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Application Status and Prospect of Foaming Technology in Automobile Wiring Harness

In recent years, China’s automobile industry has developed rapidly, and polyurethane, one of the polymer materials, is used more and more widely in auto parts.

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In automotive wiring harness products, the main function of the wire harness guide groove is to ensure that the wire harness is safely protected and fixed to the body in the small and irregular hidden space of the car. In locations with relatively low ambient temperature requirements, such as the passenger compartment area, use high-molecular-weight plastic as the material for the harness guide. In harsh environments such as high temperature and vibration, such as engine compartments, materials with higher temperature resistance, such as glass fiber reinforced nylon, should be selected.
The traditional engine wiring harnesses are protected by corrugated tubes, and the wiring harnesses completed by this design have the characteristics of low cost, simple and flexible manufacture. However, the anti-corrosion and anti-fouling ability of the finished wire is poor, especially dust, oil, etc. can easily penetrate into the wire harness.
The wire harness completed by polyurethane foam molding has good guidance and is easy to install. The worker only needs to follow the forming direction and path after getting the wire harness, and it can be installed in one step, and it is not easy to make mistakes. The wiring harness made of polyurethane has many characteristics superior to ordinary wiring harnesses, such as oil resistance, strong dust resistance, and no noise after the wiring harness is installed, and can be made into various irregular shapes according to the body space.

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However, because the wiring harness made of this material requires a large investment in fixed equipment in the early stage, many wiring harness manufacturers have not adopted this method, and only a few high-end cars such as Mercedes-Benz and Audi engine wiring harnesses are used. However, when the order quantity is large and relatively stable, if the average cost and quality stability are to be calculated, then this kind of wire harness has a better competitive advantage.

Outlook
Compared with the traditional injection molding process, RIM polyurethane materials and processes have the advantages of low energy consumption, light weight, simple process, low mold and manufacturing costs, etc. Modern automobiles are designed to meet higher comfort requirements, and their functions are becoming more and more complex. More parts must be accommodated in the space, so the space left for the wiring harness is more narrow and irregular. The traditional injection mold is more and more restricted in this regard, while the polyurethane mold design is more flexible.
Reinforced Reaction Injection Molding (RRIM) is a new type of reaction injection molding technology that produces products with better mechanical properties by placing fibrous fillers such as glass fibers in a preheated mold.
Using existing polyurethane equipment and materials to carry out research work on polyurethane technology can optimize the manufacturing process of materials and improve the performance of materials. In the future, the technology should be introduced more deeply into the manufacture of automotive wiring harness guide grooves. Ultimately enable enterprises to achieve the goal of reducing costs and improving market competitiveness.


Post time: Jul-20-2022