Innovation

All around the world, more people and goods are being transported than ever before. There is a greater environmental awareness even as urban areas grow apace. Everything is in a state of flux. These are the challenges that mobility in tomorrow’s world must meet.  

The problem-solving techniques used to find answers to these issues are as varied as the traffic concepts being developed. However, one thing that they all have in common is the need to transport data and energy efficiently. This begins with connections between vehicle components, includes transport connections and extends to connections between external supply, infrastructure and control systems. LEONI’s innovative cables and wiring systems provide optimal connections.

Solutions for reducing weight and installation space, automotive Ethernet and driver assistance systems

Such driver aid systems as proximity control and lane assist as well as rear view cameras make driving in modern vehicles easier and increase road safety. Digital communication - above all the automotive Ethernet - increasingly supports connected mobility functions in ever more vehicles. Particularly self-driving cars need these systems to negotiate traffic without any problems. Sensors and signal transmission play a key role in this respect. Connectivity in the car, between vehicles themselves as well as to their surroundings requires high rates of data transmission. LEONI Dacar Ethernet cables perform excellent and fast, bi-directional transfer up to the Gigabit range.

Multiples are required of some functions to back up these assistance systems. To save space and weight for this purpose, we use innovative conductor materials as well as cables with less wall thickness, smaller diameter and miniaturised design – as in our multifunctional LEONI Adascar models. They fulfil the demanding requirements of their areas of application.

Automotive cables

Signal transmission

Data transmission

Every new challenge for vehicle development always affects the wiring system as well. Be it lightweight design, electromobility, autonomous driving or connectivity, the growing demands of development require a constant stream of new solutions. Even more, most OEMs expect wiring systems to be highly reliable and reduce product costs and weight, while also providing more functions and greater variety.

Our products provide the perfect answer to the latest wiring system trends – including the integration of 48V and high voltage systems, increasing automation and standardisation, but also the optimisation – or replacement – of copper wires. In addition, as electromobility becomes more common, cost-effective and robust, lightweight designs are becoming essential. At the same time, the current trend towards autonomous driving demands faster data transmission and efficient energy management. LEONI is ready to meet these requirements and is working continuously on new approaches to respond to the trends that are driving the future of wiring systems.

The increasing demands of the new assistance and comfort systems are pushing the current 12V wiring system to its limits. The introduction of the 48V power net offers a number of advantages, and yet one potential source of risk remains: the electric arc.

LEONI has developed an innovative concept to solve this problem. The solution uses the principle of a simple Wheatstone bridge that detects electric arcs and, in combination with an electronic power distributor, protects the 48V wires against overcurrent, short circuits and electric arcs. It is also possible to switch (off) the current path without causing electric arcs, for example in the event of a fault or failure.

LEONI’s detailed analyses have demonstrated that the problem of electric arcs in the 48V wiring system can be controlled. Whether any measures are needed, and if so, which ones, depends on a range of factors such as the load capacity or current profile. This does not necessarily have to entail costly protective measures. Regardless of whether you are using load current paths or semiconductor switches, LEONI can provide a wide range of problem-solving techniques for detecting electric arcs.

We develop solutions for your market:

Passenger cars

Commercial vehicles

The daily supply of supermarkets with fresh foods is a logistical master stroke. It is based on a flow of goods that is equally fast and efficient and will increase globally in the future. In Germany alone, the number of tonne-kilometres driven is expected to increase by approximately 50 per cent by 2025.

Along with speed and efficiency, costs and CO₂ aspects are gaining increasing importance for transport. In this connection, lorry manufacturers are investing in lightweight construction and efficient engine technology conforming to the Euro 6 standard. Railway traffic, which is responsible for 20 percent of today's transport of goods, is also expected to expand.

LEONI also provides good opportunities for investments in transport: We supply cables and cable systems with the widest range of applications for railway applications and cable harnesses and onboard systems for lorries.

Mobility implies a driver. And in today’s world, good drive technology will not only be high-performance but also environmentally friendly. The motor vehicle industry is therefore working on developing more economical combustion engines alongside alternative concepts. One thing that seems certain, however, is that the importance of electric vehicles will continue to grow. Regardless of whether the drive technologies are for classic electric vehicles, range extender, plug-in or full hybrid cars, they all need smart, high voltage cable harnesses in addition to the traditional wiring systems. LEONI has been manufacturing these products as part of its portfolio for many years and is constantly extending its product offering.

Making vehicles as light as possible is one of the hot topics in the automotive industry, as cars that clock up less on the scales have less impact on the environment and are more economical. This trend also affects the wiring system, which is the central interface in any vehicle.

LEONI has found a way of significantly contributing to weight reduction by using new conductor materials such as aluminium rather than copper, by creating a smaller cable cross section and by using optimised system architectures. This can all save up to 20 percent of the weight without affecting performance. There is even potential to save weight at the planning stage of a wiring system, as our planning tool Toodedis optimises the wiring system by means of electrical and thermal simulation. It allows the optimal cable cross section for each cable harness to be determined and to reduce the overall weight of a wiring system by up to 15 percent.