Page 22 - 2021 Connectivity Components: Everything but the Connectors eBook

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Automating High-Voltage Cable Connector Assembly
Rob Boyd, Senior Product Manager, Schleuniger Inc.
The electric vehicle (EV) cable harness market is exciting and changing rapidly as new techologies emerge, making it one of the hottest topics in the world of wire processing today. Those looking to expand into this market should understand the process of effectively automating high-voltage (HV) cable connector assemblies.
High-voltage connectors used in EV applications have many components, therefore several process steps must be performed in a specific sequence. While most customers want to automate every process step, the cost of a fully automatic system may not be justified.
Some process steps are more challenging and require more precision. For instance, removing the foil layer or cutting the shield is critical because connector performance or safety may be affected significantly. Furthermore, some process steps are required for almost all connectors and cable types, whereas others are required only for certain connectors. Depending on the volume of a particular connector series, it might make sense to automate only the critical or common steps and continue the simpler or uncommon steps with manual processes. However, it can all be automated if the volumes justify it.
Currently more than 97% of HV applications require shielded cables, whether they be multiconductor or coaxial cables. HV applications range from 3 mm2 up to 120 mm2 in single-conductor (coaxial) or 2x2.5 mm2 up to 5x6.0 mm2 in multiconductor cables for a tremendous variety of single- and multi-cable connectors. Customers who are serious about expanding their offering into HV cable assemblies must look at automation solutions that provide not only high precision but complete flexibility so that any investments are protected knowing that processing requirements can change in the future. It is important that systems can be expanded in the field so they can grow and adapt with the business.
Different connectors can have very different individual process steps because of their different functions and/or constructions. However, some basic steps apply to almost all of them. These steps pertain to properly stripping the cable and loading the ferrules.