Description
A cable harness, also known as a wire harness, wiring harness,
cable assembly, wiring assembly or wiring loom, is an assembly of
electrical cables or wires which transmit signals or electrical
power. The cables are bound together by a durable material
such as rubber, vinyl, electrical tape, conduit, a weave of
extruded string, or a combination thereof.
Commonly used in automobiles, as well as construction machinery,
cable harnesses provide several advantages over loose wires and
cables. For example, many aircraft, automobiles and spacecraft
contain many masses of wires which would stretch over several
kilometers if fully extended. By binding the many wires and cables
into a cable harness, the wires and cables can be better secured
against the adverse effects of vibrations, abrasions, and moisture.
By constricting the wires into a non-flexing bundle, usage of space
is optimized, and the risk of a short is decreased. Since the
installer has only one harness to install (as opposed to multiple
wires), installation time is decreased and the process can be
easily standardized. Binding the wires into a flame retardant
sleeve also lowers the risk of electrical fires.