Crimping
Crimping is when a metal sleeve is pinched onto the conductor creating a solderless gas-tight connection between the wire and terminal pin.[1][2]
Crimping
Using the proper crimping tool makes a good crimp joint easy. A properly crimped joint does not need soldering and is more than strong enough.[3] Most crimp terminals are designed to be crimped, not soldered. Soldering a crimped terminal may weaken the mechanical connection, may reduce electrical conductivity, and may damage the terminal. As a general rule, you should not solder a crimp terminal.[4]
Strip about 2 or 3 mm of insulation from the wire. Then with a racheting crimp tool such as the HT-225D. Place the pin into the apropriate crimp tool aperture. Squeeze the crimpers only enough to hold the pin in place. Insert about 3 mm of the exposed strands into the pin. Squeeze the crimpers all the way. Release the crimpers, and pull the wire and pin out. The insulation is squeezed by the back of the pin, and the wire is squeezed in the center of the pin. This is to insure good electrical contact and a good hold on the wire. Push the wire and pin into the plastic housing, ensuring that the tab end of the pin goes the correct way into the housing, to lock into the square hole.[5] Using a simpler crimper such as the PA-09 will entail crimping in two steps. First to crimp the conductor then to crimp the insulation.[6]
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Adjust both wings to be parallel before crimping.
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First crimp the conductor, each wing should grip an equal portion of wires.
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After doing a pull out test, crimp the insulation.
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The connector after crimping.
References
- ^ Molex Connectors Explained, as used in Pinball. Termination–Crimping by cfh@provide.net 3 Apr 2005
- ^ Crimping Facts, Daniels Manufacturing Corporation
- ^ Crimping, by Dave Renoir, 20 October 2011
- ^ Making the Connection: Solder vs. Solderless Terminals by Jerry Sussman
- ^ Wire Connector Tutorial, Society of Robots
- ^ How To Crimp Micro Connector Pin Finely, Universal Crimping Connector Pliers, Engineer Inc.
External links
- How to crimp an electrical connector, SparkFun Electronics
- Making DuPont Jumper Wires, Arduino forum
- Make crimp connectors
- Molex, Good Crimps and How to Recognize Them
- Molex, Quality Crimp Handbook
- US Patent 3178673, Wire connector, 13 Apr. 1965
- US Patent 3409858, Electrical Connector Having Resilient Arcuately Bendable Locking Means, 5 Nov. 1968
- A Comparison of Molex KK 0.1" Crimp Tools
- Engineer Inc. PA-09 (and PA-20) Crimp Connector Pliers
- Common wire-to-board, wire-to-wire connectors, and crimp tools
- Industrial Crimp Quality Handbook, Molex