Arik Vrobel’s Post

We’ve spent years looking at wire harness component spec sheets. Many times, there is a conflict in data for the exact same part. Here are a few of the top examples that we’ve encountered at Cableteque. 1. Suppliers provide erroneous data - In the example from the video, the manufacturer spec calls out a chromel material but a supplier spec calls out a bronze material for the exact same shell. 2. Part is not meant to be manufactured, but can can still be ordered - Sometimes the manufacturer specifies that a part is non manufacturable, but it exists on the supplier’s website. Who can you trust in this situation? 3. Phantom parts - Sometimes a part doesn’t exist on the manufacturer’s spec sheet, but it can still be ordered on the supplier’s website? What’s the reality? Examples like these show us that there must be a single source of truth in wire harness part data, otherwise you will encounter contradictions, resulting in errors in your designs.

Supply chain disruptions wreak havoc on wire harness designers. Currently, designers select parts without any knowledge of supply chain data. They’re basically driving blind. Is the part obsolete? What’s the lead time? What’s the cost? All of these questions are dealt with AFTER the part is specified. So during the ensuing quoting process, if the part is found to be obsolete, out of stock, or too expensive, there can be enormous project delays and redesigns. With Cableteque, we are bringing supply chain data into the design process. So that engineers can choose parts based on availability, lifecycle status, and cost. Quoting and engineering don’t have to be two separate processes, and with Cableteque, we are merging them into one.

We are building the largest wire harness component library in the world — but why is that important in the first place? With the current tools available to wire harness engineers, you are expected to build your own part library for the tool to work. But what’s the problem with this? Each part usually takes 10-30 minutes to fully enter into your component library. So as an engineer, you’re left with two options: 1️⃣ Have an engineer spend weeks/months creating the necessary libraries 2️⃣ Pay for the libraries (which can cost more than $10 per part) Once you add your parts into the library you encounter another challenge — how do you keep it up to date? What if the part goes obsolete? What if it’s no longer compliant? What if you need the part delivered in 2 weeks but it has a 10 week lead time? I get it, I dealt with this problem for over 30 years. Which is why @Cableteque we are building the largest and smartest part library in the entire industry. We are already at 2.6 million parts and we’re adding thousands more every day. Moreover, all of our data is integrated with supply chain, so you get real-time intelligence on each part you select. If you’re interested in a demo of our platform where we can show you how we’re leveraging all this data to 10X wire harness design efficiency, click here 👉 https://lnkd.in/g-ar8zUV

I'm very proud of the Cableteque team. These are all A-Players who have come together with a shared purpose and mission to make a real impact on the tech industry. Despite the diversity of the team there is great chemistry and collaboration. Looking forward to continuing our great work together.

Wire harnesses are typically validated during production, not during the design process. But when >30% of wire harnesses contain design errors, this can easily lead to schedule delays, cost over-runs, and quality compromises. So what’s the solution? Enter the world of design rule checks (DRCs). DRCs are a critical set of automated tools used in CAD or ECAD environments to identify and rectify design violations based on predefined rules. The primary goal of DRCs is to create an automated checking system that ensures the design meets physical integrity, components fit correctly, electrical requirements are satisfied, and no spatial, physical, or regulatory controls are violated. By implementing DRCs into your wire harness design process you can uncover errors upfront — before production and avoid the costly impact of errors. Let me know, have you ever experimented with DRCs in your wire harness design process or if you have specialized DRCs that you would like us to run 👇

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of presenting on the critical topic of best practices for collaboration on Design Rule Checks (DRCs) at the #EWPTE conference. It was a great opportunity to connect with industry leaders and share strategies for enhancing DRC processes in wire harness design. In this video I outline my top 3 DRC best practices. Let me know in the comments, which do you think is the most impactful 👇👇 #Engineering #CAD #DRC #EWPTE #WireHarness #Collaboration #InnovationInEngineering