![]() ![]() ![]() “Without more rigid insulation, small wires can bounce around. “Small wires tend to be more challenging to crimp, because you need much more precision to get the wire placed consistently each and every time,” says Boyd. “Sometimes, customers assume they can go from a benchtop device to an automatic machine with the same applicator and the same terminals. “Despite what some people think, there is a difference between benchtop and automatic wire processing,” notes Boyd. Everything in that system has to be more accurate.” “The tooling and the feed have to be better. “With an automatic machine, the wire has to come in above the terminal and then get dropped down during the crimping process,” adds Boyd. “In manual processes, the operator can lay the wire down into the bottom of the terminal and hit a foot pedal. “Open-barrel crimping applications can also be challenging,” claims Boyd. “When the wire is going into the end of the terminal, there’s no straight surfaces that the conductor strands can interfere with. “In closed-barrel crimping applications, terminals designed for automatic processing have a lead into the crimping area,” explains Boyd. As little as 10 percent strands out can be difficult to detect using traditional crimp force monitors.ĭepending on the type of application, some terminals also work better than others. The individual strands, once isolated, can easily break off. If strands have fanned out, not all of them will make contact with the connector and be available to conduct current. Either way, the strength and the conductivity of the joint will be compromised.įailure to place all strands of a stranded conductor in the barrel may result in “strands out,” a term that refers to strands that are neither cut off nor in the crimp area. If it’s too long, there won’t be enough material for an insulation barrel to grip. If the strip length is too short, there won’t be enough conductor for the barrel to grip. The wire should extend all the way into the barrel. Precise positioning of the wire conductor, stranded or solid, in the terminal is crucial for a quality crimp. Whether it’s manual, semiautomatic or automatic, numerous issues can also affect the quality of crimping applications. ![]() If flakes of aluminum and copper start to mix and oxidize, bad things will happen, due to a chemical reaction caused by metal degradation.” “If your machine is running aluminum, you don’t want it to also run copper. “Mixing aluminum and copper is not a good idea,” warns Boyd. “And, because aluminum is softer than copper, it’s possible for insulation to bond to the conductor, which could potentially tear off a strand of wire. “Because aluminum is more fragile, it cannot be touched with stripping blades,” says Boyd. As a result, blades need to be changed more often with aluminum than with copper. That can cause a buildup of very fine dust particles that will coat the blades. “Because aluminum is so soft, it flakes off a lot on cutting blades. “Typically, processing aluminum is more difficult,” claims Boyd. “Copper is a lot harder and can withstand more abuse before it’s damaged or breaks off. “Aluminum is very brittle, which can cause problems with cutting, stripping and crimping,” he explains. “If the electrical conductor is nonconcentric and is floating from side to side, when the blades cut in, it might nick strands.”Īccording to Boyd, aluminum wire is more challenging to process than copper. “The machine assumes that the insulation dimensions will be consistent all the way around the cable or wire,” says Boyd. As a rule of thumb, thicker insulation is typically better for stripping applications. Although many machines are equipped with wire straighteners, they can only do so much.”įor larger wires and cables, concentricity is a big factor. “Sometimes, when wire comes off a spool, it will wrap around the blade. “If there’s a lot of curl in the wire, it’s more difficult, because all machines are designed with the idea that the wire is going to be straight,” Boyd points out. ![]() “If a wire is curled, after it’s sensed, the gripper can move it out of the way or the blade can cut the insulation on an angle instead of a nice, straight 90-degree cut. “Many wire machines work with sensors,” explains Boyd. ![]()
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