The German computer-aided engineering (CAE) specialist Eplan has acquired the development and sales rights to Linius Technologies’ Harness Expert 3D/2D wire harness engineering software.

The acquisition will allow Eplan to address new sectors, including rail and specialist vehicle technology, telecommunications and medical technology. The company says there is also an increasing demand from its existing customers to implement 1:1 connections via harnesses as the number of circuit-board-based systems and devices grows.

The newly-acquired software – which will be distributed under the Eplan Harness Expert name – complements Eplan’s existing Electric P8 CAE software, which has previously handled the engineering of single wires and sheathed cables in control cabinets and field components. Together, the products will be able to provide information such as wire specifications, and bundle and socket assignments, cutting engineering time and costs.

“The purchase of the Harness Expert software makes our portfolio broad enough to cover all engineering requirements,” says Eplan chairman, Maximilian Brandl. “It also gives us a considerable competitive advantage, especially in the international market.”

The Harness Expert suite supports all aspects of wire harness engineering. It shows harness and wiring loom designs in 3D, and generates 2D production documents. The software can import 3D wiring harness models from standard 3D CAD systems, and check routing and design aspects such as clamps, clips, and lengths, avoiding the need for time-consuming and costly prototype production.

Alternatively, if a wire harness has been laid out in an imported 3D model, a mechanical design department can take on the design of the 3D model and the harness. Any design problems can be detected and eliminated in the virtual model, without needing physical prototypes. If 3D models are not available, harnesses can be designed in Harness Expert’s own 3D editor.

The software uses the 3D or 2D layouts to produce various reports and lists for quotations, ordering and production. To validate harness designs, the software includes testing and checking functions for bending radii, fill levels, cable lengths and connectors.