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Miniaturization is an important trend in many technology segments, once it can enable innovative applications generating new markets. This trend was begun in electronics industry after World War II and has spawned changes into automotive sector also. For Automotive Wiring Harness, miniaturization is clearly presented in most of the components, mainly because of its benefits like the potential of mass reduction, cost reduction and efficiency improvement. Furthermore the main voice of customer points to cable gauge reduction that represents a considerable challenge for connection manufacturing process due to quality control limitations presented by conventional crimp process for 0,35 [mm₂] cables and smaller. According to that, the scope of this article is to present, in details, a manufacturing process optimization for an alternative and more robust technology of joining copper stranded cables to tin brass terminals used on automotive wiring harness, Resistance Welding.

The automotive industry is constantly searching for technological improvements to assure car maker's requirements based on the following criteria: reliability, quality and economic impact. The efforts for light weighting in automobile wiring harness had increased significantly by the 1970s, when meteoric rises in copper prices metal market propitiated the aluminum and its alloys approach as a substitute material in the electrical and electronic field. During almost fifteen years, solid aluminum wire and Copper Clad Aluminum (CCA) had been applied to General Motors Corporation cars for primary and battery cables, respectively. After this implementation the copper prices came down and became more interesting. Nowadays, the aluminum wiring harness and battery cable may become an important alternative to provide mass reduction and fulfill environmental compliance requirements helping to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emission.

Efforts to enhance the productivity, to be in accordance with environmental regulations, to assure performance, quality and reliability in competitive market, are the major trends to any company of the industrial sector. This is particularly critical in the automotive market due to safety requirements and product conformity, but it is not enough to ensure success. The key to accomplish that is presented in this work through an investigation of innovation plans and technological strategy developed and applied to an electrical electronic architecture company. The results show the role of this approach prioritizing the corporative investment and goals, increasing profits by adding value to sale, analyzing collaboration between private companies and universities, revealing opportunities to apply for Government Innovation Program financial support. All these factors have been applied to the modernization of electrical automotive architecture for Brazilian emergent market.

One of the most evident trends in automotive sector is miniaturization. It is related to considerable benefits due to the potential of mass reduction, cost reduction and efficiency improvement. It involves many different automobile components and most of them are facing challenges to achieve the targets defined by car makers and final consumers. Specifically for wiring harness, it seems to be many manufacturing and process challenges to be surpassed in order to fully perceive the benefits expected with miniaturization, internally and externally. So this article aims to present an overview of literature as well as reporting of experts on this issue mentioning some of the challenges that global automotive wiring harness manufacturers are facing. Subjects as assembly automation, terminal connection and small gauge cables are discussed in the article and also a general overview of how those problems are being addressed in order to meet customer requirements.

More than ever before, electronics industries manufactures around the world are required to improve products by substituting Tin/Lead for lead-free solders in accordance with European directives on End of Life Vehicles (ELV) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS). Similarly, the European directive on End of Life Vehicles (ELV) affect the automotive sector where lead-based solders frequently are the main application for joining electronics and electrical applications under hood and in passenger compartment devices such as GPS locators and audio/video entertainment media. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the legislation around the world and the impact to Brazilian automotive market.

Electrical connectors used in the automotive and aerospace architecture are exposed to the most different environmental conditions. In this harsh environmental the harness can be attacked and may loose contact resistance integrity. Consequently, a wide number of failures can occurs mainly in the terminal wire connections damaged by galvanic and oxidation corrosion. This kind of material's degradation may have great impact on financial and safety issues. The automotive current solution available is silicone cable seal placed in different connectors. This product fulfills all the protection requirements well at very low cost and for this reason it is widely spread. However, there is an automotive tendency of downsizing what could be a limitation. For this particular purpose an overview of the sealing barrier concept was the main proposal of this study, in order to promote alternative concepts which can assure contact resistance integrity and avoid corrosion.