Almost all OEMs transfer the central electrical junction box, commonly referred to as the electrical box, along with fuses, circuit breakers, relays, and other electrical components, directly onto the automotive wiring harness for direct installation.
The electrical box is responsible for aggregating and distributing signals, conveying driving information to various parts of the vehicle. It is a critical component of the automotive electronic control system and one of the most technically demanding and meticulously crafted parts of the wiring harness.
Fuses, relays, and other components are typically installed within the electrical box. Common types of electrical boxes include plug-in electrical boxes and PCB electrical boxes, generally produced and supplied by automotive connector manufacturers.
The plug-in electrical box allows wires to connect directly to the internal components of the box via connectors, characterized by its simple structure, relatively low cost, complex wiring, good high-temperature resistance, difficult installation and replacement, and strong adaptability to design changes.
The PCB electrical box connects wires to the PCB board within the box via connectors, featuring a compact and complex structure, higher cost, greater current-carrying capacity, relatively poor temperature resistance, easy installation and replacement, and minimal mold changes during design modifications.
The design and manufacturing level of automotive connectors reflects the comprehensive strength of the metal, non-metal materials, and mold manufacturing industries. The electrical box, along with fuses, relays, and other electrical components, involves a broader range of basic material industries compared to ordinary connectors, including the manufacturing and testing of PCB printed circuit boards.