Q5D Technologies is leading AutoLoom, a collaborative project to develop automated digital manufacturing for automotive wiring systems.
The project includes Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), a major UK automotive manufacturer, and Artifex, part of Tata AutoComp, with funding facilitated by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK through the UK Government’s DRIVE35 programme.
The project will establish a production-representative automated wiring line in the UK for conventional flat harnesses and pre-wired vehicle components. The system will use digital design data and robotic manufacturing to reduce the manual processes traditionally involved in wiring harness production.
Wiring harness manufacturing remains one of the less automated areas of vehicle production. The increasing electrical complexity of electric vehicles (EVs) and software-defined vehicles is creating additional requirements for wiring systems and their production.
Rather than relying on conventional harness-board production, AutoLoom will use digital manufacturing tools to place wires directly onto flat substrates or shaped vehicle components. Potential applications include vehicle headliners, bumpers, and door panels.
The project is intended to demonstrate the technology in a production-representative environment ahead of potential use in the participating automotive manufacturer’s 2030/31 vehicle programs. Manufacturing decisions are expected before then, with production equipment planned for 2028 and operation beginning in 2029.
According to WMG, the project will assess advanced automation for vehicle wiring manufacturing and generate production-level data that can be used to evaluate future industrial adoption. Tata AutoComp said integrating wiring more closely with vehicle architecture could contribute to lighter, more efficient vehicles.
Filed Under: Technology News