A Working Day for Paul Wood

Wiring Information Author

Paul left school in 1980 and started a five year engineering apprenticeship with a large material handling company. On completion of the apprenticeship he continued with the same company for a further two years as a field service engineer. As most of the qualifications involved in the apprenticeship where of an automotive nature, when the tinme came for a change, he decided to gain some experience in this field. He obtained a job as an automotive technician in a Renault dealership and he stayed here for eight years, over time progressing to a role as Senior Technician and Foreman, and thereafter worked as Foreman for an independent garage specialising in Renault motor vehicles for a further nine years.

At what he describes as ‘the ripe old age’ of 40, Paul felt he needed a change of career and was offered a position as a Technical Author for a well known publisher of technical information and repair manuals for independent garages. He worked in this position for three years, covering a vast range of technical subjects and using the knowledge and experience gained over the years as an automotive technician. This was followed by moving over to the UK South-east with USE*, where he has been working on site with a household name automotive OEM as a Wiring Information author for the past three years.

As a Wiring Information Author I produce Wiring Schematics, Connector Face View diagrams and Component Location Graphics using data provided from the customer’s engineering departments. The Wiring Schematics I create are designed specifically to present important electrical information in an accessible manner for dealer technicians. Supported by the Connector Face Views (which include pin information) and Component Location Graphics (which make connectors easier to identify and find in the vehicle), they are displayed on our customer’s technical information website accessed by service technicians working in our customer’s dealer network. Our deliverables are key enablers helping to ensure that quick and efficient repairs to customers’ vehicles can be carried out.

My working day starts with a short drive into work, I am lucky enough to live close by. It’s Tuesday morning, so my first job is to scan and respond to my e-mails. I conduct regular audio meetings with these our client’s departments to discuss issues and concerns about schematic information and product timing. One of the e-mails I respond to is from an engineer in Product Development requesting clarification regarding some recommended changes that we have proposed to one of our client’s vehicles wiring information.

By the time I have dealt with this, it’s time for me to join our weekly Wiring Team meeting, coordinated by our Wiring Team Supervisor who is a representative of our client – he forgot the biscuits today so not a good start… We review the status of the various wiring projects that we are each responsible for. At the moment the team is working together on various tasks to support the launch of a new model, the deadline is close approaching which is adding to the tension.

After our meeting my next task is to use the CAD system to build a 3D model of an instrument panel wiring loom and the associated body parts as a basis for creating Connector Location Graphics. Once I have created the general ‘package’ environment for the graphics, I can export a bitmap format image for a Connector Location Graphic. Then, using information supplied from one of our client’s engineering teams, I proceed to annotate the image to show the location of a series of connectors. I then process the graphic through our client’s publishing system, which will in turn release it to the technical web-site where dealer service technicians will then be able to efficiently locate the position of connectors with in the vehicle.

Over the course of a project many different views and systems will be captured using the CAD environment.

Lunch time looms and the team starts to gather their thoughts as to what the soup of the day will be in the canteen….. Broccoli and cheese again – what a choice.....!

After suffering soup wonderment my attention turns to a wiring schematic for a diesel engine.

Some of the components detailed on the schematic are labeled incorrectly. My job now is to understand how this engine wiring system works in order to apply the correct service terms displayed on the schematic.

After a bit of head scratching and a detailed conversation with an engineer I finally find some answers. (Some of our work can be technically challenging and therefore a discussion with the responsible engineers, along with some further research, is often required to gain a sound understanding of new vehicle products and systems). I apply the correct terms to the components with in the schematic and I manipulate the schematic using our customer’s electrical-CAD software so that it looks aesthetically pleasing to the eye (no component titles cutting across wires). Finally, using the customer’s publishing system, I put the schematic through several checking procedures necessary before the schematic can be published on the customer’s technical website.

Tomorrow I will work on the connector face views for the schematic; each component has a graphic showing the shape and connector pin information. This is important as it will aid the technician working on the system to identify connector pins and wires so that diagnostic procedures can be carried out on the system in question.

That’s it, I have just finished my last task of the day. I’m now off home to attend to my domestic chores…

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