What is a Wiring Harness?
A wiring harness or also known as a cable harness, wire harness, cable assembly, wiring assembly or wiring loom is a group of electrical wires that have a protective outside coating that are bundled together to form a harness. The purpose of a wire harness is to transmit an electrical signal or power to a device. The bundle of wires are bound together and held in place by cable tie, tape or any other binding material. It is then installed and fitted into the electrical component they were designed for. Then it will be fitted with a type of connector, pin or terminator specific to its function. A connector, terminator and wire are the three basic components of a harness.
Wire harness sizes can range anywhere from a few small wires installed in computers to thousands of wires bundled together to give power to an aircraft. Not only can the number of wires vary but so does the weight and price of the harness.
Many people are unaware that wiring harnesses are used very commonly and can be found in almost all electric items around you. Some of the devices that people don’t realize wire harnesses are installed in are cars, machines, recreational vehicles (RV), airplanes, medical equipment and much more!
What are the benefits?
Choosing to manufacture a wire harness for your electrical device over loose wires or cables can provide you and your business with several benefits.
Firstly, building a wiring harness can save you a lot of time installing, making the job much easier. It is more efficient to build the harness on a table then to individually install and route each wire into the device. In addition to individually installing each wire you will then have to connect each wire to a terminator or connector. It is much faster to install the bundle of wires all at once, with the necessary connectors already attached.
Secondly, installing a wire in your electrical device helps to maintain organization and optimize the usage of space. For example, some bundles of wire are hundreds of feet long when fully extended. At full extension it would not fit compactedly inside a RV or aircraft. Moreover, bundling the wires in a harness prevents loose wires hanging out or taking up space.
Lastly, a wiring harness helps to minimize damage to the wiring or cable. By bundling the wires or cables into a harness better protects them against the adverse effects of abrasions, vibrations and moisture. It can also decrease the risk of a short occurring.
