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Knowledge Base
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about wire harness engineering, manufacturing processes, and digital twin technology.
General Questions
Questions about our business
What types of companies does Breeden Wiring Systems typically work with? Breeden Wiring Systems works with OEMs, Tier suppliers, startups, and engineering teams that need high-quality wire harness design, prototyping, or digital engineering support for complex electrical systems..
What industries do you support with wire harness engineering and prototyping? We support automotive, off-highway, industrial equipment, power generation, aerospace, defense, and emerging electric vehicle and commercial vehicle programs.
Is BWS a good fit for startups, new programs, or rapid development projects? Yes. BWS specializes in early-stage programs, rapid development, and startups that need fast, flexible wire harness engineering and prototype builds without long ramp-up times.
Can BWS support both short-term engineering help and long-term programs? We support everything from short-term engineering bursts to multi-year programs, scaling resources as your project evolves.
How early in a program should we engage BWS for best results? Engaging BWS early—during architecture or concept phase—helps reduce cost, errors, and redesign by aligning electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing decisions upfront.
How do you handle design changes during a project? We use a formal Engineering Change Order (ECO) process with version control and full traceability. All changes are documented, reviewed for impact analysis, and communicated to stakeholders before implementation.
What information do you need to provide a quote or proposal? We typically need a high-level scope, timeline, target volume, standards, and available documentation to quickly develop an accurate proposal.
How do we get started with BWS on a new project? You can get started by contacting us through our website, email, or phone to schedule a short discussion about your project needs.
Wire Harness Engineering
Design, development, and documentation
What wire harness design services does BWS provide? BWS provides end-to-end wire harness design services including schematics, wiring diagrams, 3D routing, formboards, BOMs, and manufacturing-ready documentation.
How do you ensure harness designs meet industry standards? Our engineering team follows strict industry standards including IPC/WHMA-A-620, SAE AS50881 for aerospace, and MIL-DTL specifications for military applications. We validate designs through rules checking, risk analysis such as DFMEA's, and compliance reviews before production.
What information do you need to start a harness design project? We typically need electrical system schematics or device pinouts along with voltage and signal information, system requirements, environmental conditions (temperature, vibration, moisture), connector preferences, routing constraints, and any applicable industry standards. We can also work from existing harnesses or legacy documentation as a starting point.
Can you reverse-engineer existing wire harnesses? Yes, we offer comprehensive reverse-engineering services. We can document existing harnesses, create digital models, update legacy designs, and modernize outdated documentation to current CAD standards.
What CAD software do you use for harness design? We specialize in Engineering Base by Aucotec for advanced electrical engineering, however our designs are often customer specific or dependent on the scale and scope of the project as integration needs. We have extensive experience with Creo Schematics and Cabling, RapidHarness, along with industry-standard tools like AutoCAD Electrical, CATIA, and more.
How do you handle design changes during a project? We use a formal Engineering Change Order (ECO) process with version control and full traceability. All changes are documented, reviewed for impact analysis, and communicated to stakeholders before implementation.
Do you support both 2D wiring diagrams and full 3D harness routing? Yes. We deliver both 2D and 3D wire harness designs, ensuring electrical accuracy while validating physical fit, bend radius, and routing in real assemblies.
Can BWS design harnesses for harsh environments? Yes. We design harnesses for high-temperature, vibration, EMI, oil, moisture, and outdoor environments commonly found in industrial and mobile equipment.
Can you review and improve an existing wire harness design? Yes. We review existing harness designs to reduce cost, improve reliability, simplify assembly, and address manufacturability or service issues.
How does BWS typically structure projects and pricing? Projects are structured as hourly engineering, fixed-scope deliverables, or hybrid models depending on schedule, risk, and program needs.
Can BWS work as an embedded extension of our engineering team? Yes. BWS often works as an embedded engineering partner, integrating directly with customer teams, tools, and workflows.
How do you manage projects and communicate progress? Projects are managed using structured tools like Smartsheet with clear task ownership, milestones, and regular customer communication.
Manufacturing
Production, quality, and testing
What types of wire harnesses do you manufacture? We manufacture a wide range including industrial control harnesses, aerospace wire bundles, automotive wiring systems, military-grade assemblies, motorsport harnesses, and heavy-duty truck and bus wiring. Each is built to specific industry requirements.
What quality certifications do you hold? While we are still a young company, we are quickly developing our manufacturing processes with a goal to be certified to IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 2 and Class 3 standards and ISO 9001 in 2027.
Do you provide prototyping services? Yes, we offer prototyping with quick-turn capabilities. Prototypes can be of several varieties and dictate a varying degree of quality standards. For example engineering only or design validation prototypes are often needed urgently and may have more flexibility for materials and tooling used in order to delivery samples more urgently. However, first piece qualification, PPAP, or often "Beta" samples often require more stringent requirements and adherence with a greater focus on overall quality in order to validate manufacturing processes to allow for seamless transition to full manufacturing.
How do you ensure manufacturing quality? We implement multiple quality checkpoints including incoming material inspection, in-process verification, continuity and hi-pot testing, dimensional checks, and final visual inspection per IPC-620 or applicable industry or customer standards. All results are documented for traceability.
Can you source components for custom connector kits? Absolutely. We source connectors, terminals, seals, and accessories from major manufacturers like Deutsch, Amphenol, TE Connectivity, and Molex. We can build custom tool kits for field service and maintenance applications.
What testing capabilities do you have? Our testing includes continuity verification, hi-pot/dielectric withstand, insulation resistance, pull testing for crimps, and more. We can also work with testing houses such as CSA, UL, or others to perform custom test protocols based on customer specifications.
What volumes do you support for prototype and low-volume builds? We specialize in prototype, pilot, service, and low-volume builds—typically from one-off harnesses through small production runs.
How quickly can BWS deliver a prototype wire harness? Prototype lead times are often measured in days or weeks, depending on complexity, parts availability, and testing requirements.
Engineering Base
Digital Twin wire harness software
Why use a digital twin instead of traditional drawing-based harness design? Digital twin design reduces errors, improves change control, enables automation, and creates a single source of truth from design through manufacturing and service.
Can Engineering Base integrate with our mechanical CAD or PLM systems? Yes. Engineering Base integrates with leading mechanical CAD and PLM systems to synchronize electrical and mechanical data across teams.
Do you provide Engineering Base training and library development? Yes. BWS provides Engineering Base training, template setup, part libraries, and best-practice workflows tailored to your organization.
Can BWS help migrate our existing harness data into a digital platform? Yes. We help migrate legacy drawings, spreadsheets, and CAD data into Engineering Base or other structured digital systems.
What problems does Engineering Base solve for wire harness teams? Engineering Base reduces design errors, eliminates duplicate data entry, improves change control, accelerates development, and ensures consistent manufacturing outputs.
How does a digital twin reduce errors in wire harness designs? Because all data is connected, Engineering Base automatically checks rules, validates connections, and updates every output when a change is made—preventing mismatches and omissions.
Can Engineering Base manage complex product variants and options? Yes. Engineering Base excels at variant management, allowing teams to design 150% harnesses and generate accurate outputs for each configuration automatically.
Does Engineering Base support both electrical and mechanical integration? Yes. Engineering Base integrates electrical logic with mechanical CAD systems, enabling accurate 3D routing, fit validation, and synchronized updates.
Can Engineering Base generate manufacturing-ready outputs automatically? Yes. Engineering Base can automatically generate wiring diagrams, formboards, BOMs, cut lists, and reports directly from the digital twin.
How does Engineering Base improve change management? Changes are made once in the digital model and instantly reflected everywhere, eliminating manual revisions and reducing risk during late-stage changes.
Is Engineering Base suitable for large OEMs as well as smaller teams? Yes. Engineering Base scales from small engineering teams to large OEMs with complex products, global teams, and strict configuration control requirements.
How does Engineering Base support collaboration across teams? Multiple users can work in parallel on a shared database, ensuring electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, and quality teams stay aligned in real time.
How does Engineering Base help reduce wire harness cost? By optimizing wire sizes, splice locations, connector usage, and routing early, Engineering Base helps reduce material cost, labor time, and rework.
Can Engineering Base support regulated industries like aerospace or defense? Yes. Engineering Base supports traceability, rule enforcement, and documentation required for aerospace, defense, and other regulated environments.
What is the learning curve for Engineering Base? While powerful, Engineering Base is best adopted with structured setup and training—something BWS provides to ensure teams become productive quickly.
How long does it take to implement Engineering Base? Implementation timelines vary, but many teams are productive within weeks when templates, libraries, and workflows are properly configured upfront.
How does Engineering Base compare to RapidHarness, Capital, or Zuken? Along with expert our expert support, Engineering Base stands out for its database-centric architecture, deep variant handling, and flexible integration across electrical and mechanical domains.
Can BWS run pilot projects using Engineering Base before full adoption? Yes. BWS frequently supports pilot programs to demonstrate value and ROI before customers commit to a full rollout.
How does a digital twin improve long-term product lifecycle support? The digital twin preserves design knowledge, enabling easier updates, service support, redesigns, and future variants without starting from scratch.
Is Engineering Base cloud-based or on-prem? Engineering Base can be deployed in multiple configurations depending on customer IT, security, and collaboration requirements.
How does Engineering Base support electrical validation and rule checking? Built-in rule checks validate connectivity, wire sizing, pin assignments, and design logic before data reaches manufacturing.
How do we get a demo or evaluation of Engineering Base? You can request a demo through BWS to see Engineering Base applied to real wire harness scenarios relevant to your products.
