Ignition cable sets? These are a thing of the past – they’re gradually disappearing from vehicles with petrol engines. Nowadays, ignition coils or ignition coil units tend to be fitted in modern petrol-engine vehicles. As these are the shape of a pencil, they are also known as “pencil coils”. They are directly connected to the spark plugs, meaning that ignition cables are no longer required. The modern coils are not only a considerably more compact solution than the previous high-voltage ignition cables, but they also improve ignition functionality and reliability.
I have already set up a wide assortment of ignition products for the Jakoparts range (which comprises wearing parts for Japanese and Korean vehicles). Nonetheless, it is my mission to continuously expand the product portfolio in order to be able to offer our customers solutions for new vehicle models as well. Sparks should continue to fly, after all – albeit under the bonnet.
At this point, I should shed a little more light on this process.
The whole thing started in our Research+Development Department, where our new products take shape. Our colleagues work diligently to prepare items for vehicles and then provide them to us in the Product Management Department. On the back of this, I check the developed items within my area of responsibility for relevance in relation to a variety of criteria. And then enter these new items if they fulfil these specifications. I see this as an investment in the future, as compact systems are being more and more frequently incorporated into vehicles with petrol engines. This is the case across all markets. This means that you save a considerable amount of space and weight in the engine bay. Furthermore this contributes to reduced consumption of fossil fuels.
Our assortment of ignition products for the Jakoparts range currently includes around 40 ignition coils and 70 ignition coil units. Quality is very important to me; I abide by Herth+Buss’ principle of only procuring goods from certified suppliers. It simply doesn’t fit with my philosophy and that of the company to offer poor-quality products. On the other hand, driver safety is absolutely paramount in my view. The voltage pulse that is generated in the secondary coil is considerably higher than the 12-volt battery output that previously flowed through the primary coil. In other words, a high voltage of approx. 30,000 volts is generated in the secondary winding that is needed for an ignition spark. You can learn more about the specific process here.
Quality assurance of the ignition coils
The basis for this is certification to ISO 9001 and ISO/TS 16949, which are both held up as a global quality standard in the automotive industry. However, they were replaced in October 2016 by IATF 16949. You can find more information about the certification here.
My colleague who is responsible for the European vehicle model parts range in Elparts Product Management also adheres to the same stringent quality requirements. For European vehicles, however, there are usually far more approvals behind the parts themselves. One current example is the bar ignition coil 19050010, which covers a wide range of French vehicles, among others.
So, that was my little digression on the topic of ignition. If you have any questions or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me!
