Wiring harness assemblers use calipers, cutters or drills to create or mold coils, components or structures for harnesses used in several industries, including aerospace, electronics and entertainment. They install wires, secure cables, examine finished products, identify any defects or inefficiencies and correct the issue. Most assemblers additionally work on repairable harnesses. They remove, repair or replace flawed parts and clean reusable components with air hoses and solutions. According to ONet OnLine, wiring and electric sign assembly are recognized apprenticeships related to the field.
Qualifications and Compensation
Harness assembly jobs generally require a minimum of a high school diploma, but employers prefer candidates who understand production, processing, engineering, technology and electronics. Assemblers need to be cooperative, flexible, persistent, punctual, precise and organized. They must excel in equipment maintenance, quality control analysis, documentation and decision-making. The Bureau of Labor Statistics recognizes harness assembly jobs under the broader classification of electrical and electronic equipment assemblers, who earned an average annual income of $30,970, as of May 2012.
Harness assemblers analyze specifications, diagrams, work orders, instructions and wire lists to determine tools needed for each job. They choose appropriate wires, make cuts and loop them between pegs in accordance to sequential numbers or color-coded lines. They wrap, tie and secure them in place using a sealing substance that ensures the wires and cables don’t wiggle free. They test equipment, troubleshooting when necessary, and crimp or solder connectors and wires to link cables to plugs.
Learning About Wiring
Electrical wiring is a primary factor in harness assembly. Wiring involves bending, cutting and inputting wiring and conduit, and using specific equipment to ruin circuit-tests. Assemblers who participate in an electrical wiring apprenticeship gain extensive experience in building plans, electrical system rough-ins and trim-outs, calculating, maintaining, troubleshooting and installing, both electrical boxes and switching circuits. Apprentices may approach assembly jobs with more confidence after learning the safety procedures and equipment, materials and tools used in the trade.
Preparing Electric Signs
Electrical sign assembly apprenticeships provide workers the abilities necessary to wire and produce quality harnesses. Assembling electrical signs involves installing tubing, connecting equipment to sign boxes, crimping metal frames to fasten signs and using tubing to stabilize brackets on the boxes. Assemblers also perform quality-control checks, ensuring wires between secondary transformer terminals and tubing electrodes are connected and secured. They install additional components, using animated mechanisms to obtain hands-on experience that's easily transferred to harness assembly.
- O*Net OnLine: Details Report for Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers
- QSTAFF: Job Description : Wiring Harness Assembler
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wages
- MilwaukeeJobs.com: Wiring Harness Assembler
- Home Builders Institute: Electrical Wiring
- United States Department of Labor: Registered Apprenticeship : Appendix A
- Dictionary of Occupational Titles: Electric-Sign Assembler
- International Component Technology: Industries Served
- Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images