Crimping Wire - Top or Bottom of Terminal?

[MJLorton]

Hi Folks,

I'm keen for some input here....a viewer queried the video I posted on wire stripping and crimping as there seems to be a mix of information on the web in terms of crimping a connector from the top or the bottom?

Is there a definitive / correct way to do it?

Cheers,
Martin.

[SeanB]

Crimp away from the seam if present, otherwise you just spread the connector and do not grip the conductor gas tight. The idea is to force the copper wire into intimate contact with the wall at high pressure so that there is the formation of multiple metal bonds between the 2 metals. If you crimp on the join then the intruding face of the die comers through without deforming the connector wall, and just compresses the conductors and then is removed leaving a void.

Best though is a crimp that is reducing the diameter of the entire ferrule, evenly spreading the compression over the wire so that there are no uneven forces applied. The 2 or 6 point crimps are used for the most reliable military and areospace connections. Either you have 2 dies that are ground and plated so that the entire surface is smooth and compresses evenly or there are multiple dies that are forced inwards to reduce the area smoothly, leaving a 6 point hexagonal crimp. If you are buying connectors which are over $20 a pin then the $400 for the proper tooling is cheap overall.

[MJLorton]

If you are buying connectors which are over $20 a pin then the $400 for the proper tooling is cheap overall.

Hell! Not cheap....

Thanks for the info!

[SeanB]

Yes, especially as the connectors start at 4 pins and go to 400 pins......... $20 a pin is in bulk, you also pay for the shell, the backing plates, the backshell housing, the cable seal and the pin sockets separately. With it you also need a go-nogo checker for the pins, one for the sockets and a set of inserters and removal tools.