Makers of wire harnesses highlight reliability based on industry criteria

Most companies in the wire harnesses sector comply with mandatory and recommended national standards, and CE and UL requirements.

Suppliers of wire harnesses in mainland China emphasize product reliability that conforms to CE and UL standards. They will also continue to refer to the technical requirements detailed in national and professional or industry standards.

The latter approach includes conformity to mandatory and recommended criteria, including GB 15934-1996, GB 17196-1997, GB/T 2828.1-2003 and GB/TS 29106, and those that apply to specific applications. For the automotive sector, there is QC/T 29106.

This standardization will stay a trend in production, which represents concerted efforts not only to regulate but also to strengthen and upgrade the local industry. The line, after all, has a large market, encompassing home appliances, automotive, medical and mechanical equipment, and robotics, but remains dominated by international players.

For electric vehicle applications, makers are waiting for a new set of standards, work for which is under way. This will cover conductor design, cables, insulation, shielding and outer jackets of high-voltage wire harnesses that EVs require.

In product development, types that are lightweight and water-resistant, in addition to having high reliability, are underscored. The Tianhai Group is among those that introduced superthin variants, which use aluminum instead of copper for reduced cross section and weight. In general, customization will still be the main R&D driver so suppliers strive to keep improving capability to handle any requirement.

Climbing demand will ensure steady growth of the line in the mainland. By volume, the projected total for 2018 is 128 billion sets from 33.3 billion sets in 2010, posting 18.3 percent CAGR, according to the QianZhan Industry Research Institute. In terms of sales, automotive wire harnesses will lead with an annual increase of more than 20 percent in 2017 to 2020, hitting about $3.1 billion from $1.7 billion.

Shenzhen Meigaihou Technology Co. Ltd expects to maintain a high sales growth in 2019. It invested in a new factory and purchased automatic production equipment to boost output by about 30 percent. Wire harnesses account for 90 percent of yield.

The mainland is a major manufacturing hub for the category and has about 1,000 companies, including those with investment from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Foreign players include Yazaki, Sumitomo and Delphi. Although a minority group, they have an aggregate market share of over 70 percent.

Local counterparts concentrate on entry-level and midrange products. They export between 30 and 90 percent of turnout.

The majority of suppliers operate in Shenzhen and Dongguan in Guangdong province, Hangzhou and Ningbo in Zhejiang, Changzhou and Suzhou in Jiangsu, and Shanghai. Many from South Korea are in Weihai in Shandong.

0.5 to 20sqmm wire harnesses

The local selection includes wire harnesses for use in the automotive, household appliances, communications, security, industrial and military fields.

Products have a cross sectional area ranging from 0.5 to 20sqmm.

There are dust- and water-resistant types, with IP67-rated models popular in the automotive and mechanical equipment markets.

Most makers obtain copper, bronze and plastic types such as nylon 6, nylon 66, ABS, PBT and polypropylene from the local supply. They also use imported variants when required.

The cost of materials is generally steady, keeping product prices at current levels. This trend is expected to continue through 2019, although some companies might lower their quotes to cope with intense competition.

The products in this gallery have been handpicked by our China-based market analyst for representing current trends in wire harnesses from China makers.

Wire harness for home appliances

For home appliances, Linkworld Industrial Co. Ltd’s model LWH-041 wire harness undergoes 100 percent function testing. The RoHS-compliant unit uses halogen-free wires or materials based on approved vendors list or equivalents.

The maker requires a minimum order of 1,000 units. Delivery lead time is 15 days.

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Wire harness with UL 1007 18AWG wires

This 500m wire harness from Shenzhen Chuang Hui Hua Electronics Co. Ltd, CH-L03 model, has voltage and temperature ratings of 300V and 80 C. It consists of UL 1007 18AWG wires, 3.96mm-pitch VH terminals and 2mm-thick insulation. The 0.15mm-diameter wire used is made of tinned copper.The core number is 28.

The product passes VW-1 and FT1 flammability tests and meets UL 758 requirements.

The minimum order is 1,000 units and the delivery lead time is 5 days.

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Automotive wire harness

Shenzhen Meigaihou Technology Co. Ltd’s model MKF-0503-001-A flame-retardant automotive wire harness has a twisted-pair construction and uses double shielding for enhanced anti-EMI. The insulation material, which is softer than PTFE but harder than PVC, is from Japan.

The 100-unit minimum order is delivered within 7 days.

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Wire harness passes flammability tests

From Richupon Enterprise Group (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd, this model RG-410-AC-#0015 wire harness operates on 250VAC/DC, 3A, 50/60Hz. It has copper wire cores, tinned copper terminals and nylon 66 shells. The jacket is made of PVC, rubber or silicone. The unit passes UL94V-0, VW-1 and CSA FT1 flammability tests. It suits car audio and video systems.

An order of at least 1,000 units is required for delivery within 7 days.

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