Automatisierte Umhüllungsverfahren für PKW-Bordnetzsysteme

Description

The increasing demands of autonomous driving functions and electromobility have led to greater complexity and size in vehicle wiring systems. Functional safety requires automated and traceable manufacturing processes; however, wiring harness production has changed little over the past 30 years and still exhibits a low degree of automation. One of the most time-consuming processes is the taping of wiring harnesses, which accounts for approximately 25–30% of the total production time. This thesis focuses on automating the encapsulation of wiring harnesses. It examines various automation approaches and evaluates their functional performance and efficiency. Previous promising methods, such as spray coating or dip coating, failed to fully meet the bundling requirements or presented disadvantages in material efficiency or handling complexity. A novel dispensing-based encapsulation method using high-viscosity, shear-thinning RTV2 silicones proved to be promising. The process enables fast, robot-assisted encapsulation by liquefying the material through shear and injecting it into the wiring harness. The adhesion of the silicones used, combined with increased viscosity, prevents unbundling. Tests such as short-term aging and bending confirmed the material’s reliability. This research highlights potential for future improvements in both materials and processes and contributes to increasing the level of automation in wiring harness production. Optimizations in areas such as UV-curable silicones and automation-friendly assembly boards could further support the adoption of this method.