Efficient cable assembly for passive safety systems
PIA Fact Check
- High cycle time
- Flexible cable lengths
- Complete traceability


Cables in large quantities and exellent quality
Modern cars are data centers on wheels - networked and packed with sensors, intelligent software, and electronics. Sometimes more than 100 control units in upper mid-range vehicles process a vast amount of data that ensures that drivers benefit from a wide range of functions relating to safety, comfort, and multimedia. These include assistance functions such as distance or emergency brake assist, but also lifesavers such as airbags and belt tensioners. For this to work, cables are needed to transport energy, signals and information quickly and reliably.
Speed as a competitive factor
Many kilometers of cables are installed in modern vehicles. Their efficient production is a decisive competitive factor for suppliers. PIA has developed a solution based on a basic cable machine (KGM) that produces cables fully automatically. The special feature: The modular and expandable KGM not only assembles pure single or multi-core cables, but also integrates the assembly of connections and components requested by the customer. The KGM can be customized and consists of various stations: PIA can integrate all the necessary processes, for example cutting to length and stripping, or even complex soldering and welding processes. This provides customers with an efficient and reliable solution for high-volume production. Previously time-consuming manual processes are automated - with consistently high quality.


There are no compromises when it comes to safety
Airbags are deployed using actuators that are activated by precise electrical signals - in milliseconds. These signals are transmitted via a complex network of cables and connectors to ensure that the airbags are deployed reliably and instantaneously in the event of an accident. The quality and reliability of this signal transmission are crucial to the effectiveness of the passive safety systems and contribute significantly to the safety of vehicle occupants.
Passive safety systems save lives. In this respect, PIA customers have particularly strigent requirements for the automated production of cable components. This was also the case for a customer from the supplier industry, who approached PIA with a request for the production of an assembly consisting of cables and an actuator. The assembly had previously been carried out mainly by hand.
"Among other things, the customer required consistently excellent quality, inspection processes integrated into the process, and a high cycle time," explains Herbert Knorr, Team Coordinator Sales at PIA. The experts at PIA designed a system based on the KGM that automates all process steps: after being fed into the machine, the cables are first labeled, cut to length, then stripped and untwisted. This is followed by further process steps such as crimping, which joins individual components together by means of plastic deformation. In a second part of the system, KGM finally processes the other side of the cable using largely similar process steps. A particular challenge in this project was the welding of different materials. PIA worked closely with the customer and a university to develop an innovative process in which two components are reliably welded together.
Quality control during the ongoing process
The system checks the quality of the assembly while the process is still running, using camera systems among other things. As soon as all sub-steps have been completed, the line outputs the finished assembly into a small load carrier for further processing. Each cable is fully traceable after completion and all relevant data during the process is documented. This was not only a requirement of the customer, but is particularly important for components for vehicle safety systems. PIA was also able to meet the required cycle time: A new assembly falls into the small load carrier every 3.5 seconds.


Conclusion: Runs and runs
In the meantime, the system has been running reliably at the customer's premises - 24 hours a day, five days a week. The customer is very satisfied with the cable assembly system from PIA. "Our concept has also proven itself with this customer," says Knorr. "The line produces cables with highly complex connections reliably and economically." The workload of the employees who previously had to laboriously produce the assembly by hand is reduced and the quality remains consistently high. Whether such cables are ultimately used in electric vehicles or in combustion engines is irrelevant when it comes to assembly. "Our strength is that we can adapt to the different requirements of our customers. Thanks to KGM's modular concept, we can quickly offer a tailor-made solution," says Knorr. The possible applications for the modular basic machine therefore extend far beyond the automotive industry.
"The basic cable machine makes cable assembly much more efficient for our customers. Where previously a lot of time and resources were required, cables can now be processed quickly, with high precision and in large quantities."
Herbert Knorr, Team Coordinator Sales at PIA

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