Page 215 - Electromechanical Devices and Components Illustrated Sourcebook

Chapter 10 Wire and Conductors 177

adheres to the wire and netting. The taped joint is then Split sleeve is commonly found in automobile wiring har-
covered with heat shrink. This method of harness construc- nesses. The finished bundle is simply pushed into the sleeve
tion produces a particularly clean assembly and greatly enhances through a continuous split that runs the entire length of the
the internal appearance of any finished equipment. This method sleeve. Wires can also be placed individually, which makes it
of wiring harness construction was originally designed by the very easy to add conductors after the assembly is complete.
author. To aid in flexibility, split sleeve is generally made with alter-
Wire lacing is the age-old method of building wiring har- nating ribs and valleys, as shown in Figure 10-26.
ness. The wire is bundled and is tied with a bee’s wax impreg- Ordinary tie wraps are a great way to construct one-off or
nated cord, called lacing cord. This type of construction is not prototype wiring harnesses. They may also be deployed to
in common practice anymore. Other, more efficient methods clean up an unsightly wiring job. Figure 10-27 shows tie wrap
have all but eliminated wire lacing. Any military or aviation construction.
electrical equipment of the 30s, 40s, and 50s will use wire lac-
ing in their construction. Figure 10-23 shows a wire bundle
using lacing.
Continous Split
Wire Bundle Ribs

Cotton Lacing Cord
Tied End (Impregnated with Bee's Wax)
Wire Bundle

Figure 10-26 Split Sleeve

Figure 10-23 Wire Lacing
Tie Wrap
Wire Bundle
Loose-fitting plastic sleeving is often used for low-
performance wiring harness construction. The wire bundles
are pushed through the sleeving and the ends and joints are
generally sealed off with electrical tape. This produces a func-
tional, although unsightly, assembly. Figure 10-24 shows an
example of sleeve construction. Figure 10-27 Plastic Tie Wraps
Coil sleeve is a continuous spring of flat plastic material,
as shown in Figure 10-25. After the harness is complete, the
coil sleeve is wrapped around the bundles to form the finished
assembly.
Extreme environments can represent significant problems
when designing a wiring harness. One method is to build the
harness inside standard plumbing fittings and hose, as shown
in Figure 10-28. The hose can be selected to withstand abra-
Plastic Sleeve
sion and chemical environments, giving the wires superior
Wire Bundle protection.

Hose Barb × NPT Coupler
Hose Clamp
Figure 10-24 Loose Fit Plastic Sleeving
Hose

Wire Bundle

Coil Sleeve
Wires

Figure 10-25 Coil Sleeve Figure 10-28 Hose and Hose Barb Cable