subject: The Myriad Applications Of A Wiring Harness [print this page] A wiring harness is defined as an assembly of insulated conducting wires that are bound together with another insulating material. This system of wires can be used in different applications such as automobiles, airplanes, electronics machines etc. In many cases, this unit is tailor made according to each application as the circuitry of each machine or system might be different. A harness also includes terminations if the application so requires.
It is mainly used for transmitting informational or electrical signals within the circuit. Look around in construction machines, medical equipment, automobiles and consumer electronics, and you shall find the use of wire harnesses. While there are a number of standard units that are suitable for different applications, many critical operation rely on the use of tailor made harnesses. There are certain companies that sell these harness sets. In most cases, these companies also sell other electrical accessories such as extension cord sets.
In this article, we shall take a sector-wise look at the different uses of wire harnesses:
"Medical sector: Several life saving machines function as desired with the help of a wiring harness. Along with wires, the importance of locking plugs in these machines also cannot be undermined. There are certain industry codes that need to be adhered to while purchasing electrical harnesses for the medical sector. Most importantly, they need to be well insulated.
"Automobile sector: Right from the user interface console to the engine circuitry, there are thousands of wires that are required to be connected inside each automobile unit. In this case too, it is important to have well-insulated harnesses so as to eliminate the risk of sparks or flames.
"Aerospace industry: From light weight aircrafts to jumbo carriers to space shuttles to satellites, thousands of wiring harnesses are in use in the aerospace industry. In these sectors too, safety is of paramount importance. There are harnesses in different sizes that are available for use.
"Assorted industries: Apart from the above mentioned industries, a number of mid-size and large consumer electronic items such as washing machines, televisions, microwave ovens, and even dishwashers highly depend on the use of such electrical assemblies.
While there are several firms that offer wiring assemblies, only a few of them are worth completely relying on. For instance, you need to be very careful about choosing only those harnesses that are UL listed or CSA certified. This would not only guarantee optimum performance, but also ensure safety. The same rule applies to other components such as extension cord sets. Since these are directly connected to an electrical device on one end and an electrical socket on the other, they need to adhere to prevailing US safety standards. The case with locking plugs is no different when it comes to safety requirements.
To sum it up, a wiring harness is also considered to be the life of automation products, electronics products, medical machines, vehicles etc.
