Custom made wiring harness

A recent project I did required custom made wiring harness within the panel. I'm not happy how they looked when I was done with them because the wires "did not flow together" like a good clean wiring harness should. It be worth the time and expense to take the time to calculate each conductor length if they were massed produced but what is a good way of making good clean wiring harness for one time projects when they will be exposed, not hidden by equipment or wire ducts? Is there software or methods that can crunch the numbers quickly?

Uhhh... For one offs, don't do a harness?

Use duct, and wire each device individually.

Don't even attempt to prefab a harness for such an application. Start wiring at one end and build the harness as you progress toward wiring the other end, cutting each wire slightly longer than it needs to be in the finished harness. This is how we wired large pushbutton and relay panels back in the day.

I use short lengths of flex conduit to run between the back of the enclosure door and the panel:

https://www.automationdirect.com/ad...exible_Non-Metallic_Electrical_Tubing/GSI-20K

Unless it's just a couple of wires, the flex is much easier to use, and it looks REALLY slick. Size the flex larger than you think you'll need... you'll need the extra room.

I usually use 3/4" flex, and I use these connectors and brackets to anchor the run(s):

https://www.automationdirect.com/ad...mity_Accessories/30mm_Mounting_Brackets/ST30C

https://www.automationdirect.com/ad.../Non-Metallic_Liquid-Tight_Connectors/RPS-20K


I install a run (or several) of small wire duct on the back of the door, for dressing wires to switches and devices.


-rpoet

Experience is the only way you can learn how to wire the one of panels.
We contracted with a company for wiring harnesses and it took 6 tries before we got close, and on the 9th on we got it right. then on # 13, the customer made a change, after 4 more, another change was made.

there is no real way to make a wiring harness for one of panels the way you suggest. We use wiring duct for our control panels.

regards,
james

Use any type of duct,make the wiring and then remove the ducts.
I sometimes use some simple wood and some tye wraps to keep the wires a bit in direction.

Thank you for all the feed back. I do use wire duct. The particular project required harnesses for quick swap out of components so some slack had to be allotted for the functionality for the harnesses where wire duct was not practical due to space constraints within the small panel.

If you want a swap, maybe a connector is a good option, It means replacing some components with a prewired unit.