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Reduce the overall cost of the vehicle and at the same time introduce innovative features to meet the growing costumer demand is one of the challenges noticed on most automotive companies. Due to the falling price of electronics, multimedia and audio features are becoming popular even on A and B entry vehicles. The introduction of multiplex techniques to reduce wiring content is becoming unavoidable and automotive standards like Local Interconnect Network (LIN) and Controller Area Network (CAN) will eventually be introduced on emerging market vehicles. Besides the cost reduction factor, electromagnetic interference (EMI) constraints rises and must be considered during the design of the electrical / electronic architecture (EEA). One of the most common failure mode observed on network systems regarding EMI is the effect known as crosstalk. The crosstalk phenomenon is the undesirable coupling of energy of one line to another, and causes degradation on the data network.

Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) has become one of the most important tools for innovation project development. It has been used for several companies and good results are being reported as effect of the methodology. This paper aims to present an application of DFSS on an automotive technology development process. It was possible to listen to the “Voice of customer”, translate it into measurable parameters, generate potential concepts and finally identify the most adequate technology. The use of Design for Six Sigma methodology was shown very efficient to technology prospect. The structured frame work and focusing in two main points (being them first “Get the right design” and then “design right”) are the strengths of the methodology.

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.

Nowadays Design of Experiments (DOE) has been used intensively in industrial environment as an important tool to identify critical factors related to a certain output characteristic. Another relevant characteristic is that the DOE can also be used as a strong resource on “physical system modeling process”, as presented in this paper. It was possible to generate a transfer function relating the output and the main input factors and in sequence a Monte Carlo simulation was used in order to predict the process capability. It was possible to observe a strong convergence between predicted results and real world results.

This paper aims to present a productive capacity analysis in a manufacturing assembly line of an automotive industry. To perform this work the main tool used was Computer Simulation, using a software named ProModel, that works on Discrete Event Simulation (DES) and also using Design of Experiments (DOE), with a software named MINITAB. The first task of the project was problem definition followed by the related process mapping. This was the main element to develop the entire model. In validation process it was not used only quantitative methods, but also “hypothesis test” (1 sample-t), which is a quantitative method, using MINITAB. The study object was focused on the first shift and only for the most complex product assembled in the referred line. According to the inputs of the sub processes it was possible to identify those ones with highest potential to impact the output variable (quantity of products assembled).

This paper aims to present an application of some quality tools focused on best concept identification process to meet defined customer requirements in activities of process development in an industry of automotive sector. First of all it was done a literature review in order to clear establish the concepts of the following tools: “voice of the customer”, “affinity diagram”, “pair wise comparison”, “quality function deployment (QFD)” and “Pugh matrix”. After it is presented the application of these tools in activities of technology research of advanced engineering department. The first task was to identify all customers related to the process in study. After this, some interviews were scheduled with them and the entire “voice of customer” was collected. With all this information it was used “affinity diagram” to summarize the inputs and used “pair wise comparison” to prioritize customer needs. To translate voice of customer into measurable parameters it was used QFD.

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.