Southfield, MI – October 27, 2022 – Electrical Components International, Inc. (“ECI”), a leading global supplier of electrical distribution systems, control box assemblies, and other engineered components for diversified markets, is proud to highlight the innovation of our high voltage engineers aimed at accelerating time to market for product introduction while delivering best cost optimization.
Innovative Engineering
One of the keys to success in the fast-paced electrification market is the ability to adapt existing tools and technology to solve problems in a non-traditional way. As a producer of low volume, high mix parts, we faced the challenge of conducting rapid iterations and a variety of crimping technology to make the terminal and wire connection.
In the market, portable crimp devices are typically ideal for certain wire and terminal combinations, but many combinations require a benchtop device to ensure the proper crimp is executed. The conventional solution would have been to buy both a portable and a benchtop device; however, the lead time for a benchtop crimp machine is typically 10-12 weeks, and the approximate cost can range from $30k to $60k.
Out of the box Solutions
To solve this challenge agilely, our engineering team came up with an innovative solution: designing a custom aluminum fixture to mount the High Voltage Portable Intelligent Crimping (HVPIC) system.
This HVPIC system was then fabricated locally in less than one week and for a fraction of the cost of a benchtop system. The advantage of this system is its ability to prevent misalignment of wire and terminal by ensuring the consistent angular location of both, thus guaranteeing consistent crimp force application.
“In this fast-paced environment, speed and agility are key to success. Customers will gravitate toward the partners who solve their problems quickly and effectively while being cost conscious. We leveraged local shops to fabricate these custom designs which enabled rapid, high-quality iterations for the HVPIC system. The result was our customers are thrilled with our ability to provide quality products far faster than our competitors”, said Kevin Schwanz, Chief Technology Officer at ECI.
About ECI
Founded in 1953, Electrical Components International (ECI) is one of the world’s leading suppliers of electrical distribution systems, control box assemblies, and other critical engineered components for diversified markets. With 25,000 employees and 40+ global manufacturing locations, ECI is the trusted partner to market leaders with 500+ customers. At ECI, we power smart, connected, and electrified solutions that help solve the most complex challenges. For more information about ECI, visit www.ecintl.com.
