Heavy Duty Harnesses

problem

Penske Australia’s problem-solving partner for over 10 years

Penske Australia believes that being customer-focused means responding quickly to customer needs. As Australia and New Zealand’s leading supplier of the world’s finest heavy-duty trucks, diesel and gas engines, and power systems, they deliver comprehensive customer support. So, they appreciate it when they find a business with the same approach. It’s why they’ve been working with Connect Source to solve their harnessing and connector problems for over 10 years.

Problem: Penske Australia needed heavy-duty harnesses that could last the life of the engine and reduce downtime

Penske Australia encountered a problem with 20 x MTU 20V4000 engines in haul trucks belonging to a mining client. The trucks were quite new but were fitted with light-duty harnesses that weren’t designed to cope with the harsh mine site environment.

There were problems such as rub throughs that were causing downtime for their mining client. Typically, issues like these rarely occur at a convenient time, so to minimise stoppages Penske Australia needed to act as quickly as possible to replace the harnesses.

They also needed to fit exhaust temperature monitoring devices to the same 24 engines in this fleet. Each cylinder needed a probe to monitor the exhaust temperatures to help with diagnostics and engine reliability.

solution

Custom-designed, braided, heavy-duty harnesses

Penske Australia designed heavy-duty harnesses that routed more effectively and clamped with improved P clamps to help with the longevity of the installation. They knew they needed electrical manufacturing expertise combined with an ability to provide the crucial quick turnaround.

They engaged Connect Source, and their team took a collaborative approach to finding a solution. They successfully manufactured the custom-designed, braided, heavy-duty harnesses within Penske Australia’s tight timeframe.

outcome

Durable harnesses lead to a reduction in downtime

Penske Australia fitted the new harnesses to the complete fleet of trucks. They lasted for the full life of the engines, which reduced downtime and costs for the customer. Connect Source still manufactures these harnesses, and Penske Australia fits them when they rebuild engines.