Electric vehicle makers race to automate wire harnesses
In the electric vehicle (EV) market, global competition is fierce, as demonstrated by recent price falls from leading players. Manufacturers are seeking cost and performance advantages over competitors. A vehicle’s wiring harness, which connects all the electrical and electronic circuits, is one of the largest and heaviest components bought by EV makers. It is also the last major barrier to fully automated manufacturing and all the benefits it could bring. Here’s why the issue is being addressed so urgently and [...]
Chris Elsworthy shortlisted for ‘Engineering Innovator of the Year’ Award
Q5D's CTO Director and Founder, Chris Elsworthy, has been shortlisted for the 'Engineering Innovator of the Year' award by the judges of the Engineering and Manufacturing Awards event. The award celebrates individuals or teams who can demonstrate how their initiative and ingenuity have resulted in extraordinary outcomes for their company and for society at large. Chris' work leading the design and development of the world's first additive manufacturing robot for wire harness automation is recognised by being shortlisted for the [...]
How a wiring robot came to solve the electrical function integration challenge
An interview with Chris Elsworthy, Q5D’s CTO. Q5D launched its first 5-axis CNC additive manufacturing robot cell, the CY1000 in 2023. Designed to automate the difficult task of adding electrical connections to increasingly complex products, the self-contained CY1000 robot eliminates the need for expensive, bulky, and heavy wiring harnesses. Freelance technical writer and journalist, Robert Huntley caught up with Chris Elsworthy, Chief Technology Officer at Q5D’s Bristol, UK headquarters to talk about the company’s vision and some of the [...]
Lockheed Martin leads 3 million USD investment round in Q5D to make tooling to automate wiring harness manufacture.
Bristol, UK, 12 April 2024: Q5D Technology, a company specializing in hardware and software tools for automating wiring harness manufacture, announced today the successful closure of a $3 million investment round, led by Lockheed Martin Ventures, the venture investment arm of Lockheed Martin Corporate, a global aerospace and defense company. Q5D has developed robotic tools combined with sophisticated computer-aided design and manufacturing software, enabling the autonomous addition of wiring and printed electronics directly onto product surfaces. This automation offers not [...]
Q5D opens Technical Assessment Centre to help customers implement wiring automation
Bristol, 14th March 2024 – Q5D, a manufacturer of robots for wiring automation, has opened a customer Technical Assessment Centre (TAC) at its Portishead, Bristol, UK facility. The TAC is designed to help customers with feasibility studies, design for manufacturing, and prototyping as they transition from traditional wire harnesses to full automation. It has already attracted several major automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers into that sector, some with projects running into 2025. Q5D’s CY1000 robot cell automates the addition of electrical wiring [...]
Q5D wins £918,169 ‘Made Smarter Innovation’ grant from Innovate UK for collaborative software development for wiring harness automation robot
Bristol, 5th March 2024 – Q5D, a manufacturer of wire harness automation equipment for additive manufacturing, has secured £918,169 in grant funding for the company and its partners to further develop the software that drives the CY1000 wiring automation robot announced earlier this year. The grant is shared with its partners in the project, the Manufacturing Technology Centre, an independent research and technology organisation, and Emixa, a digital transformation specialist and the leading Siemens Partner in Europe. The CY1000 5-axis CNC robotic handling [...]
Four reasons why automating wiring harness production is critical to electrification
Electrification is a critical trend in the quest for a net zero economy. This process is accelerating, encompassing everything from transport to buildings, and industry. Wiring harnesses – the component enabling the transmission of power and data – are critical to this transition. Here Chris Elsworthy, Chief Technology Officer at Q5D, explains why automating the production of wire harnesses is essential to meet the growing industry demand. 1. There’s no electrification without wiring Buzzwords like “electrification”, “e-mobility” and “electric vehicles” [...]
IET Excellence and Innovation Awards recognise Q5D’s ground-breaking wiring robot
Bristol, 17th October 2023 – Q5D has been shortlisted as a finalist for the 2023 IET Excellence and Innovation Awards in the ‘AI and Robotics’ category. These prestigious awards recognise ground-breaking innovations and best practices in engineering, science, and technology. This year, the social and environmental impact of the competing technologies was a core consideration for the judges. The IET (Institute of Engineering and Technology), headquartered in London, is a professional engineering body representing more than 154,0000 engineering and technology professionals in 148 [...]
Q5D to show first public demonstration of wiring automation robot for eliminating manual harnesses at the Advanced Engineering show
Bristol, 11th October, 2023 - Q5D will give the first public demonstration of its CY1000, 5-axis additive manufacturing robotic cell on stand Q162 at the Advanced Engineering Show at the NEC from November 1st to 2nd, 2023. The CY1000 automates the addition of electrical wiring and connectors to increasingly complex products. Through the additive manufacturing process, called ‘Electrical Function Integration’, the robot mitigates the need for traditional wire harnesses, which are large, heavy, costly, and often unreliable. It integrates bare [...]
Q5D shortlisted for ‘Start-up of the Year’ in the Elektra Awards for developing a robot that automates the integration of wiring into electrical products
Bristol, 10th October 2023 – Q5D has developed a robot to automate the addition of wiring and printed electronics to products, eliminating the need for wire harnesses. The company’s work has now been recognised by Electronics Weekly’s Elektra Awards judges, where the company has been selected as a ‘Start-up of the Year’ finalist. The wiring in many electrical and electronic products is currently made and installed by hand. Over the last few years, Q5D, has developed a unique additive manufacturing process that [...]
How automation will shape the future of the wire harness industry
The wiring harness industry is experiencing rapid change due to the technological advances of electrification, the Internet of Things (IoT), and Industry 4.0. Increased functionality means a higher demand for power and data connections in modern appliances, products, and vehicles. As a result, the wire harness market is growing rapidly. Transparency Market Research forecasts a wire harness market of $200 billion by 2031. The productivity of wiring harness manufacturing is a critical issue. The challenge caused by electrification Historical wire [...]
