Q5D and KYOCERA AVX Expand Collaboration on Custom IDC Connectors for Automated Harness Assembly
Q5D Technologies, a specialist in robotic automation of wiring harness manufacture, and KYOCERA AVX have entered the next phase of their three-year collaboration to develop custom insulation displacement connector (IDC) designs optimized for fully automated wire harness assembly .
Why IDC Matters for Automation:
Unlike conventional crimp contacts that typically require hand tools, IDC contacts can be fixed to a surface and terminated from one side. This makes them ideal for robotic processes that lay in the wire, hold it with simple traps, and then press down to complete the connection .
Technical Specifications Under Development:
Conductors ranging from approximately 12 to 32 AWG
Current levels from small-signal through to approximately 20A
Focus on reliable cold-weld terminations and robust performance under shock and vibration
Modular Design Philosophy:
The custom IDC concepts are modular and can be arranged side-by-side, allowing designers to scale contact count and layout for each application while minimizing material use and overall system cost .
Chris Elsworthy, CTO of Q5D, stated: "IDC technology is ideal for automation because we can place the wire across a fixed contact and use the robot to press it into a controlled, repeatable termination. Working closely with KYOCERA AVX has given us the confidence to move from standard parts toward custom IDC designs that make fully automated harness assembly even more attractive to our customers" .
Sebastian Schneider, VP Sales & Marketing, Connector Group at KYOCERA AVX, added: "We see significant long-term potential to replace conventional wire routing approaches while reducing connector-side complexity and enabling meaningful system-level cost efficiencies" .
