![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2020\/04\/fig6-1024x426.jpg\")
For example, consider a harness manufacturer producing\ndiesel and gasoline versions of a front-end harness. The manufacturer has\ndecided to produce each version on its own production line, but, after\nbeginning production, the take rate for the diesel harnesses has dropped while\nthe rate for the gasoline harnesses has increased. This leaves excess capacity\non the diesel-only production line while simultaneously straining the capacity\nof the gasoline-only production line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The manufacturer could set up a second production line for\nthe gasoline front-end harness to cover the increased take rate. However, this\nwill require more factory space, more equipment and more operators, further\ncutting into profitability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A better approach might be to redesign the diesel production\nline to allow it to produce both the diesel and gasoline harnesses on the same\nline. This can be achieved through a merged formboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the potential benefits illustrated by the example above, there is often resistance to even considering merged production lines because of a) the initial challenge of merging complex formboards, and b) the complexity of change management thereafter. The difficulties of merging formboards, however, are caused primarily by a reliance on manual drawing tools to create harness designs and formboard diagrams (figure 2). Today, however, modern electrical systems and wire harness engineering software can drastically reduce the challenge of merging even complex formboards, and streamline change management afterwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Capital software, from Siemens Digital Industries Software,\nmaintains harness designs as part of a robust digital thread that connects\nharness design and manufacturing to the entire vehicle development flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A harness design in the Capital suite is stored as a\ndataset. The software can use this dataset to automatically generate a variety\nof diagrams, including formboards. Each diagram can be styled independently,\nallowing engineers to create the right graphical representation for each use\ncase. Change management is easier and more reliable since data, once entered,\ncan be reused almost indefinitely, and because data and the corresponding\ndiagrams remain related to each other for the entire flow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Capital also dramatically reduces the time required to\ncreate a merged board. Capital Formboard Manager can calculate the actual\namount of common content between candidate formboards at the click of a button.\nThen, automated merge functionality can take over the repetitive tasks,\nallowing engineers to focus on more important tasks. The tool also makes it\neasy to retain the position of existing fixtures on the physical formboard\nduring the merge. Indeed, since relationships to the candidates (source\ndesigns) are maintained throughout the merge formboard process, change\nmanagement is generally very fast and easy to handle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Capital Formboard Manager enables the creation and maintenance of merged formboards in an environment based on contiguous data flows. The tool makes it easy for manufacturing engineering department to maximize efficiency of their production lines. Transitioning from a purely manual approach relying exclusively on drawing tools to one centered on linked data vastly reduces the effort required to merge and combine boards and production lines. Capital allows manufacturing engineers to focus on what they do best, like quickly working through various line optimization scenarios, rather than operating ponderous drawing software. For harness manufacturers, this means making better shop-floor decisions and, ultimately, reaching the profitability zone that much faster as inevitable changes are made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read more in this white paper: Technology for greater wiring harness manufacturing efficiency<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2020\/04\/Fig-2-old-processes-bad-1024x576.jpg\")
Capital: how merged formboards should be designed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n