Hydraulic press tongs for crimping wires. Manual press tongs for crimping ferrules and sleeves. Twisting stranded wires before crimping

Various household and not only appliances require connection to the electrical wiring available in the building. And often for this you have to carry out special preparation of wires. To make this task easier, experts often use such handy tool like crimping pliers. Not all home craftsmen are aware of this, so it will be useful for them to find out what this type of press is, what types it is, and how to handle it during repair and installation work.

general information

As man created new types of technology, new types of cable connections for various purposes, power and conductivity appeared. In order to connect the equipment in accordance with the current requirements and regulations, it is necessary to prepare the contacts of the leading cores in a special way. To do this, you need to properly crimp their tips.. This is exactly what special crimping pliers were created for.

This is one of the indispensable tools that many radio amateurs, auto mechanics and electricians must have in their arsenal. With the help of such pliers, it is possible to crimp the contacts not only of ordinary cables, but also of specific connectors for non-standard connectors. Despite the fact that for last years range of tools for electrical work has significantly expanded, pliers for crimping tips are still one of the most popular tools for performing such an operation. This is largely facilitated by the low cost of their production, availability and high efficiency.

Such ticks have quite simple design, thanks to which it is possible, even without special electrical knowledge, to crimp the tips. Such a press is a very reliable device with which you can crimp cables quite well. This guarantees a strong connection between all the conductor mi and directly connecting structure.

To date, there are enough a large number of crimping tool models, which may differ not only in functionality, but also in cost. The latter may depend on several factors:

press manufacturer;
construction type;
quality and material of the final product.

Tip Description

Most cable lugs are marked with four letters - NShVI. In the deciphered version, this abbreviation will sound like "insulated pin sleeve tip." In a more understandable language, this is a regular bushing for a flexible stranded wire. Its main purpose- protection of the end of the cable, which is used for fastening in a screw clamp terminal. After removing the insulation, a lug is put on the end of the cable, and then it is crimped with a special device. Most often, press pliers are used for this.

The metal part of the tip is most often made of electrolytic copper. It has insulation only on the back side. The thickness of the insulator is noticeable larger diameter metal part of the tip. It looks like a cuff. The tip is attached to insulating coating wires. Crimped it metal part , which fixes inside the cable core. When creating a connection between the handpiece and the screw clamp, the entire metal part is hidden in the socket of the device. Only the safe dielectric part of the cable is visible from the outside.

Tool types

If you go to any store that sells electrical products, you can be amazed great variety the crimping pliers offered there. Such a wide range due, among other things, to the fact that each manufacturer uses its own standard in the manufacture. This explains why such tools can have different functionality.

For example, in stores you can find highly specialized pliers designed for crimping wires only a certain kind, and a tool for a wider purpose, with which you can crimp cables when connecting and repairing not only household appliances, but also production equipment. Every consumer should know about this and take this moment into account when he goes to buy a press for crimping tips.

With the help of crimping pliers, you can create a high-quality and safe connection of an electrical and mechanical nature. It is this feature that is one of the main features of the classification of the instrument in question. It should be said what is the crimping pliers represent a class of pressing equipment. In most cases, they are used when working with low current systems to ensure reliable fixation of contacts.

Crimping pliers can be classified into several types depending on the purpose.

For stripping the sheath and insulation of the cable

Via this type pliers can quickly and fairly accurately cut off a certain section of the insulation on the wire, while maintaining the integrity of the core itself. Modern crimping pliers often have the ability to adjust to a certain diameter so that you can easily remove the insulation from the core without risk of damaging it. This setting can be done in two ways:

manually;
automatically.

When trying to manually select suitable diameter there is a risk of error and damage to the wire. Therefore, it is best to make such a setting automatically. Then you can be sure that the removal of the braid will be done without negative consequences to cut the cord. It is this type of preparation for crimping that is used when working with distribution and junction boxes. Special attention must be drawn to the cutting edge, which must be sharp. Then the outer insulation will be removed in one step without the risk of "chewing" the wire into the tool.

For end sleeve press

For this type of operation, several types of hydraulic presses are offered for sale, which may differ in the shape of their sockets and the shape of the tool. There are models in which the sockets are made with plastic flanges, but some can be made without them. They can have a trapezoidal shape or be designed for crimping cores. square shape.

Pliers whose sockets are equipped with plastic flanges should be selected when stranded wire lugs are to be crimped. With this task, they will perfectly cope thanks to square shape, which can ensure a secure fixation of all cores. Pliers of this type are ideal for mounting, as well as centering cables of any type of section. If you need to perform a more accurate and reliable crimping of contacts, it is necessary to choose pliers with an emphasis on the diameter of the cable.

For insulated cable lugs

If the wiring has insulated contacts, then a hydraulic crimping press should be selected. cable lugs oval shape. According to the standard, their matrix has three forms for the press, each of which corresponds to specific color: red, blue and yellow. And for each of these colors, there is a tip, sleeves and other connectors for sale that are designed to be used with it.

About to crimp insulated wiring using a terminal press of this type, care must be taken to ensure that the butt edge is correctly positioned. It should be strictly in the middle of the upper profile of the pincers. Compliance with this condition is of great importance, since when placing the edge on the side, the reliability and tightness of fixing the electrical core will suffer.

Such pliers are designed to work with a cable without insulation, as well as open-type conductors made of brass. In the design of such a tool, a special rod is provided. Crimping is carried out strictly in the center, while the rod must be planted directly on the separation seam. A slightly different design has pliers for crimping open lugs made of brass.

They have two types of clamps, among which one is for wire, and the second is for insulation. To perform the most reliable crimping of open contacts, it is recommended to attach a locator to them . This is very convenient fixture , with which you can ensure the exact position of the contacts. If the task is to crimp the terminals, then it is best to do this with special tongs for pressing plugs.

Principle of use

Understanding the principle of operation of pliers for crimping insulated lugs in wiring is not so difficult. To do this, it is enough to know the nuances of the workflow itself, during which it may be necessary to use them. In addition to the wire whose contacts need to be crimped, you will need a crimping tool and a connecting element that is attached to the end of the contacts.

During the installation and repair of various home appliances often have to work with wires. And for their quality performance, often reliable and secure connections are required. solve this problem without specialized tool impossible. Most often, crimping pliers are used for this. Today, such a tool is on sale in a wide range, which makes it possible to choose the most suitable option taking into account the task facing the specialist.

However, the choice of pliers for crimping cable lugs is not such an easy task as it might seem at first. Even though in stores you can find universal pliers to perform such work, it is still recommended to choose a highly specialized tool that can guarantee the highest quality crimping of contacts. Accordingly, the crimping of the tips itself should be performed by a specialist, since for the quality of such work, it is necessary to have experience and knowledge.

For quality switching electrical wiring and cable routes with input distribution, grounding and other devices, it is important to use cable lugs. They crimp the ends of the wires. This is done not with bare hands, but with the help of a special tool.

Crimpers, or crimping pliers for wire lugs, guarantee high-quality contact and reliable connection. They can be used for crimping tips various types- insulated and non-insulated, sleeve and sleeve. Also, the device allows you to compress automotive terminals.

Features of crimping pliers

Press tongs vary in size and shape of the matrix, but have a common purpose. A tool is used to fasten several conductors to each other or to prepare a bundle of current-carrying conductors for subsequent switching with terminals on electrical appliances.

Often the need for crimping arises when switching cables consisting of several cores. They cannot be placed in the terminals without proper preparation, because due to small vibrations during the movement of electric current, some strands will be compacted. This will lead to the appearance of free space and, accordingly, a weakening of the contact.

This is what contributed to the fact that several decades ago, when there were no cable lugs, only single-core wires were used for the installation of power electrical wiring. With the advent of press tongs, everything has changed significantly.

Despite the recommendation to use a single-core cable in power wiring, stranded wires were operated and crimped. Instead of pincers then (and now), the operation was carried out with the help of a powerful press that creates the required force. The principle of operation of the press resembles a car jack, and most models of equipment are equipped with a hydraulic drive. Today, bulky devices are used for high-quality crimping of a thick power cable.

The crimping process is trivially simple: a special sleeve is put on the end of the stripped cable, which is placed in the crimping pliers with subsequent fixation. Remember the network cable that is inserted into the rear socket of the system unit: it is crimped with press tongs, and the transparent RJ45 lug acts as a sleeve. It's not the only one possible variant: there are double-sided bushings, on both sides of which the ends of different cables are inserted. As a result, we have a better and more reliable alternative to conventional twisting or soldering wires.

The main types and varieties of ticks

Structurally, crimping pliers can be divided into two main varieties - diaphragm and those that work on the principle of pliers.

The second option is considered more common: when you press the handles, the tool squeezes the sleeve with two working planes, but, unlike pliers, there are cutouts of the desired shape on the edges that act as guides. This tool is suitable for crimping U-shaped ferrules.

The main advantage of the tool is its versatility, since it is possible to crimp the tips from any side. The versatility ends when it comes to sleeve sizes: specific pressing tongs are designed for a small range of sleeves.

If you frequently crimp or are currently working on a large wiring project, more it is likely that you will have to crimp the wires with cable lugs of both large and small sizes. Thus, on hand you need to keep several crimpers for different bushings.

There is a great alternative: crimpers with a set of removable dies mounted on a cassette. To change, the working part of the tool is inserted into the hole of the cassette, then it is pulled “toward itself”, and the matrix is inside. It remains to insert the base into the hole with the matrix of the desired shape. Remember high-quality razors with removable blades - a similar principle works.

With regard to diaphragm pressing tongs, they allow crimping from four or six sides. Exact amount depends on the diaphragm mechanism. The full circumference of the sleeve improves the quality of the connection, provides maximum crimp tightness. In addition, this device is automatic mode adapts to the thickness of the sleeve used, so there is no need to change dies.

But even such a tool has a drawback - you can crimp the end of one wire, since on the other side there is a closed "working head". Diaphragm pliers cannot crimp two wires instead of twisting them.

Application area

And now let's look at the main areas of use of press tongs for terminating wires. Depending on the specific situation choose a tool of the desired shape and design.

For stranded wires and thin-walled ferrules

These crimpers are used for crimping wires of small cross section (starting from 0.5 mm) with pin sleeve cable lugs. Quality equipment is produced by IEK. Swage electric cable is carried out to the maximum effort so that the spring mechanism works.

The need for crimping a multi-core cable arises when it is connected to the terminals on circuit breakers, switchboards, boxes and other devices. The presence of high-quality bushings and tools eliminates the fraying of the cable cores, since reliable crimping occurs, which ensures continuous electrical connection during switching.

Without cable lugs and subsequent crimping, it remains to either twist or solder the wires to the terminals of distribution and switchboard devices. In that case, be prepared to frequent breakdowns veins, disruption of communication with subsequent short circuits and equipment overheating. By the way, this option is still acceptable, but for a cable with one core.

For stranded wires and thick-walled ferrules

For high-quality crimping of power multicore cables with thick tips, press tongs of other sizes are used. Each individual tool is characterized by a unique working area. For example, for press tongs PK-16 from KVT there are five of them. Zones are marked with special marks on the jaws of the crimper. For example, the crimping range can be 1.5-16mm. After crimping, a special stamp remains on the back of the bushing.

Important! Many tools, including the PC-16, use stranded cable exclusively to crimp. If you try to do this with a single-core wire, then due to excessive force, the core may be refracted.

Pressing begins with a preparatory stage. First you need to strip the ends of the cable, then insert it all the way into the sleeve, excluding the free space inside. That is why the sleeves must be selected according to the diameter of the cable so that it freely enters inside, but does not hang out there, like a failed cork in a glass bottle. This is very important, since this criterion depends on the quality of the future crimping.

All protruding wires need to bite off. After that, insulation is performed: for this, heat shrink tubes with a hairdryer are used. To increase reliability, the upper part is wrapped with electrical tape. But this is completely optional: the tube will be enough.

Please note that tools can be marked with the letter "U" and without it. For example, in the case of the PK-16-U, the ratchet mechanism is located inside the handle. There will also be different efforts applied during crimping using PK-16 and PK-16-U. In the second case, less force is required.

For large cable

In the case of large power wire, a large hydraulic press should be used instead of pressing tongs. Such a crimp appeared much earlier than crimpers, but, as in the case with them, what kind of high-voltage cable can be crimped depends on its dimensions. In the domestic sphere, the tool is not used, since crimped bushings, lugs and sleeves have considerable dimensions. This option, for example, is suitable for laying and switching power wires in electrical panels at the entrances of houses, etc.

To compress the matrix, you need to apply a lot of effort to the lever. If the valve is slightly ajar, then the stem begins to slowly move away. The fully open valve ensures that the stem is quickly removed all the way to the stop. During full matrix compression, blocking occurs. At the same time, there is no possibility of overpressure that could damage the mechanism.

Since matrices are selected depending on overall dimensions, then the hydraulic press is released together with a cassette of several matrices. Top part magnetized, so it automatically returns to its original position. Only the lower element of the press changes. Regardless of the position of the equipment, parts do not fly out. The tool has a rubberized handle that increases electrical safety.

Crimping two wires with a double-sided sleeve is necessary when dismantling electrical shield followed by transfer to another location. There is a need to increase copper wires section 6-12 sq. mm.

For serial crimping of wires

This option is excellent in that it excludes air from entering the sleeve. This is very important if you want to connect copper and aluminum wires in series, which can oxidize when exposed to oxygen.

For crimping computer cables

Crimpers for twisted pair crimping used as a computer LAN cable belong to a separate category. They work similarly to pliers with two jaws: instead of a metal sleeve, a matrix is used special form, which allows you to install an RJ 45 plug on a computer or telephone wire. Instead of crimping, such a tool displaces the contacts, cutting through the insulation on individual wires and pressing it tightly against the cores.

How to work with crimping pliers

The process of crimping a cable with a sleeve or a ferrule is intuitively simple. The wire is placed inside one of the listed elements, to which a matrix of tongs is brought, the handles are squeezed and a high-quality contact is formed. In practice, everything is much more complicated than it seems. If this is your first time crimping wires, then surely the connections will be far from ideal. It is not uncommon for a seemingly well-made contact to deteriorate over time.

If the shape of the terminals is not maintained

The reason for this may be incorrect settings when squeezing the two jaws of the matrix. The forces applied and the shape are selected depending on the crimped wire and lugs. That is why, as mentioned above, two or more tools should be at hand so as not to have to constantly change the spring settings for different cables and sleeves.

The quality of the work performed depends on the material used for the production of the sleeve, and the thickness of the bushings and tips. Tight terminals are much easier to crimp: they are able to withstand the shape better than when using products made of soft material.

Also pay attention to important requirement, according to which you need to correctly place the tips of the U-shaped section. A certain skew of the part may go beyond the error zone.

Twisting stranded conductors before crimping

Experienced electricians who often solder and twist wires may be in the habit of doing this even before the crimping process. This action is strictly prohibited when crimping multi-wire lugs. It is very easy to check the validity of this condition: cross two stranded wires with each other, then squeeze them with pliers. You will notice how the wire is deformed, it will be interrupted, so the electrical connection on the current-carrying core will decrease.

Without twisting, the wire will be parallel, and in case of deformation, the wires will fill the voids, and there will be no squeezing.

Summing up, I want to remember a simple rule: for each job you need your own tool. This is a generalized concept, but in the case of press tongs, everything is much more complicated. If there is no desire to constantly reconfigure the spring, which is very difficult to do, then a separate device is selected depending on the type of wire being crimped. The final choice of which tool to buy and how many varieties to use depends on the amount of daily crimping work.

Crimp kit arrived. Crimps auto-terminals on wires from 0.5 mm² to 6 squares and all that are crimped according to the same principle; insulated terminals three colors-sizes and limit switches NShVI (NShVI2).
Who cares what happens if you mix point 18, several dozen correctly and incorrectly crimped terminals and a lot of time, read on.

Package

The pliers come in a regular gray bag without bubbles. They are not needed, the contents of the parcel can be destroyed only purposefully, it is simply difficult to damage it using the methods of our mail.
There is no factory packaging, such as a blister or a box, the postal package has long been lost and there is no point in photographing it. Will go for a gift. And in general, I do not like unboxing reviews.

Appearance

Rectangular bag made of thick fabric, the shape is apparently given by two pieces of cardboard inside. Dimensions 28 * 14 * 4 cm. A little less than a sheet of A4 paper. Has a carry tail. Zipper on the outside on three sides of the bag.

Let's see what's inside.

Interior

Inside are the press tongs themselves, a screwdriver, interchangeable dies and spare screws.
The first smaller (0.5-1.5mm²) die for crimping the auto-clamps is already installed in the pressing tongs.

The screwdriver is stored under the rubber bands on the side wall of the bag.
The screwdriver is double-sided, on one side there is a cross size PH1 for adjusting the ratchet actuation force. On the other side is a 3mm hexagon for changing dies. The screwdriver is not magnetic, the rod is fixed in the handle with a spring-loaded ball.

Three more matrices are in the pockets of the bag. There are also 4 spare screws for changing dies.
Hex socket head screws, regular M4 thread, no problem to replace.

The pockets close with Velcro. Life hack - you can put all the matrices and screws in one pocket - they fit perfectly - and take the other three with bags with terminals different type. Or matrix + terminals for this matrix in this pocket. I will probably do so.
The bag is universal, it has two more free places. One place is for the stripping pliers, the second is for the MC4 solar panel connector keys.
For example, such a lot

Ticks

The pliers are made of metal plates about 2 mm thick.

Plastic handles with rubber inserts. The handles do not stagger, it was not possible to remove them with the usual effort - the handles are latched into the latches. They won't slip, they won't need to be glued. metal base goes to the end of the plastic handle - the magnet sticks to the end of the handles.

The rubber inserts are marked ++++, I thought that the second handle would have a ---- sign, but both have ++ marked.

Pincers are assembled on rivets and pins. Inside you can see two springs, one small for the ratchet triggering mechanism, the second, large, the main one is covered with a lid.

The pliers have a gear wheel fixed with a screw. By turning this gear wheel, you can adjust the final position of compression of the dies. That is, you can make the ratchet open when the matrices do not fully converge.

The screw on the ratchet can be unscrewed with the cross end of the supplied screwdriver.
There is also a lever near the ratchet, by pulling which you can interrupt the crimping process and open the jaws of the dies.

matrices

The width of all matrices for these pliers at the point of attachment with screws is 4 mm.

First Matrix JX 1601-08

crimps auto-terminals from 0.5 mm² to 1.5 mm². The width of the first die at the crimp point is 7 mm.

There is a step inside the matrix, so this matrix compresses the terminals in one pass - both insulation and conductors at once.

We take the most common auto-terminal, insert it into the matrix and fix it with one click of the ratchet.
The stripped wire is inserted into the terminal and crimped with one push before the ratchet engages.
The wire must be stripped so that the cores are crimped in that part of the terminal where the cores are crimped, and the narrower and longer whiskers crimp the insulation.

Well, the process of crimping in GIF. Full video at the end.

Crimp result terminal 6.3mm wire 1.5mm², die space 1.5

I tried to crimp other terminals, the wire must be selected for a specific terminal.
On the right are well crimped terminals, on the left are terminals for which the wire is too thick.

Terminals and wire must be selected, you cannot just take a terminal designed for 1.5 mm² wire and crimp 0.75 mm² wire in it. It is necessary to either fold the wire twice or select a terminal with a smaller crimp mustache. Otherwise the wire is not held properly. Similarly, with a large wire size, when crimping a 2.5 mm² wire in a terminal for 1.5 mm², in whatever matrix it is crimped, the wire will be crimped poorly and the edges of the antennae will not wrap back into the cores and insulation, they simply will not be long enough. You can see for example such a lot -
it has six kinds of ring bare terminals under different diameters wires, including under this matrix. In the picture, a wire with a cross section of 0.3-1 mm² can be crimped into the terminal on the left, and 8-10 mm² into the terminal on the right, and the terminals are, as it were, the same size.

Terminal and wire sizes

About the same with flat auto terminals. For example lot
Identical terminals under different sizes wires.
It is difficult to find a seller with a wire size chart. Even this seller does not have a description for all terminals which wire can be crimped. We have to determine the diameter of the wire empirically. By the way, I recommend the seller, it comes from him quickly.

And an interesting reference to how the crimped terminal should look right and what errors are possible during crimping. Everything is in English, but with pictures everything is clear even without knowing the language.

Second matrix JX2546 crimps wires from 2.5 mm² to 6 mm².

The width of the die at the crimp is 6 mm, a thinner die can put more pressure on a thicker wire.

there is no step in it and you need to crimp it in two passes - first the cores then the insulation.

The terminal is also inserted into the matrix, fixed with a ratchet, a wire is inserted and the wires are crimped.

Then the clamp is inserted into larger size and the insulation is crimped. In the photo, the ring terminal with a 2.5 mm² wire is crimped in the 4mm position - core and in the 6mm position - insulation. So the place of crimping in tongs must be selected for a specific wire section and terminal.

Similarly, the 9.6mm terminal is crimped onto a 6 mm² wire - the cores are in the 6 mm position and the insulation in the same position is not clicked. The insulation would need to be crimped in position 8 or 10 if there was one, but since the matrix presses a maximum of 6, it is necessary to crimp the insulation in position 6.

Well, GIF crimping.

Third matrix crimps insulated terminals in three colors.

The color of the position in the matrix indicates the maximum wire diameter that can be crimped. Blue is the largest, red is smaller and yellow is the smallest. We take the red insulated ring terminal NKI 1.25-3 and crimp it onto a 2.5 mm² wire.

If the wire does not completely fill the hole in the terminal, it will need to be crimped in a different color position.

Well, the crimping process in GIF as usual

Fourth matrix JX1601-06 crimps NSHVI tips from 0.25 to 6 squares.

Compresses like a trapezoid.

Tips NShVI are designed to make a stranded wire rigid, for example, to insert a stranded wire into a terminal block.
In different countries, there are different standards for the color designation of the wire section for the NShVI tip. For example, here is a table of colors and wire sections that are customary to use with us.

According to this table, lugs with a section of 6 mm² have a length of 12 or 18 mm, a matrix width of 12 mm - that is, the width is enough to crimp the lugs most commonly used in length. Elongated ones are rare.

It is easy to crimp - we select the tip so that it fits snugly on the wire cores and press in the place with the corresponding designation in the matrix, we didn’t have to select anything here. Crimped several tips, the result is visible in the photo.

Animated picture of crimping NShVI

Video version of the review of ticks:

Pros:

Enough universal set, which can crimp the most common stranded wire terminals.
Carrying storage bag, there are two empty places under the elastic bands and a place without elastic bands - you can store a supply of terminals inside the bag.

Minuses

The price of the set, it is possible to buy the same set with an insulation stripper a little more expensive than this.
Spare screws are not in vain included in the kit, while writing a review, I changed the matrix 10-15 times, tore off one screw, the thread in the tongs is intact.

All the best and good contacts in the right places!

The product was provided for writing a review by the store. The review is published in accordance with clause 18 of the Site Rules.

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Modern electrical engineering is constantly being improved, including in the field of connecting wires and cables for various purposes, power and conductivity. The quality of the wiring largely depends on how well the leading wires and their contacts are prepared. They must be crimped in a certain way, and this task is completely solved by special pliers for crimping wire lugs. They are widely used among electricians. Using the tool, not only ordinary cables are crimped, but also various connectors used in non-standard connectors.

Application of crimping pliers

All pressing tongs, regardless of their size, are designed to perform two main tasks. In the first case, several wires are securely fixed to each other, and in the second case, current-carrying wires are prepared for their subsequent fastening in the terminals of various electrical devices.

First of all, crimping is required when connecting stranded wires. If they are inserted into the contact terminals unprepared, then gradually under the influence of microvibrations created electric shock, individual cores will be compacted. A free space is formed between them, and therefore the contact will become much weaker. For this reason, power wiring was previously always laid with single-core wires. However, after press tongs appeared, this recommendation has lost its relevance.

The connection of cables of large cross-section by crimping has been used since ancient times, when household tools was not there yet. The quality of such operations was ensured by the use of special powerful presses capable of creating the necessary force. These devices operate on the principle of a jack, and many of them have a separate hydraulic drive. With the help of such presses, even the thickest cables are reliably connected.

The crimping method has proven itself well when connecting two or more wires. For this purpose, crimping pliers and wires are used. A special sleeve is put on their ends, assembled together, after which they are crimped. Depending on the type of connection, the wires are inserted from one or both sides of the sleeve. The first option allows you to get reliable twisting, and the second - high-quality.

The main types and varieties of ticks

Structurally, all crimping pliers - crimpers can be of two types. The former work as, and the latter are diaphragmatic. The first option is the most widely used. In this case, compression is performed only from two sides. The main difference from pliers are special-shaped cutouts located in the jaws. They act as guides and provide high-quality fastening of the tips on the wire core.

Such crimping pliers are considered universal to a certain extent, since they can grip the tips from all sides. The main disadvantage of such pliers is the presence of only 3-4 cutouts on the jaws for different sizes of sleeves. Therefore, during the work you have to use several tools. Most the best option the use of a universal crimper is considered, which includes interchangeable dies fixed on a special cassette. In order to crimp the wire, the most suitable tip is selected, and the unnecessary one is inserted into the cassette in its place and fixed.

Diaphragm pliers can be used to crimp four or six sides, depending on the design of the operating mechanism. Full wrapping on all sides allows for the tightest crimping of cable ends. During operation, the pliers are automatically adjusted to a specific sleeve diameter. The main disadvantage of such a tool is the possibility of crimping sleeves only on one side due to the closed head.

AT separate category it is possible to include crimpers designed for crimping computer cables. They work in the same way as double-jaw pliers, with the exception of the matrices themselves, which have a specific configuration for computer and telephone plugs. In this case, the essence of crimping is to shift the contacts that cut through the insulation of the wire and are tightly pressed against its cores.

Depending on the destination, all crimping Tools is divided into the following categories:

Removal of insulation and sheath from wires and cables. With these pliers, a section of insulation is cut off without damaging the cores. They can be customized to desired diameter manually or automatically. It is essential to keep the cutting edge sharp so that the outer insulation can be cut in one stroke.
Crimping end sleeves. The crimping tool has trapezoidal or square sockets. They can be with or without flanges. In order for the clamping of contacts to be reliable and accurate, the pliers must be selected according to color coding, which corresponds to a certain diameter.
Crimping pliers for insulated ferrules. The tool has an oval shape, and in the matrix there are nests for the press in the amount of three. They are marked in red, blue and yellow. Sleeves, tips and other types of connectors with a similar color indication correspond to these colors. This marking performs the connection of insulated tips, placing them in the desired socket.
Crimping bare lugs. The main working element is a special rod located along the separation seam and compressing the sleeve in the center.

Crimping with hydraulic tool

High-quality crimping significantly improves the current conductivity at the joints, prevents overheating and emergency situations due to poor contact. At home, for these purposes, ordinary household tongs are used, designed to work with wires with a cross section of up to 4 mm2.

For continuous or combined crimping of a cable with a cross section of 4-400 mm2, it is necessary to use more powerful tools that provide high operating pressure. This category includes hydraulic tongs or hydraulic presses.

The design uses cylinders of various diameters, interconnected and representing a system of communicating vessels. Each of them has a piston. The internal cavity of the cylinders is filled with water, oil or other suitable liquid, therefore such a tool is hydraulic.

In accordance with Pascal's law, the force acting on any point of a fluid at rest is evenly distributed throughout the volume. Thus, if a certain force is applied to a piston of a smaller diameter, then when transferred to a large piston, it will increase. The greater the difference between the areas of the pistons, the stronger will be the force that occurs on the large piston.

Each hydraulic tool of this type has a single, double or triple action. Equipment simple action equipped with one working body - a movable partition. In double or triple action presses, there are respectively two or three working bodies. Their work processes are coordinated with each other, and general management carried out with the help of special distribution equipment.

Structurally, the hydraulic press can be vertical or horizontal, closed or open type. With this tool, you can crimp not only metal, but also other materials.

When choosing a hydraulic tool, the presence of a pressure limiting valve must be taken into account. This element provides additional reliability, eliminating overloads due to pressure. You should pay attention to the types of pressing heads, which are open or closed, as well as the diameters of the working sections. All hydraulic tools consist of sub-groups, each of which performs operations with cables up to 70, 120-300 and 400 mm2.

How to work with crimping pliers

Each pliers are used in accordance with their intended use. However, there are general principles relating to any instrument. When performing each operation, you will need a wire or cable of a certain section, the pliers themselves, as well as sleeve tubes or other connecting elements.

For example, you can take the Internet wires.

The ends of the wires are cleaned of external insulation. This operation will require pliers with a semicircular recess at the bottom and a cutting edge at the top. A wire is placed in the recess, after which its upper side is pressed with a blade. 1-2 turns are made around the cable, the insulation becomes notched and removed without any effort. For normal crimping, you will need a cleaned area, 3-5 cm long.
The cores of cable conductors are aligned and placed in desired sequence by connector type. They are closely pressed against each other and cut so that 1-1.5 cm remains for connection.
The wires are brought into the connecting device with the preservation of the sequence. At the same time, the lower notch of the connector must reach the cable insulation so as not to cause damage when crimping actions are performed.
The whole device is placed in seat ticks. After re-checking correct location flowers are pressed.
Upon completion, the integrity of the connector and the strength of the connection are checked.

Crimping a wire cable is a very responsible task, especially if this connection is a power one. In this article, we will look at how to properly terminate the connection of low-current wires (up to 15–20 amperes).

Remember! The use of power wires and lugs of the wrong material and size can lead to serious consequences, such as a fire on the wiring, for example.

So, how to crimp the wires with lugs

In addition to selecting the necessary wires and lugs, this task will require special tool, which is called "crimper" or press tongs.

Outwardly, the tool is very reminiscent of pliers, at the ends of which a special matrix is installed, into which the tips and the non-insulated part of the cable are inserted.

This tool is designed to provide an even ferrule force around the wire, eliminating poor contact when crimping the cable. In addition, there are universal tools, allowing not only to crimp, but also to cut the cable, remove insulation from it and twist the core.

Particular attention should be paid to the type of cable, in living conditions power cable can be of two types:

with a monolithic core;
stranded.

When crimping a wire with a monolithic core, it is enough to remove the insulation layer with a small margin (up to 0.3–0.5 cm), (using a tool or using a knife to strip the insulation), then straighten and degrease the area to be worked on, after which you should put on on the heat-insulating tube.

Then, select on the tool (with a jumper in the matrix) a certain section and tip type. After carrying out the above manipulations, it is necessary to insert the prepared end of the wire into the tip, after making sure that there are no cracks in it.

Install the ratchet lock lever. Failure to comply with this paragraph threatens with poor-quality crimping of the tip and, accordingly, poor quality connections.

The final part of crimping a wire with a solid core with a tool:

make sure the connection is correct;
insert the tip all the way into the device so that the numbers with the matrix marking are knocked out on the front or back sides of the tip;
to the end we sink the bare section of the wire into the tip;
as soon as the operation is completed, the handles will automatically begin to return to their original position (for this, it is necessary to transfer the ratchet lock lever to the “locked” state);
the end of the cord is done, the final step is to put on a heat-shrink braid at the junction and warm it up with a special hair dryer or a lighter.

If the handles do not return to their original position, then this problem may be caused due to the following problems:

too weak grip tool handles;
malfunction of the ratchet mechanism;
"weak" spring in the ratchet;
ratchet lock lever not fully installed.

If you have to terminate stranded wires, then the above method should not be used, as it has many nuances.

Therefore, the wires large quantity cores are crimped according to the following instructions:

After the above manipulations, the cable processing can be considered complete.

set the required section and tip type in the device matrix;
install the tip all the way into the device so that the numbers with the matrix marking are on the front or back sides of the tip;
we fill the straightened cable cores into the lug until it stops ( Attention! It is forbidden to twist the cable cores);
applying force, press the handles of the crimper;
the crimping of the stranded wire is completed, now we return the heat shrink that was previously put on the cord to the junction and warm it up building hair dryer, soldering iron or turbo lighter;
after performing the operation, the handles should return to the standard (unclenched position), if this did not happen, then the problems described above may be the reason for this.

How to crimp cable lugs without a tool

From the point of view of construction technology, crimping wires without an appropriate tool is prohibited, the only exception is rough installation to check the work performed.
However, for any domestic work with low-current consumers, work without a crimping tool is allowed.

There are several methods for terminating cords without tools:

Tip soldering

For soldering, of course, you do not need serious and expensive press tongs / crimpers, but the following “household” repair tools should be present in your arsenal:

Soldering iron (from 80 W) / blowtorch / gas burner.
Soldering kit (fluxes / rosin, solders of various types).
Heat shrink tubing and/or electrical tape.
Basic knowledge and skills of working with a soldering iron.

The algorithm of actions is as follows:

Crimping with core/hammer

This method has many disadvantages, the main of which is insufficient clamping, which can be fraught with heating of such a joint. However, it is often practiced, especially in cases where the connection will not work with high-current devices.

For this method minimum tools required: