There is more to crimping a cable than simply affixing a lug to the conductor. The following steps provide simple instructions on how to crimp a cable lug:
- Choose a supplier that provides crimp tooling, die sets and cable lugs that are compatible and designed to work together to give the optimum crimping performance.
- Each lug/terminal should have a reference clearly marked on the palm or barrel which enables the user to verify that it is the correct size and type for the conductor it is to be used on. The crimp lug should also feature the manufacturer’s name or logo to enable the use of the correct tooling and die set, which can be selected from its published die set selector charts.
- Prepare the aluminium or copper conductor for crimping by stripping back the insulation to a length equal to that of the lug barrel. This ensures that no insulation is trapped in the barrel of the lug when assembled.
- Insert the conductor into the terminal barrel. If applicable, use the inspection hole to check the conductor is fully inserted.
- Perform the crimp paying careful attention to the positioning of the die on the barrel and, if multiple compression actions are required, the sequence in which they should be performed. If using an hydraulic crimping tool, it is vital to make sure the correct tool is used with a compatible die set. Care should also be taken to keep the tool well maintained, working properly and with an up to date calibration certificate.
- Once the crimps have been performed, check the completed termination to ensure:
• No insulation is trapped in the barrel.
• The conductor has been fully inserted (check the inspection hole to confirm this).
• There is no over-crimping. If the barrel is over-crimped it will cause excessive stress on the conductor and flash or burrs on the lug.
• There is no under-crimping. There should be no air voids between the strands of the conductor. They should be tightly compacted to ensure maximum performance.
Over-crimped and undercrimped lugs
Both these incorrectly crimped terminals can cause overheating and ultimately lead to termination failure or fire. The over-crimped lug is easily identifiable by the ‘ears’ or ‘wings’ created on the barrel of the terminal. The undercrimped lug is identifiable by inspection of the lug and conductors.
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