I have a mechanical drawing in SolidWorks. I want to make a list of wire lengths with terminations on them to be made by someone in production. How do I determine the wire lengths without making a first article? What are some good rules of thumb for allowances when bending wires around corners or feeding thru panels? I can determine straight line distances easy enough.
It has been a long time, but I thought most drawings gave a BOM with wire and terminations listed. But left the cutting to individual wires to the assembler. And the assembler connected one end, routed the wire and then cut to size.
Or they had a layout board and made a wire harness using the board. In any case they did not put the wire length on the drawing.
Dan
If you have a solidworks drawing, you should be able to estimate accurately enough a drawing of the bundled harness.
Your new drawing will be of the bundle, in a single plane, showing distances between internal bends (clearance), tiedowns and pick-off points.
Dimension leadout from last bend or tiepoint in dwg, allowing for lead dressing and termination hardware with a + tolerance. Keep your drawing revisions straight.
Your material lists will use worst case lengths for all wires, which will typically be longer than is actually required (for ~ costing only), derived from the bundle drawing.
The vendor will make their own drawing, based on initial sampling and feedback, showing cut lengths from practice. Lengths may be trimmed after the bundle is formed and fixed on a jig, by the vendor, but shouldn't need it after their own practice is established.
Panel feedthrough and edge relief in the mech dwg will depend on bundle diameter, so you must have figured that out already.
RL
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