LIGHTWEIGHT WIRING HARNESSES

Lightweight Wiring Harnesses: Reduce Costs, Increase Performance Weight reduction is one of the biggest challenges facing vehicle manufacturers today. Reducing weight has many advantages including improved fuel efficiency and lower transportation costs, both of which will reduce the overall cost of operation. In addition to these cost advantages, weight reduction can also offer many improvements to the vehicle’s performance such as increased speed and acceleration, improved mobility and agility and a higher payload capacity. Environmental impacts are also reduced through lower carbon emissions. Lightweight wiring harnesses can make a significant contribution towards reducing the overall weight of a vehicle, whether it be an armoured military vehicle, commercial aircraft or Formula 1 race car. Phoenix Dynamics’ research into lightweight harnessing materials has identified that weight savings of >30% can be achieved on typical wiring harness designs when compared to traditional harness technology. This weight saving results from a number of possible options determined by the wiring harness construction. Alternative connectors, backshells and caps made from composite thermoplastic materials offer huge weight advantages whilst performance in maintained using the appropriate metal plating. Thinner walled alternatives to tubing and heatshrink products also offer significant weight savings and high strength insulated wires allow use of thinner wires due to their increased current carrying capacity. Lightweight wiring harnesses are also important in non-vehicle applications. Soldier Technology is one such example, where the need to reduce weight is a continuing challenge as more and more wearable technology is introduced. Phoenix Dynamics will be presenting some lightweight harness products at DSEI, 12th-15th September, ExCel, London. Come and see us on Stand S2-124 to discuss your requirement and see how our weight saving suggestions can help you. Alternatively, please contact us on 01782 578333 or sales@phoenixdynamics.com

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