The wiring harness, which connects all electrical and electronic components in the vehicle, is the focus of technologically sophisticated automation of its value chain. Robotics can play a crucial role in this by supporting or replacing previous manual activities in wiring harness production.

A recent excursion by the Transformation Hub Leitungssatz at automatica 2023 in Munich (here find more information about the excursion) enabled industry experts to explore the advances in robotics through sensors and AI. Despite the impressive capabilities of the exhibitors, it became clear that many application examples are not directly transferable to the specific challenges of the wiring harness. This led to the initiation of the Wiring Harness Hub Robotics Challenge.

The Robotics Challenge calls for the automation of a defined wiring harness assembly process using typical components under specified conditions. Participation in this challenge enables robotics companies to not only demonstrate innovative technologies and capabilities, but also to contribute to the further development of specific applications in the field of wiring harness assembly. These initiatives are crucial for the promotion and advancement of automation in this demanding process environment.

The wiring harness is one of the most expensive and complex individual components of the car. With an enormous variety of variants due to different vehicle models and modern trends such as electromobility and autonomous driving, the demands on the on-board network are constantly increasing. Until now, this complexity could only be managed economically through manual production. In Europe and North Africa, more than 250.000 jobs are directly or indirectly linked to the production of wiring harnesses. The automation of this process therefore offers immense potential.

Participants of the challenge have the opportunity to present their solutions on the annual event of the Transformation Hub Wiring Harness in spring 2024. The most promising approaches will be selected by experts and representatives of the wiring harness industry and disseminated throughout the industry.