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A wire harness is a component used in equipment for power, signal, and data transmission. Different types of wire harnesses vary in voltage rating, materials, shielding methods, manufacturing processes, and testing methods. This article briefly introduces the main types of wire harnesses and their suitable applications, which can help you choose the right wire harness more effectively.
How Are Wire Harness Types Classified by Voltage?
Low Voltage Wire Harnesses
Low voltage wire harnesses are among the most widely used wire harnesses. They are commonly found in vehicles, home appliances, industrial control equipment, communication devices, and general electrical systems. They are mainly used for power distribution, signal transmission, and control connections.
Compared with extra low voltage wire harnesses, low voltage wire harnesses usually require better insulation materials, more stable terminal connections, and more suitable wire gauge design so that long term operation remains safe and reliable. In common IEC classifications, the low voltage range is generally 50 V to 1000 V AC, or 120 V to 1500 V DC.
Medium Voltage Wire Harnesses
Medium voltage wire harnesses are often used in industrial equipment, power control systems, large machinery, and some new energy related equipment. This type of wire harness needs to withstand higher working voltage, so it has higher requirements for conductor cross sectional area, insulation thickness, voltage resistance, and safety spacing.
Medium voltage wire harnesses focus not only on conductivity, but also on heat resistance, aging resistance, flame retardancy, and mechanical protection, which helps reduce the risk of breakdown, leakage, and short circuits. Some industry sources usually define the medium voltage range as 1 kV to 35 kV.
High Voltage Wire Harnesses
High voltage wire harnesses are mainly used in new energy vehicles, battery systems, motor controllers, charging systems, energy storage equipment, and high power industrial equipment. Their main function is to transmit high power electrical energy, so they have higher requirements for insulation grade, voltage resistance, shielding structure, flame retardancy, and safety protection.
In new energy vehicles, high voltage wire harnesses usually connect core components such as the traction battery, inverter, motor, and charging port. According to the automotive electrical safety classification in ISO 6469 3, high voltage usually refers to a range above 60 V DC to 1500 V DC, or above 30 V AC to 1000 V AC.
| Type | Common Applications | Main Function | Voltage Range |
| Low Voltage Wire Harnesses | Vehicles, home appliances, industrial control equipment, communication devices | Power distribution, signal transmission, control connection | 50 V to 1000 V AC, or 120 V to 1500 V DC |
| Medium Voltage Wire Harnesses | Industrial equipment, power control systems, large machinery, new energy related equipment | Higher voltage power transmission and equipment control | 1 kV to 35 kV |
| High Voltage Wire Harnesses | New energy vehicles, battery systems, motor controllers, charging systems, energy storage equipment | High power electrical energy transmission | Above 60 V DC to 1500 V DC, or above 30 V AC to 1000 V AC |
What Materials Are Used for Different Types of Wire Harnesses?
Automotive Wire Harnesses
Automotive wire harnesses usually use copper conductors as the main conductive material because copper has good conductivity and stability. The outer insulation layer often uses PVC, XLPE, TPE, or silicone rubber, which can meet the requirements for heat resistance, wear resistance, and oil resistance during vehicle operation.
Some engine compartment wire harnesses also use corrugated tubes, braided sleeves, or heat shrink tubes for extra protection, which can extend service life in complex environments.
New Energy High Voltage Wire Harnesses
New energy high voltage wire harnesses have higher requirements for safety and voltage resistance. The conductors are generally made of tinned copper or oxygen free copper, which offers good conductivity and oxidation resistance.
The insulation layer often uses XLPE, silicone rubber, TPE, or fluoroplastic materials to improve high voltage resistance, heat resistance, and flame retardancy. At the same time, high voltage wire harnesses usually include metal braided shielding, aluminum foil shielding, and orange outer sheaths, which help with identification and improve electromagnetic protection.
Industrial Equipment Wire Harnesses
Industrial equipment wire harnesses need to adapt to complex environments that include vibration, friction, oil, dust, and temperature changes, so material selection focuses more on durability. Conductors are usually made of copper wire or tinned copper wire, while common insulation materials include PVC, PUR, TPE, and rubber.
PUR has good wear resistance and oil resistance, so it is suitable for automation equipment, robots, drag chain systems, and other applications with frequent movement.
Home Appliance Wire Harnesses
Home appliance wire harnesses are usually used for power connection, control signal transmission, and internal component connection. Their material requirements mainly focus on safety, cost efficiency, and stability.
Conductors are mostly copper wires, while insulation layers often use PVC or flame retardant PVC. For high temperature appliances such as rice cookers, ovens, and water heaters, wire harnesses may use silicone wires, glass fiber braided wires, or heat resistant fluoroplastic wires to avoid aging or cracking after long term exposure to heat.
How Do Shielding Methods Differ Among Wire Harness Types?
Signal Wire Harnesses
Signal wire harnesses are mainly used to transmit control signals, sensor signals, and low power signals, so their shielding focuses on reducing external electromagnetic interference.
Common methods include adding an aluminum foil shielding layer or copper foil shielding layer outside the wires, and using twisted pair structures to reduce signal crosstalk. For precision sensor wire harnesses, individual shielding is often used so that each group of signal wires has its own shielding protection.
Data Communication Wire Harnesses
Data communication wire harnesses have high requirements for transmission stability. They are commonly used in network equipment, communication equipment, and industrial control systems. This type of wire harness usually uses aluminum foil shielding, braided shielding, or a dual shielding structure that combines aluminum foil with a braided mesh.
Aluminum foil shielding provides wide coverage and is suitable for reducing high frequency interference. Braided shielding offers better mechanical strength and is suitable for long term use and bending environments.
Power Wire Harnesses
Ordinary power wire harnesses are mainly used for power transmission, and their shielding requirements are usually lower than those of signal wire harnesses. However, in environments with high current or strong equipment interference, power wire harnesses also need shielding layers.
Common methods include metal braided mesh shielding, copper tape wrapping shielding, or external metal protective sleeves. These methods can reduce interference from power wire harnesses to nearby signal lines while improving safety and stability.
New Energy High Voltage Wire Harnesses
New energy high voltage wire harnesses are commonly used in electric vehicles, battery systems, motor controllers, and charging systems, so they have higher shielding requirements. This type of wire harness usually uses tinned copper braided mesh, aluminum foil shielding, or dual shielding structures to reduce electromagnetic interference caused by high voltage and high current.
At the same time, the shielding layer of a high voltage wire harness usually needs to be reliably connected to the connector housing to form a continuous shielding path, which improves the electromagnetic compatibility of the whole vehicle.
Automotive Wire Harnesses
There are many types of automotive wire harnesses, and shielding methods differ depending on the installation location. Ordinary body wire harnesses usually do not need complex shielding, while engine control wire harnesses, sensor wire harnesses, audio and video wire harnesses, CAN bus wire harnesses, and high voltage system wire harnesses need shielding protection.
Common methods include shielded twisted pairs, aluminum foil shielding, braided shielding, and local shielding. For control signal wires that are easily affected by interference, individual shielding or group shielding is often used.
How Are Different Types of Wire Harnesses Manufactured?
Wire harness production methods include manual production, semi automatic production, and fully automatic production.
Manual Production
- Process: Manual stripping, crimping, bundling, and labeling.
- Features: High flexibility, suitable for small batches or sample production, but with low efficiency.
Semi Automatic Production
- Process: Some steps are completed by machines, such as wire stripping machines and crimping machines, while complex splicing is completed manually.
- Features: Improves production efficiency while maintaining a certain level of flexibility.
Fully Automatic Production
- Process: Automated production lines complete wire stripping, crimping, testing, bundling, and labeling.
- Features: Suitable for mass production, with high precision and stable quality, but the investment cost is relatively high.
How Are Different Types of Wire Harnesses Tested?
- Electrical continuity testing: Used to check whether each wire connection is complete, which ensures that current can pass through smoothly.
- Insulation and withstand voltage testing: Used to verify the reliability of the insulation layer and prevent short circuits or leakage.
- Impedance and signal integrity testing: Mainly used for high speed signal wire harnesses to check signal transmission quality and ensure that there is no severe attenuation or interference.
- Mechanical strength and bending testing: Used to evaluate the ability of a wire harness to withstand bending, pulling, and vibration during installation and use.
- Environmental testing: Depending on the use environment, high and low temperature testing, humidity testing, oil resistance testing, or chemical corrosion resistance testing may be performed to ensure that the wire harness can still work normally under harsh conditions.
Different Wire Harness Types Are Suitable for Different Applications
Different types of wire harnesses have different structures, functions, and application scenarios. Choosing the right wire harness type can improve the connection efficiency, safety, and stability of an electrical system.
Lanzmfg offers many types of wire harnesses, and there is sure to be a professional option that suits your needs. You are welcome to visit the homepage and choose the right product.
FAQs
Q: What are the main types of wire harnesses?
A: Single-core, multicore, shielded, and special-purpose wire harnesses, each for specific electrical connections and environments.
Q: What is the difference between single core and multicore wire harnesses?
A: Single-core: 1 wire, simple structure, for low-power circuits. Multicore: multiple insulated wires, transmits multiple currents/signals simultaneously, wider applications.
Q: What does a shielded wire harness do?
A: Reduces external electromagnetic interference, improves signal stability. Used in high-speed signals, communications, medical and precision electronics.
Q: What are special purpose wire harnesses used for?
A: Customized for harsh environments. Applied in automotive engine bays, aerospace and industrial equipment.
Q: How to choose the right wire harness?
A: Consider current rating, signal requirements, installation space, operating environment and safety standards.