In wire processing systems and methods, a wire channel receives a wire. One or more fluid guides flow the fluid into the wire channel to move, along the wire, a component (e.g. a solder sleeve) positioned at least partially in the wire channel and coupled to the wire. Other features are also provided.

A cable-laying device for producing wiring or cable harnesses of different types includes a laying plane for positioning lines of a wiring or cable harness, a plurality of transport units which can be moved relative to the laying plane in an at least partially automated manner, and a control device which is configured to control the transport units. A method for producing cable harnesses of different types by using a cable laying device is also provided.

A module installation assembly for installing a module into a socket of a land grid array includes a tool having a mounting bracket for connecting the tool to an adjacent fixture, an alignment member connected to the mounting bracket, and cavity defined at least partially by the alignment member. The cavity is substantially aligned with a socket of the land grid array such that the module is configured to pass through the cavity when being connected to the socket.

A processing station automatically manufactures a cable harness containing a plurality of individual lines. The processing station has a support unit for holding a line bundle containing the individual lines with a predefined, even branched, routing, and a processing unit for the automated fixing of the individual lines of the line bundle to one another. The processing unit has a fixing unit, which is configured for the automated application of a fixing agent to the line bundle. A manipulator is provided for moving the processing unit relative to the line bundle.

Examples disclosed herein generally relate to methods and apparatus for the insertion of one or more wires into a cavity of a fixture of a structure or component. The wire insertion apparatus includes a grommet, a gripper adapted to interface with the grommet, and at least a first vibrating element. The first vibrating element is connected to and vibrates one or more of the apparatus, the grommet, the gripper, the wire, and/or a component of the apparatus. Vibration, induced in any direction, enables the cavities to shift position during insertion relative to the contact, thus increasing the tolerance of the cavity, reducing the failure rate of wire insertion, and reducing total production time. The vibration breaks the static friction of the contact in the grommet or dielectric opening, creates the positive locating required to insert the contact in the grommet and/or dielectric, and/or pivots the contact.

The device and the method are used for the automatic assembly of an in particular twisted pair of wires, wherein the pair of wires has two wire elements each with a contact element arranged at one end of a wire end. The respective contact elements are brought into a predetermined rotary position by gripping the wire pair with a main gripper which has an axis of rotation about which it can rotate, and wherein the wire ends are each gripped by a gripping element. The respective contact element is brought into the predetermined rotary position by rotating the pair of wires by way of the main gripper.

A method of producing a conductive path on a substrate including depositing on the substrate a layer of material having a thickness in the range of 0.1 to 5 microns, including metal particles having a diameter in the range of 10 to 100 nanometers, employing a patterning laser beam to selectably sinter regions of the layer of material, thereby causing the metal particles to together define a conductor at sintered regions and employing an ablating laser beam, below a threshold at which the sintered regions would be ablated, to ablate portions of the layer of material other than at the sintered regions.

A wire harness manufacturing system includes a display unit, a wire cutting machine that draws an electric wire from a wire feed reel and cuts the electric wire to a predetermined length, a control unit that directs the display unit to display a wire laying image and wire work identification information for identifying a work regarding each electric wire, the wire laying image including a plurality of wire images showing the plurality of electric wire in the laid state and the wire work identification information being displayed in the vicinity of the corresponding wire image, and a memory unit that stores the wire laying image and work instruction information so as to correspond to the wire work identification information, the work instruction information including cut length of the electric wire. The control unit sends the cut length information to the wire cutting machine.

An apparatus is provided relating to the insertion of one or more wires into a cavity of a fixture of a structure or component. The wire insertion apparatus includes a grommet, a gripper adapted to interface with the grommet, and at least a first vibrating element. The first vibrating element is connected to and vibrates one or more of the apparatus, the grommet, the gripper, the wire, and/or a component of the apparatus. Vibration, induced in any direction, enables the cavities to shift position during insertion relative to the contact, thus increasing the tolerance of the cavity, reducing the failure rate of wire insertion, and reducing total production time. The vibration breaks the static friction of the contact in the grommet or dielectric opening, creates the positive locating required to insert the contact in the grommet and/or dielectric, and/or pivots the contact.

A system is provided for wire processing. The wire processing system may include a wire transport, a processing station that may provide wire to the wire transport, a processing station that may move an electrical component threaded onto the wire, and a processing station that may move the electrical component to a position on the wire for further processing.