DiIT describes the trends in wiring harness production for 2019

Krailling, January 9, 2019 – DiIT, a leading supplier of integrated software solutions for engineering and manufacturing execution systems (MES), highlights the most important trends affecting wiring harness production in 2019.

Although wiring harness production continues to rely on manual activities, digitization continues to advance dynamically. For 2019 DiIT has identified four trends – sensor technology, quality, traceability and manufacturing management.

  1. Sensor technology

Sensor technology is crucial in the digitization of industrial production. Two main developments have led to a huge increase in the number of sensor technology applications in recent years. Firstly, there is the increasing miniaturization of sensors which now enables them to be used on or in virtually all objects and secondly, sensors and the corresponding communication systems have become significantly more cost-effective over the past decade, meaning their use in all possible objects is now a cost-effective possibility.

As regards wiring harness production, there are several multi-level starting points for an increased implementation of such sensors to optimize the production process. For example, sensors for data collection can be attached to machines, raw materials and tools. By connecting sensor technology to the respective superordinate MES, figures are derived from the collected data which are then visualized for users and which form the basis for sound decision-making. Analysis of the data shows how the figures can be improved and how overall wiring harness production process can be further optimized, for instance, through a productivity increase or reduction in maintenance costs – the keywords here being Predictive and Preventive Maintenance.

  1. Quality 4.0

In wiring harness production the quality assurance process still involves many manual activities. For example, samples are taken based on statistical processes according to specific batch counters and the parts are then verified to ensure compliance with specifications. This is an intervention in the production process which also means that any faults are only ascertained subsequently.

Such a procedure is no longer compatible with the requirements of digitization. With the increased networking of components in a production process, quality assurance must also be digitized, for instance through the use of sensors which evaluate machine data during the ongoing process. Just such a digitization lies ahead for the wiring harness sector. The corresponding concept is Quality 4.0 which describes the requirements of digitized production for quality assurance processes. Pre-requisites for the implementation are comprehensive real-time machine data evaluation and adequate interfaces through which systems can exchange their data without media disruptions.

  1. Traceability

Against the backdrop of increasing quality requirements, continuous traceability is generally considered to be essential because it enables accurate fault detection. Traceability means that at any time it can be determined for every product or trade good when, where and through whom the goods were acquired, produced, processed, stored, transported and disposed of. In future, blockchain will be an important factor in the development of a continuous process data chain enabling 100% traceability for wiring harness production. Blockchain or similar structures in the private cloud could be in a position to make data for quality assurance and traceability available from different manufacturers if required.

  1. Manufacturing Management

The challenge when using a local MES and databases is that it is difficult to compare them across multiple sites. This also makes cross-site process optimization more difficult. As a result, Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) as a comprehensive manufacturing management system is becoming increasingly important as it incorporates the classic MES, yet at the same time represents a company-wide management solution.

“Increasing quality requirements and rising cost pressure are challenging the wiring harness industry and forcing process optimization, quality improvement and the reduction of storage volumes and lead time,” explains Bernd Jost, managing director of DiIT GmbH. Over the next few years the issues of sensor technology, quality 4.0 and traceability will play a decisive role.”

 

About DiIT

DiIT GmbH, based in Krailling near Munich, is the world’s leading provider of integrated software solutions for manufacturing execution (MES), customized wire harness production and logistics. DiIT‘s competencies are bundled in the “4Wire Solutions” software suite, which is primarily used for the production of wire harnesses and wiring systems in the automotive industry and other industrial sectors. By digitalizing the value chains, the company‘s innovative software optimizes and controls complex manufacturing and logistics processes and supports quality assurance and traceability. DiIT was founded in 1990 and has a subsidiary in Berlin. DiIT is also represented in the key markets Mexico and China. The company offers a comprehensive services package to both large and small customers which covers consulting, project management and customized implementation and training. The DiIT support line is available during 24 hours and 365 days. DiIT is a wholly-owned, independently managed company of the Schleuniger Group. Schleuniger is a globally active technology company and a leading solution supplier in the wire processing industry.

More information:
Patricia Lange
DiIT GmbH
Justus-von-Liebig-Ring 11a
D-82152 Krailling
Tel.: +49 89 8932500
info@diit.de