CATIA V5 Electrical Harness Design: 5-Day Professional Training Course

Course Overview

This specialized CATIA V5 Electrical Harness Design Training provides comprehensive knowledge of electrical wire harness design, routing, and documentation using CATIA V5 Electrical Harness Installation (EHI) workbench. This intensive 5-day program covers harness design fundamentals, 3D wire routing, bundle creation, connector management, formboard generation, manufacturing drawings, and integration with mechanical assemblies for automotive, aerospace, and industrial applications.

Who Should Attend This CATIA V5 Harness Course?

• Electrical Design Engineers in automotive and aerospace

• Harness Design Engineers transitioning to CATIA V5

• Mechanical Designers working with electrical systems

• CAD Engineers specializing in wire harness design

• Systems Integration Engineers coordinating electrical routing

• Manufacturing Engineers producing harness assemblies

• Project Engineers managing electrical design packages

• Product Development Engineers in transportation industries

• Design Technicians preparing harness documentation

• Quality Engineers reviewing harness designs

Course Objectives

Participants will master:

• CATIA V5 Electrical Harness Installation (EHI) workbench

• 3D electrical routing and wire bundle design

• Connector and component placement strategies

• Branch and splice management techniques

• Formboard layout generation for manufacturing

• Harness flattening and manufacturing drawings

• Bill of materials (BOM) and harness reports

• Integration with mechanical assemblies and DMU

Day 1: CATIA V5 Fundamentals and Electrical Harness Introduction

Morning Session: CATIA V5 Interface and Navigation

Topics Covered:

• CATIA V5 environment overview and workspace customization

• Specification tree and feature-based modeling concepts

• Mouse navigation and view manipulation

• Multi-window and multi-document management

• Compass and coordinate system usage

• Selection methods and filters

• Standard toolbar functions and shortcuts

• Layer management and visibility controls

CATIA Fundamentals:
Understanding the CATIA V5 platform essential for electrical harness design work.

Afternoon Session: Electrical Harness Design Fundamentals

Topics Covered:

• Wire harness design process overview: concept to manufacturing

• Electrical Harness Installation (EHI) workbench introduction

• Electrical assembly structure and organization

• Geometrical bundles vs. electrical bundles

• Bundle segments and branch definitions

• Harness components: wires, cables, connectors, protective coverings

• Electrical part library structure and management

• Design requirements and constraints for harness routing

Getting Started:

• Creating electrical assembly documents

• Setting up harness design environment

• Understanding electrical assembly tree structure

• Project setup and template configuration

Practical Exercise:
Setting up a basic electrical assembly and exploring the EHI interface.

Day 2: 3D Electrical Routing and Bundle Creation

Morning Session: Electrical Geometry and Support Creation

Topics Covered:

• Electrical geometry creation for routing paths

• Support points and fixing points definition

• Routing path definition using 3D curves

• Bundle segment network creation

• Electrical reference axis and direction control

• Protection and covering support definition

• Slack and length management strategies

• Bend radius constraints and rules

Routing Techniques:

• Manual routing vs. automatic routing

• Point-to-point routing methods

• Multi-branch harness topology

• Routing around obstacles and through bulkheads

Afternoon Session: Wire and Cable Routing

Topics Covered:

• Wire and cable specification and properties

• Single wire routing in 3D space

• Multi-conductor cable routing

• Wire/cable assignment to bundle segments

• Color coding and identification standards

• Wire length calculation and slack allowance

• Twisted pair and shielded cable handling

• Service loop and breakout design

Hands-On Practice:
Creating complete wire routes through complex 3D assemblies with multiple connection points.

Day 3: Connectors, Components, and Branch Management

Morning Session: Connector and Component Placement

Topics Covered:

• Electrical connector types and catalog management

• Connector placement in 3D assemblies

• Pin and cavity assignment methods

• Connector orientation and mating alignment

• Inline components: fuses, relays, junction boxes

• Splices and terminal blocks definition

• Ground points and shield terminations

• Component library creation and customization

Connector Management:

• Multi-pin connector cavity population

• Pin-to-wire assignment strategies

• Connector shell and backshell selection

• Sealing and environmental protection considerations

Afternoon Session: Branch and Splice Design

Topics Covered:

• Branch point creation and management

• Y-branches and T-branches configuration

• Multi-way branch topology

• Splice definition and wire connections

• In-line splice vs. tap splice design

• Bundle diameter calculations and management

• Protective covering: conduit, sleeving, tape wrapping

• Breakout and transition zone design

Advanced Techniques:

• Complex branch network creation

• Service disconnect points

• Modular harness design strategies

• Harness variant management

Workshop:
Designing multi-branch harness with splices, inline components, and varied bundle diameters.

Day 4: Formboard Generation and Harness Flattening

Morning Session: 2D Formboard Development

Topics Covered:

• Formboard concept and manufacturing purpose

• Harness flattening methodology and algorithms

• Automatic vs. manual flattening techniques

• Bundle segment flattening and positioning

• Branch angle and position adjustment

• Connector and component placement on formboard

• Dimension and measurement annotation

• Manufacturing notes and specifications

Flattening Process:

• 3D to 2D transformation principles

• Handling complex geometries and curves

• Resolving flattening conflicts and overlaps

• Optimizing formboard layout for production

Afternoon Session: Manufacturing Documentation

Topics Covered:

• Formboard drawing generation in CATIA Drafting

• Manufacturing view creation and detailing

• Dimension schemes and tolerance specification

• Wire length tables and cutting lists

• Connector pinout diagrams and tables

• Assembly instruction annotations

• Protective covering and tape wrap indicators

• Quality inspection points and criteria

Drawing Standards:

• Industry drawing standards: automotive, aerospace

• Title blocks and revision control

• Layer management for manufacturing views

• Export formats: PDF, DWG, DXF

Practical Exercise:
Complete formboard generation and manufacturing drawing package creation.

Day 5: Advanced Features and Integration

Morning Session: Bill of Materials and Reporting

Topics Covered:

• Bill of Materials (BOM) generation from electrical assembly

• Wire cutting list creation and export

• Connector and component lists

• Cable and harness summary reports

• Custom report templates and formats

• Excel export and data management

• Part number and procurement information

• Cost estimation and material tracking

Data Management:

• Electrical data extraction and analysis

• Integration with PLM/PDM systems

• Version control and change management

• Collaborative design workflows

Afternoon Session: Assembly Integration and DMU

Topics Covered:

• Digital Mock-Up (DMU) with electrical harness

• Harness installation in mechanical assemblies

• Interference detection and clash analysis

• Clearance verification and minimum spacing

• Assembly sequence planning

• Kinematic analysis with moving harnesses

• Maintenance accessibility checks

• Design validation and review processes

Integration Techniques:

• Working with imported mechanical data

• Multi-disciplinary collaboration workflows

• Synchronizing electrical and mechanical changes

• Assembly constraints and positioning

Advanced Topics and Best Practices

Advanced Harness Features:

• Twisted wire pair and shielded cable advanced routing

• Coaxial cable and RF harness design

• Fiber optic cable integration

• Multi-harness assemblies and interconnections

• Modular and configurable harness systems

• Harness family and variant management

• Template creation for standardization

Design Optimization:

• Harness routing optimization strategies

• Weight and cost reduction techniques

• Manufacturing efficiency considerations

• Design for assembly (DFA) principles

• Design for manufacturability (DFM) guidelines

• Common design errors and how to avoid them

Industry-Specific Applications:

Automotive Harness Design:

• Vehicle wiring harness architecture

• Engine compartment routing challenges

• Dashboard and interior harness design

• Underbody and chassis harness routing

• Connector waterproofing and sealing

• Automotive standards and specifications

Aerospace Harness Design:

• Aircraft wire harness requirements

• Lightweight design considerations

• Environmental protection: temperature, vibration

• Aerospace standards: AS50881, MIL-DTL specifications

• Shielding and EMI/RFI protection

• Certification and qualification requirements

Industrial Equipment:

• Control cabinet and panel harness

• Machine tool electrical routing

• Heavy equipment harness design

• Marine and offshore applications

Customization and Automation

Topics Covered:

• CATIA V5 customization for harness design

• User-defined features (UDF) creation

• Macro recording and VBA scripting basics

• Electrical library development and management

• Company standards implementation

• Design rules and validation checks

• Automated reporting scripts

Quality and Validation

Topics Covered:

• Design validation checklists and procedures

• Electrical rule checking and DRC

• Wire gauge and current capacity verification

• Connector pin assignment validation

• Manufacturing feasibility review

• Design review workflows

• Quality gates and approval processes

Final Project and Assessment

Comprehensive Harness Design Project:
Complete harness design from specification to manufacturing including:

• Requirements analysis and planning

• 3D harness routing in mechanical assembly

• Multi-branch topology with splices

• Connector and component integration

• Bundle and protection design

• Formboard generation and optimization

• Manufacturing drawing package

• BOM and cutting list generation

• DMU validation and interference checking

• Design documentation and reporting

Assessment Activities:

• Hands-on practical examination using CATIA V5 EHI

• Design problem-solving exercises

• Formboard generation competency test

• Group project presentation with peer review

• Written examination on harness design principles

• Best practices discussion and knowledge sharing

• Certificate of Proficiency in CATIA V5 Electrical Harness Design

• Course evaluation and feedback session

Course Benefits and Learning Outcomes

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

• Navigate CATIA V5 Electrical Harness Installation workbench proficiently

• Create complete 3D electrical harness designs

• Route wires and cables through complex assemblies

• Design and manage multi-branch harness topologies

• Place and configure connectors and electrical components

• Generate accurate formboards for manufacturing

• Produce comprehensive manufacturing documentation

• Create BOMs and material cutting lists

• Integrate electrical harness with mechanical assemblies

• Perform DMU analysis and interference checking

• Apply industry best practices for harness design

• Optimize designs for manufacturability and cost

Training Methodology

This CATIA V5 harness training course employs:

• Instructor-led demonstrations with step-by-step guidance

• Extensive hands-on practice exercises

• Real-world automotive and aerospace examples

• Progressive learning from simple to complex designs

• Individual workstation for each participant

• Interactive problem-solving sessions

• Industry best practices and tips/tricks

• Design review and critique workshops

Course Materials Provided

Participants receive:

• Comprehensive CATIA V5 EHI training manual

• Step-by-step exercise workbooks with datasets

• Quick reference guides and command summaries

• Sample electrical part libraries and templates

• Example harness designs from industry

• Drawing templates and standards documentation

• Certificate of Training Completion

• Post-course email support for 30 days

Software Requirements

CATIA V5 Modules Required:

• CATIA V5 Foundation (Part Design, Assembly Design)

• Electrical Harness Installation (EHI) - Primary workbench

• Electrical Harness Flattening (EHF)

• Electrical Harness Assembly (EHA)

• CATIA Drafting (for manufacturing drawings)

• DMU Navigator (recommended for validation)

System Requirements:

• Windows workstation with CATIA V5 R20 or higher

• 16GB RAM minimum (32GB recommended)

• Dedicated graphics card (NVIDIA Quadro or equivalent)

• Three-button mouse with scroll wheel

Prerequisites

Recommended Background:

• Basic understanding of electrical systems and harnesses

• Familiarity with 3D CAD concepts (any platform)

• Basic CATIA V5 navigation helpful but not required

• Understanding of electrical schematics and wiring diagrams

• Knowledge of connectors and electrical components

For Beginners:
Optional pre-course CATIA V5 fundamentals module available.

Post-Course Support and Resources

• Access to practice exercise files and datasets

• Online forum for technical questions

• Software tips and tricks newsletter

• Advanced CATIA V5 EHI course pathway

• Industry webinars and user group information

• Connection to CATIA user communities

Career Applications

Skills applicable to:

• Automotive OEMs and tier suppliers

• Aerospace and defense contractors

• Heavy equipment manufacturers

• Marine and rail vehicle design

• Industrial machinery companies

• Consumer electronics with complex harness

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