What Is A Wire Harness?

Welcome to the Flux Connectivity Blog! We look forward to making it a top source of news and information regarding any and everything to do with our company and our industry as a whole. Here’s hoping it’s as intriguing as it is informative, especially considering that technologies are consistently evolving. As a result, your needs will constantly change. Flux Connectivity intends on providing innovative connectivity and manufacturing solutions to keep your business on the cutting edge. Among our specialties are wire harnesses, cable assembly and junction boxes. Over the course of the next three blogs, we’ll be clarifying what each one of these specialties is all about!

So what is a wire harness?

To define it, it’s probably best to start with explaining what it is not. You see, all too often, the terms “wire harness” and “cable assembly” get used to describe the same thing. Most people confuse wires and cables to be one and the same. However, they are quite different from each other as they perform different functions. A wire harness can be defined as a grouping of wires that are designed to transmit signals or electrical power. Usually, a wire harness has multiple branches or ends that can go off in a number of directions with several terminations on each branch. The branches are sometimes made distinct by the various colors of their exterior coverings which are made from a thermoset or thermoplastic material. A cable assembly, on the other hand, usually has just two ends. We’ll cover that more extensively in our next blog.

What is the purpose of the exterior coverings?

The material that covers each wire of a wire harness is there to protect you, not the actual wires. As Bob LeGere of iConn Systems explains, the coverings protect people and other environmental materials from harm that can be caused by the flow of electricity. The various colors also help to organize electrical systems and make it easy for technicians to navigate. “This solution is typically employed in applications where moisture, dust, temperature and friction are not a concern—for example, when the wires will exist inside a housing unit or shell, like a remote control,” LeGere writes.

What is a wire harness used for?

At Flux Connectivity, we manufacture wire harnesses for a variety of companies from different industries. They are most often used in the automotive, construction and, as you may have guessed, electronic industries. Wire harnesses can typically be found in such household appliances as refrigerators, washing machines and dryers. “A wire harness is typically designed to simplify the manufacture of a larger component, and is designed based on the geometric and electrical requirements of the equipment it is to be installed in,” Epec Engineered Technologies elaborates on their website, “The wire harness simplifies the building of these larger components by integrating the wiring into a single unit, or several units, for ‘drop-in’ installation.” We imagine that you may have more questions about wire harnesses. The Flux Connectivity team would only be too happy to answer them for you. For more information, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1-800-557-FLUX or email us at connect@fluxconnectivity.com.