Apparatus and Method for Automated Preparation and Provision of Individual Conductor Elements for a Cable Harness

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This patent describes a system and method for the fully automated preparation and provision of individual wire or cable elements for cable harnesses, particularly for automotive applications. The invention features modular processing stations (such as cutting, stripping, contacting, and buffering), an innovative transport system with programmable movers and grippers, and a process that allows each wire element to be custom prepared and delivered to different stations without manual intervention.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Automated manufacturing of automotive cable harnesses for custom vehicle configurations
• Production of complex electrical wiring sets for machinery, industrial automation, or aerospace systems
• Flexible and high-mix cable assembly lines in electronics manufacturing plants
• Rapid, on-demand preparation of cable elements for customer-specific wiring solutions

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Greatly reduces manual labor and human error in cable harness preparation
• Enables fast, customized production of cable harnesses, suiting individual order specifications and just-in-time manufacturing
• Increases quality and consistency of wire preparation through modular, programmable automation
• Scales easily to new cable types or harness designs by reconfiguring or adding modules
• Increases productivity and reduces lead time for cable harness providers

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The system (2) functions for the automated preparation and provision of individual line elements (22) for a cable set (3). The system (2) also has multiple first processing stations, namely, in particular, a cutting station (A), a stripping station (B), a contacting station (C) and a buffer station (D). In addition, a first transport system (26) is provided, having a circulating guide rail (36) which runs along the first processing stations, in particular those arranged next to one another. First individually moveable transporters (38) are arranged on the guide rail (36), having grippers (72) for gripping line ends of a line element (22). An individual supplying of the line elements (22) to the individual processing stations occurs via the first transporter (38), in order to carry out corresponding processing steps at said processing stations.