Think of the numerous electrical and mechanical components involved in wire harness design. Choosing the right connectors, wires, cables, terminals, and more takes more time than you might think. You have to consider factors such as voltage ratings, current capacity, form factors, environmental conditions, and compatibility with other components. 

Getting it right is critical to the success of your design. 

A single mismatch or error in component selection can lead to serious issues, such as electrical failures, mechanical incompatibilities, safety concerns, and design revisions. This is precisely what Arcadia Component Database is designed to prevent, making your job easier and the steps involved faster. 

Let’s look at the problems you encounter and how Arcadia Component Database addresses those issues.

1. Component Selection 

  • Problem: Manually searching for components with the right specifications takes hours, which can add significant design costs. You have to navigate extensive datasets, catalogs, and documentation to identify suitable components, a time-consuming task that can lead to project delays. 
  • Solution: Arcadia Component Database streamlines the design process by offering a centralized repository of components with search and filter capabilities. You can quickly find and select quality CAD components, reducing your design time.

Use specific search criteria for components based on your precise needs. And the process is fast. With this parts library, you can filter components based on their description, manufacturer, terminal gender, number of cavities, housing gender or family. You can search wires by material, color, or other characteristics. The point is, Arcadia Component Database stores all part information, including parametrics that you’ll need.

You can quickly identify components that meet your precise electrical and mechanical needs. CAD component automation features ensure accurate design. As an added convenience, you can even bulk import all of your existing component information into the Database all at once. 

Automating with Arcadia Component Database simplifies the selection process and ensures that the harness meets the required specifications. Essentially, it’s your electronic component library,  designed for engineering design efficiency.

2. Errors 

  • Problem: Working manually makes it easy to make mistakes that impact production. And of course, errors need correcting, which can cost you dearly. For example, 1000 expensive harnesses each with a mistake could cost 100s of thousands of dollars in rework. 
  • Solution: Arcadia Component Database drives the automatic selection of sleeve tubes, terminals, seals and plugs in your drawings. This helps you avoid combinations that may lead to errors, such as terminals that don’t fit the wires.

The Database stores detailed and standardized information about components. This includes technical specifications, datasheets, and compatibility data. You can access this accurate information when selecting components, reducing the risk of selecting incorrect parts. This is about efficient CAD database management.

When creating purchase orders based on the BOM, the Database can provide pricing and supplier information, reducing errors related to procurement and supplier selection. These features collectively contribute to more error-free and reliable product development and manufacturing processes.

3. Insight 

  • Problem: It’s almost impossible for wire-harness designers to accurately place components without a clear understanding of those very parts. You need to understand how each component fits into the assembly from different angles or configurations. Without this insight, you increase the risk of errors during assembly, along with potential functional issues. 

Simply, the complexity of wire routing within wire harnesses becomes challenging to assess and optimize. This can lead to inefficient wire paths, and difficulties in troubleshooting. Without holistic visual perspectives of the components, your documentation can’t provide the necessary clarity. This affects your assembly instructions and maintenance manuals. 

  • Solution: Arcadia Component Database allows wire harness designers to associate multiple visual representations or images with individual components or parts within the harness. These visual representations can encompass various formats like SVG, JPG, PNG, and others.

This capability proves invaluable when dealing with the intricate nature of wire harnesses. By attaching multiple views to a component, you can create a comprehensive perspective. For instance, a single component within a wire harness may have views representing its front, side, top, exploded details, wire color hot spotted and wire leads. This multifaceted approach helps you visualize components from diverse angles and configurations, facilitating the design process, assembly instructions, and comprehensive documentation – all of which are crucial in creating reliable wire harnesses.

4. Cross referencing 

  • Problem: Organizing and presenting cross-reference information for various components is incredibly time consuming. With multiple cross-references associated with a single part, it’s cumbersome to manage and display this data effectively, especially when creating drawings and reports for harness assemblies.
  • Solution: The Arcadia Component Database enables you to add an unlimited number of cross-references to a part within the system. You can easily switch between cross-references that you want visible on drawings and reports. This functionality allows you to maintain comprehensive cross-reference data while customizing the information presented in your documentation. By providing a seamless and user-friendly way to manage and control cross-references, the Database enhances efficiency in part management, simplifies documentation processes, and ensures that crucial cross-reference information is readily accessible when needed for harness assemblies and reports.

5. Faster Access to Data

  • Problem: Designers often grapple with difficulties in accessing essential information and data about parts. You have to consult multiple resources for part-related information, which can lead to inefficiencies and delays in the design process. This fragmented approach to gathering part information consumes valuable time and hampers the overall efficiency of project planning and design efforts.
  • Solution: Arcadia Component Database includes an integrated part store that seamlessly integrates exclusively within the Database. One of its primary advantages lies in simplifying the sourcing process. With a repository of 26,000 parts, complete with comprehensive metadata and related components such as terminals, seals, clips, and accessories, you can gain access to a treasure trove of resources.
  • This is a convenient and efficient way to gather information, specifications, metadata, and other relevant data about parts that may be used in a project. You can access details about the parts, such as their properties, characteristics, compatibility, and more, without the need to navigate external sources or databases.

Flexibility, efficiency, and comprehensive support

Cloud-based Arcadia Component Database gives you the features that elevate and optimize your design processes. At a glance:

  • Import Legacy Data 
  • Transfer and integrate data from older or existing systems, in the CSV format. This ensures that historical information and records can be preserved and used within Arcadia Component Database.

Efficient Bill of Materials (BOM) Management

Ensure data consistency. You can create, maintain, and manage your Bill of Materials directly within the Database. 

  • Multiple Component Angles
  • Access and examine different visual representations and perspectives of the same component, for a comprehensive understanding of its design, structure, and configuration. 
  • Multiple Part Number Cross-Referencing
  • Add an unlimited number of cross-references to a part and easily control which cross-references are visible on their drawings and reports, streamlining part management and documentation processes.
  • Ability to Support Multiple Databases Concurrently 
  • Arcadia Component Database manages and accesses multiple separate databases simultaneously. This is ideal for projects that require distinct databases for different purposes or departments.
  • Rapid Search for All Parts 
  • Take advantage of the quick and efficient search function to find specific parts. Arcadia Component Database streamlines the process of finding and accessing components, saving time and enhancing productivity.
  • Comprehensive Library and Store Parts Available 
  • A valuable resource for designers who require a wide range of parts for their projects. The integrated engineering parts store makes it easy to buy what you need. 
  • Dynamically Generated Datasheets
  • Generate data sheets or technical documentation for components based on the information stored. 
  • Manage Tooling and Applicators
  • Keep track of the tools and applicators needed for working with specific components. This helps ensure that the right tools are available for assembly or installation processes, reducing errors and improving efficiency.

The ability to integrate legacy data. Efficient BOM management. Customizable views. Advanced cross-referencing, and more, Arcadia Component Database provides a robust foundation for precision and flexibility in wire harness design. With this kind of help available, why would you work manually?

7-day free trial, always free demo 

Arcadia Component Database streamlines your wire harness design processes. To see how you can improve your efficiency and productivity, just ask for a free demonstration. We can even offer a seven-day free trial too – it’s easy to give our solutions a spin because they work in the cloud. If you have any questions, we’re always happy to help.