing the bundled wires
together through the foam-application process.
Benefits of the new method include higher quality, savings in production
costs, easier assembly, and major reductions in buzz, squeak and rattle
noises.
"Loose wiring harnesses can cause rattles and other noises in cars," Buker
said. "The foam-application process will greatly reduce the number of loose
wires, along with the resulting noise."
Development of the foam-application process was aided by UT Automotive's
unique mix of electrical and interior trim products. UT Automotive's
Interiors operation includes such foam-injected products as armrests and
headrests. UT Automotive engineers used their expertise to develop the new
method for producing wire harnesses.
"We're taking the knowledge of foam-in-place from our Interiors business
and applying it to our wiring operation," said Masa Sone, UT Automotive's vice
president of Advanced Technology.
The first wiring harnesses produced by the foam-application are expected
to be two-dimensional, which means they will have to be shaped to fit the
customer's space requirements. Eventually, however, UT Automotive expects to
produce 3-D wire harnesses that will be shaped and molded into the customer's
exact requirements.
Plans also are under way to integrate wiring harnesses with headliners,
door panels and center consoles by molding the harness directly on to the
interior trim.
"Not many other suppliers have the capability to do this," Sone said.
"But we have the perfect mix of electrical and interior trim products to
provide this kind of systems integration."
UT Automotive is a $3 billion tier-one supplier of electrical, electronic
and interior trim systems and components to car and light truck manufacturers.
Based in Dearborn, Mich., the company has 40,000 employees and 90
manufacturing plants in 18 countries throughout North and South America,
Europe and Asia.
UT Automotive is a subsidiary of Hartford, Conn.-based United Technologies
Corp. , which provides a broad range of high-technology products
and services to the aerospace, building systems and automotive industries.
SOURCE UT Automotive