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14V/42V dual voltage system is being introduced. Wiring harness is one of the important components in the 42V system, but it has a lot of subjects to be solved. Among these subjects, we focused on arc discharge phenomenon which occurs while unmating connectors. This paper describes the influence of the arc discharge on connector terminals, and the very promising solution, which is a new type of connector for 42V automotive electrical system.

A complete multiplex system intended primarily for Class A applications was implemented in a sub-compact car and potential wire harness reductions such as weight, number of wires, and other factors were evaluated. It was found that a multiplex system can have a considerable effect in simplifying the harness, particularly in reducing its weight.

Lately demand for more reliable automotive connectors has been highlighted, making it necessary to establish a quick and reliable accelerated life testing method. This has led to the adoption of a combined environmental test, which is to be performed under conditions resembling the field environment of automotive connectors. We have been achieving success by performing combined environmental tests to determine the reliability of connectors in the development stages while investigating the relation of this test with the field environment.

The thermal stresses of various joints between contacts and wire conductors in Insulation Displacement Contact (IDC) connectors were calculated by the finite element method, and the life of each joint was predicted qualitatively. Next, several connectors evaluated well durable at the prediction were subjected to 1,000-hour combined environmental testing. Consequently, a highly reliable IDC connector for automotive applications was developed. Furthermore the predicted life trend of the connectors virtually agreed with the environmental test results.

In the automotive industry there is currently a trend toward modularization, integrating several functional components into a single module. Among a variety of wiring materials, the flexible printed circuit (FPC) is a remarkable advance for the module wiring. However, the present FPC connectors have the current capacity of a few amperes, hence applications of the FPC have been limited. This paper describes the design and performance of an FPC connector intended for middle level currents, especially the connection between the terminal and the copper foil.

There is a trend toward integration of several components in automobiles into modules and we have developed a new wiring system suitable for module components. This new wiring harness consists of multi core flat cable that has zero-halogen insulation. The features are weight reduction and simplification of the manufacturing process. The connector for this system is IDC (Insulation Displacement Contact) and hotmelt overmold is used for waterproofing the IDC. The mechanics of the waterproofing is adhesion between surfaces of cable insulation, connector housing and hotmelt. We have developed a new hotmelt material that can adhere to both nonpolar compounds (zero-halogen cable insulation) and polar compounds (connector housing), and is a highly reliable waterproof IDC connector that can be used in engine compartments. We also discuss a compact facility that can simultaneously operate both IDC and a hotmelt molding process.