User Manual

Quality Crimp Handbook
Order No: ATS-638000029 Release Date: 09-04-03 UNCONTROLLED COPY Page 7 of 23
Revision: C Revision Date: 09-12-06
Figure 4-4
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Thousandths
Measurements
C rim p H e ight
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Sample
Contol Limit
Control L imit
Uppe r Spe cificat ion
L o we r S pecific atio n
Example Control Chart
Figure 4-3
Figure 4-2
situations, a tool is setup to provide a cut-off tab that is flush
to one material thickness.
 Extrusions (Flash)
These are the small flares that form on the bottom of the
conductor crimp resulting from the clearance between the
punch and anvil tooling. If the anvil is worn or the terminal is
over-crimped, excessive extrusion are the results. An uneven
extrusion may also result if the punch and anvil alignment is
not correct, if the feed adjustment is off or if there is
insufficient/excessive terminal drag.
 Insulation Crimp (Strain Relief)
This is the part of the terminal that provides both wire
support for insertion into the housing and allows the terminal
to withstand shock and vibration. The terminal needs to hold
the wire as firmly as possible without cutting through to the
conductor strands. The acceptability of an insulation crimp is
subjective and depends on the application. A bend test is
recommended to determine whether or not the strain relief is
acceptable for each particular application.
 Insulation Crimp Height
Molex does not specify insulation crimp heights because of
the wide variety of insulation thickness, material, and
hardness. Most terminals are designed to accommodate
multiple wire ranges. Within the terminal’s range, the strain
relief may not completely surround the wire or fully surround
the diameter of the wire. This condition will still provide an
acceptable insulation crimp for most applications.
1. A large strain relief should firmly grip at least 88% of
the wire.
2. A smaller strain relief should firmly grip at least 50% of
the wire and firmly hold the top of the wire.
To evaluate the insulation crimp section, cut the wire flush with
the back of the terminal. Once the optimum setting for the
application is determined, it is important to document the
insulation crimp height. Then, as part of the setup procedure,
the operator can check the crimp height.
 Insulation Position
This is the location of the insulation in relation to the transition
area between the conductor and insulation crimps. Equal
amounts of the conductor strands and insulation needs to be
visible in the transition area. The insulation position ensures
that the insulation is crimped along the full length of the
insulation crimp, and that no insulation is crimped under the
conductor crimp. The insulation position is set by the wire stop and
strip length for bench applications. For automatic wire processing
applications, the insulation position is set by the in/out press
adjustment.
 Strip Length
The strip length is determined by measuring the exposed conductor
strands after the insulation is removed. The strip length
determines the conductor brush length when the insulation position
is centered.
*Consult individual terminal specification requirements
 Process
The combination of people, equipment, tooling, materials,
methods, and procedures needed to produce a crimp termination.
Process Control is used to track attributes over time to aid in the
detection of change to the process. Detecting a process change
when it happens helps prevent many thousands of bad crimps.
 Pull Force Testing
Pull force testing is a quick, destructive way to evaluate the
mechanical properties of a crimp termination. When making a
crimp, enough pressure must be applied to break down the oxides