Problem
An EV manufacturer producing high-voltage inlet harnesses was facing increasing challenges in maintaining consistent quality and throughput. The assembly process involved multiple critical steps such as wire routing, terminal insertion, and component verification. As production volumes increased, manual assembly methods began to expose quality risks, operator dependency, and inspection bottlenecks, especially for safety-critical HV components.
Why Manual Assembly Failed
Manual assembly struggled to meet both precision and scalability requirements:
High dependence on skilled operators for correct wire routing and insertion
Increased probability of missing or incorrectly assembled components
Inconsistent quality across shifts and operators
Manual inspection unable to reliably catch all defects
Rework and line stoppages impacting overall productivity
For HV EV applications, even minor assembly errors posed significant safety and compliance risks, making manual processes unsustainable.
What Automation Solved
A 15-station EV Inlet Harness Assembly Line was implemented, integrating:
Poka-yoke mechanisms to prevent incorrect or incomplete assembly
Part presence sensors at every station to eliminate missing components
Camera-based inspection for real-time verification of assembly steps
HMI-guided operations to standardize processes across operators
Controlled sequencing to ensure every station completes validation before progression
The automated line ensured that errors were prevented, not just detected, while maintaining smooth production flow.
Result
The automation delivered measurable improvements across key performance metrics:
Cycle Time: Stable and repeatable cycle times suitable for EV production volumes
Quality: Near-zero assembly errors with consistent HV compliance
Consistency: Uniform output across shifts, operators, and production batches
Productivity: Reduced rework, inspection effort, and line stoppages
Confidence: Higher confidence in safety and reliability of EV inlet harness assemblies
Impact for EV Manufacturers
This solution enabled the customer to scale EV production without compromising safety or quality, while building a future-ready platform adaptable to new harness variants and production demands.