Wire Harness, Cable & Electromechanical Assembly worked example

Harness Automation Payback with crimp and cut-strip cell capital cost of 12,500 $: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop crimp and cut-strip cell capital cost to 12,500 $, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate harness automation payback for wire harness, cable and electromechanical assembly using production-ready inputs so teams can screen a capital project before a detailed business case.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Crimp/cut-strip cell capital cost: 12,500 $ (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 25,000)
  • Annual labor and scrap savings vs. hand assembly: 18,000 $ / yr (held at the documented default)
  • Annual maintenance, tooling and operator cost: 2,500 $ / yr (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Net annual harness automation payback savings = annual harness automation payback savings - annual harness automation payback support cost.
  • Harness automation payback payback period works out to 0.81 yr at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Net annual harness automation payback savings works out to 15,500 $ / yr at these inputs.
  • Harness automation payback investment works out to 12,500 $ at these inputs.
  • Five-year net harness automation payback value works out to 65,000 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where crimp and cut-strip cell capital cost sits at 25,000 $ and the headline result is 1.61 yr, this scenario comes in 50% below the baseline at 0.81 yr.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to crimp and cut-strip cell capital cost, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It assumes savings and support costs stay flat every year and ignores the time value of money, ramp-up learning curves, and volume swings that can stretch real payback well past the simple figure.

Results at a glance

  • Harness automation payback payback period: 0.81 yr (headline result)
  • Net annual harness automation payback savings: 15,500 $ / yr
  • Harness automation payback investment: 12,500 $
  • Five-year net harness automation payback value: 65,000 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Harness Automation Payback calculator, set crimp and cut-strip cell capital cost to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.