Manual crimping pliers. Crimping pliers for crimping wire lugs. Color marking of sleeves and dies

What to do if you don’t have special tools for crimping on hand or you just don’t want to buy them if you only need to crimp one or two tips?

Many people faced with this problem resort to in the wrong ways, which in the future only worsen the contact without providing a reliable connection.

After such amateur activity, poor contact is obtained with its further heating during operation.

True, some manage to compress the tip with a hydraulic press so that the wire easily comes out of it, as soon as you pull with a little force.

There are other ways to crimp power wires with lugs using improvised means, which can be found in almost everyone’s garage or home.

Pressing with a center punch

The easiest and fastest way is pressing using a center punch. To do this you will need:

The process is very simple and straightforward:

In this case, there is no need, as many people do, to first flatten the tip with a hammer. During the strikes this will happen in any case.
The number of cores, that is, holes from the impact on the metal, depends on the length of the tip.

At the same time, on the back side of the tip, the crimping points should not be symmetrical to those on the front part, but shifted by a couple of millimeters.

The most important thing is not to perforate the tip and control the force of the blow. Therefore, if you use a 200mm nail for this, first of all you should dull it.

As a result, you will get sufficient contact, which of course is not comparable to crimping professional tool PGR-70, but in the absence of above-rated loads it will last a long time.

The most important thing in this method is to choose the right cross-section of the wire and tip. The declared cross-section is very often smaller than the actual one.

For reliable contact, the wire must fit tightly inside the sleeve without any slack. That's why at the moment always checked manually, do not blindly trust the numbers on the cable sheath and on the tip blade.

Connecting wire and lug by soldering

There are other simple ways to connect ferrules to wires without using a press. For radio amateurs who have no problems with solders and other devices, ordinary soldering is suitable.

This cannot quite be called crimping, but is still a method of connection without the use of a special crimping tool.

The wire is tinned, and so is the tip inside. In this case, in its upper part, where the blade is, you need to drill a small hole in the sleeve.

The stripped end of the cable is inserted inside, after which the entire structure (cable + tip) is wrapped with fiberglass tape.

It is heated by a gas burner and molten tin begins to be poured into the hole from above.

With constant heating with a burner, it will easily penetrate between the wire strands and the walls of the sleeve. The fiberglass will prevent the tin from leaking out.

Some do it even simpler. They put tin inside the tip, heat the whole thing with a burner or even on gas stove and then insert the tinned cable there.

To avoid damaging the insulation at the end of the wire, you can use a hair dryer to warm it up:

Crimping with screw and vice

If you don’t have soldering accessories, and you don’t think crimping with a point using a center punch is reliable enough, then there is a third method.

Select a long enough threaded screw so that it covers the pressed part of the sleeve. The diameter of the screw should not be large so as not to push through or crush the tip itself.

Place this screw along the tip. Then you squeeze the entire structure in a vice. The end result should be approximately this form of pressing.

If one screw is not enough, a second one is placed on top of the depressed one and compressed again.
You can initially use 2 screws, only installed with different sides sleeves. The main thing is not to overdo it and not break the sleeve.

To prevent the screw from moving, you can fix it with electrical tape.

In general, to summarize, we can say that these three methods have the right to life, and many people connect wires this way only power cable and tips.

However, only factory specialized tool you can create a reliable and durable contact, which you will forget about immediately after crimping and it will not bother you during the entire period of work.

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

Remember! Using power cables and lugs made of the wrong material and cross-section can lead to serious consequences, such as fire of the wiring, for example.

So, how to properly crimp wires with lugs

In addition to selecting the necessary wires and tips, to perform this task you will need a special tool called a “crimper” or press pliers.

Externally, the tool is very similar to 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 uniform 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 the insulation from it and twist the core.

Particular attention should be paid to the type of cable 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 an insulation stripping knife), then straighten and degrease the area to be worked with, after which you should put it on a thermal insulating tube onto the cord.

Then, we select on the tool (by a jumper in the matrix) a certain section and type of tip. After carrying out the above manipulations, you need 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 point may result in poor-quality crimping of the tip and, accordingly, poor quality connections.

The final part of crimping a wire with a monolithic 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 markings are stamped on the front or back sides of the tip;
completely recess the exposed 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 (to do this, it is necessary to move the ratchet locking lever to the “locked” state);
The cord has been terminated; the final step is to put the heat-shrinkable braid on the connection point and warm it up with a special hairdryer or lighter.

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

too weak compression of the tool handles;
ratchet mechanism malfunction;
“weak” spring in the ratchet;
The ratchet locking lever is not fully installed.

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

Therefore the wires with a large number The cores are crimped according to the following instructions:

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

set the required cross-section and type of tip in the device matrix;
install the tip completely into the device so that the numbers with the matrix markings are on the front or back sides of the tip;
straightened cable cores are inserted into the lug until it stops ( Attention! It is prohibited to twist the cable cores);
applying force, press the crimper handles;
The stranded wire has been crimped, now we return the heat shrink that was previously placed on the cord to the connection point and warm it up construction hairdryer, soldering iron or turbo lighter;
After completing the operation, the handles should return to the standard (unclamped) position; if this does not happen, then the reason for this may be the problems described above.

How to crimp wire lugs without tools

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

There are several methods for ending cords without tools:

Soldering tip

For soldering, you, of course, do not need serious and expensive press pliers/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 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 using a core/hammer

This method has many disadvantages, the main one being insufficient pressure, which can lead to heating of such a connection. However, it is often practiced, especially in cases where the connection will not work with high-current devices.

For this method You will need a minimum of tools:

Hammer.
Kern (not required, but recommended).
A small file for metal.
Vise (optional, but recommended).
Conductive paste (highly desirable).
Insulation tape and/or heat shrink.

To finish with these tools we do this:

Video on the topic

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 not done with bare hands, but with the help of a special tool.

Crimpers, or pliers for crimping wire lugs, guarantee high-quality contact and a reliable connection. They can be used for crimping tips of various types - insulated and non-insulated, sleeve and sleeve. The device also allows you to crimp car terminals.

Features of crimping pliers

Press jaws vary in size and shape of the matrix, but have a common purpose. They use a tool to secure several conductors to each other or prepare a bundle of current-carrying wires for subsequent switching with terminals on electrical devices.

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

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

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

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

Main types and varieties of ticks

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

The second option is considered more common: when you press the handles, the tool compresses the bushing with two working planes, but, unlike pliers, there are cutouts of the desired shape on the edges, which serve as guides. This device is suitable for crimping U-shaped lugs.

The main advantage of the tool is its versatility, since the tips can be crimped from any side. The versatility ends when it comes to liner sizes: specific press jaws are designed for a small dimensional range of sleeves.

If you frequently carry out crimping or present moment are working on a large electrical wiring project, then a larger share It is likely that you will have to crimp the wires with cable lugs of both large and small sizes. Thus, you need to keep several crimpers on hand for different bushings.

There is an excellent alternative: crimpers with a set of removable dies installed on a cassette. To change, the working part of the tool is inserted into the hole in the cassette, then pulled towards you, and the matrix is inside. All that remains is 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.

As for diaphragm press pliers, they allow crimping from four or six sides. The exact amount depends on the diaphragm mechanism. The full circumference of the sleeve improves the quality of the connection and ensures maximum crimp density. In addition, this device is automatic mode adjusts 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”. Using diaphragm pliers, you cannot crimp two wires instead of twisting them.

Scope of application

Now let’s look at the main areas of using press pliers for terminating wires. Depending on specific situation choose a tool of the desired shape and design.

For stranded wires and thin-walled ferrules

These crimpers are used for crimping small cross-section wires (starting from 0.5 mm) with pin sleeve cable lugs. IEK produces high-quality equipment. Swage electric cable is performed to maximum force so that the spring mechanism is activated.

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

Without cable lugs and subsequent crimping, all that remains is to either twist or solder the wires to the terminals of distribution and switchboard devices. In this case, be prepared for 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 multi-core power cables with thick tips, press pliers of other sizes are used. Each individual instrument is characterized by a unique work area. For example, for the PK-16 press jaws from KVT there are five of them. Zones are marked with special marks on the crimper jaws. For example, the crimp range can be 1.5-16 mm. After crimping, a special mark remains on the back of the bushing.

Important! Many tools, including the PK-16, use exclusively multi-core cable for crimping. If you try to do this with a single-core wire, the core may break due to excessive force.

Crimping begins with preparatory stage. First you need to strip the ends of the cable, then insert it all the way into the sleeve, excluding any free space inside. That is why the sleeves need to be selected to match the diameter of the cable so that it fits freely inside, but does not dangle there like a failed cork in a glass bottle. This is very important because this criterion The quality of the future crimp depends.

All protruding wires need to be bitten off. Afterwards, insulation is performed: for this, heat-shrinkable tubes with a hair dryer 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 instruments may be marked with or without the letter “U”. For example, in the case of PC-16-U, the ratcheting mechanism is located inside the handle. The efforts applied during crimping using PK-16 and PK-16-U will also be different. In the second case, less force is required.

For large cables

In the case of large cross-section power wires, a large hydraulic press should be used instead of pressing tongs. Such a crimper 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. The tool is not used in the domestic sphere, since the crimped bushings, tips and sleeves have considerable dimensions. This option, for example, is suitable for laying and switching power wires in electrical panels in the entrances of houses, etc.

To compress the matrix, you need to apply a lot of force to the lever. If the valve is slightly open, the rod begins to slowly move away. A fully open valve allows for rapid removal of the stem all the way to the stop. During full compression of the matrices, blocking occurs. In this case, there is no possibility of excess pressure forming, which could damage the mechanism.

Since matrices are selected depending on overall dimensions, then the hydraulic press is produced together with a cassette of several dies. The upper part is 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 will not fly out. The tool has a rubberized handle that increases electrical safety.

Crimping two wires using a double-sided bushing is necessary in cases when dismantling electrical panel followed by transfer to another location. There is a need to expand copper wires cross section 6-12 sq. mm.

For serial crimping of wires

This option is excellent because it prevents air from getting inside 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 crimping twisted pair cables used as a computer LAN cable belong to 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 them tightly against the wires.

How to use crimping pliers correctly

The process of crimping a cable using a sleeve or lug is intuitively simple. The wire is placed inside one of the listed elements, to which the pliers matrix is connected, the handles are compressed and high-quality contact is formed. In practice, everything is much more complicated than it seems. If this is your first time crimping wires, then the connections will probably 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 applied forces and shape are selected depending on the wire being crimped and the lugs. That is why, as stated above, you should have two or more tools on 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 to produce the liner and the thickness of the bushings and tips. Dense terminals are much easier to crimp: they are able to maintain their shape better than when using products made of soft material.

Also note important requirement, according to which it is necessary to correctly place the U-shaped tips. A certain misalignment of the part may extend beyond the error zone.

Twisting stranded wires before crimping

Experienced electricians who have often soldered and twisted wires may have a habit of doing this even before the crimping process. This action is strictly prohibited when crimping stranded ferrules. It is very simple 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 and will be broken, 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, without squeezing.

To summarize, I would like to remember a simple rule: for each job you need your own tool. This is a general concept, but in the case of press jaws 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. Make the final choice of which tool to buy and how many varieties to use depending on the amount of daily work associated with crimping.

Every house, apartment or garage has a connection to electrical networks, where there is often a need to repair old wiring or install new wiring. When laying electrical wiring, it is required, and to do it reliably, this is the key to correct operation electrical appliances and safety. This is best done using electrical cable crimps.

When wires are loosely connected, for example by twisting or soldering, the connection area heats up, which most often leads to a fire. Such an unreliable connection does not provide proper throughput and causes instability in electrical network, which entails failure of electrical equipment.

The connection method using crimping (crimping) wire lugs does not have these disadvantages. To do this, use a special tool - crimpers (crimpers), which ensure tight and high-quality contact.

Strictly speaking, crimping wires is about the same as in other areas of activity.
Creating the tightest possible connection by applying mechanical force.
Creating (if possible) an unbreakable connection that can withstand significant physical activity to break.
The ability to ensure continuity of flow (we have current) at the most difficult conditions operation.
Speed of installation without loss of connection quality.

We will proceed from this, because we often need crimping of cable lugs, although we don’t know anything about it. Although everything seems simple:

Let’s put the cable into this little thing with a handle, crimp the sides of the input properly, and you can screw this thing anywhere you want. By the way, such sleeves for crimping wires are sold anywhere, so you can buy them very inexpensively. Just like a tool, because you can’t crimp wire lugs for crimping with your own hands and pliers.

So, for a one-time job this will not be the best budget solution. Moreover, if you do not understand how crimping wires compares favorably with other cable methods.

First of all, wire crimping only applies to multi-core cables. This is worth keeping in mind, since reliable connection Even with the most powerful mechanical loads, it will not be possible to obtain one core.

The second one is very important point. The number of cores matters, but the cable diameter does not. That is why the thinnest cables are crimped, the crimping forces of which are minimal.

And third. Crimping cable lugs is impossible without a special tool that is designed to perform this procedure.

And most importantly. What do we get as a result of crimping? We actually obtain “cold welding” using the mechanical force of all the cores of the crimped cable with a tip, without the use of soldering or other temperature effects.

This is the meaning of crimping wires - creating a strong connection quickly and without using the reliable switching method familiar to an electrician.

We simply press the cable into the ferrule so hard that the connection becomes permanent. Well, installation speed, of course, is a significant factor for connections in electrical wiring. Even in crimping there are restrictions on the applied force, so you should not press too hard on the cable and ferrule. Everything needs moderation.

Soldering a stranded wire is not the easiest operation, because you need to expose all the wires, make sure that they are clean in terms of contact, and only then start soldering. Anyone lived in stranded wire has isolation, and this often creates difficulties in establishing reliable contact.

Just crimping the cable lugs solves all these problems, because with the help of mechanical force (compression) not only the insulation of individual cores is destroyed, but also a strong connection of the entire cable is created for better contact.

The problem is that the size of these cartridges is small, and the markings are unclear to those who are not specialists. But before that, let's define the difference between a sleeve and a cable crimp lug.

These are typical sleeves:

With its help, you can “extend” a cable, both of the same cross-section and of a different one.

And this is a typical tip:

And just in both photos you can clearly see that there is practically no space for full marking, unlike such sleeves and tips:

Therefore, there can be only one recommendation - well-labeled products will cost more, while unlabeled ones will be no worse. You just need a consultation with the seller; as a rule, they are well versed in this issue.

different types

ring tips (NKI);
fork lugs (NVI);
pin round lugs (NSHKI);
flat (plug) connectors (RPI-P, RPI-M, RSHI-P, RSHI-M, etc.);
piercing type couplers (OV).

Here it is necessary to return to the tool that is used to crimp the wires, because each tool indicates the dimensions for standard form sponges, and the force itself is precisely measured by diameters. So, unless you made a mistake with the diameter, you cannot apply excessive force.

And, despite the fact that the lugs for wires for crimping are different, with the same diameter both the force and the standard of the tool will be the same. It's a pity that this parameter is not reflected on the labeling. Apparently because such work is usually done by professionals, not home electricians.

But it is precisely the standards that allow home electricians to stock up on universal crimping pliers and crimp cable lugs for their own purposes without any problems. This procedure is quite simple to master, and technologically it is the same for crimping an RG-45 connector and a tip for a three-phase machine.

When crimping a multi-core cable, you cannot do without special lubricants. Therefore, use sleeves and tips that already have this lubricant inside. In any case, this is a one-time operation. It is not possible to remove the sleeve or tip to move it to another location.

As a result, having mastered the installation of sleeves and tips, you will be able to quickly restore the desired connection, carry out repairs without problems, as well as a connection that, in fact, will not need repairs for many years.

For every average person, a striking example of incorrect connection of wires is the staircase switchboard; many apartment owners have melted wires in the panel and have twists.

Wire lugs for crimping can save citizens from the possibility of heating and fire of electrical wiring as a result of poor-quality contact of wires or lack of cable lugs.

When there is good contact between the connected cable or wire and the connecting device, the transition resistance is minimized, and with an increase in the current load on the contact group, they can heat up in the event of poor contact.

Sleeves and tips are intended to remove or minimize contact resistance, in other words, to eliminate poor-quality contact under a bolt or screw.

High-quality contact in the connection, contact resistance:

To carry out crimping (crimping for lugs) of wires and cables, special products are used - lugs and sleeves. Tips can be for stranded wires or single-core wires; they are divided according to their purpose and the type of wire for which they are used (copper or aluminum).

copper tube

with different diameters for the wire and mounting hole, without a protective coating;
for crimping, electrolytic tinned with different holes for fastenings.

without coating, TM – X – Y, where X is the wire cross-section, Y is the size of the mounting hole;
coated, TML – X – U.

There is also a type of lugs with an inspection window; these are tinned copper products for terminating cable cores and wires. A special feature of this type is the ability of the termination performer to control the correctness of crimping through the control window.

This type of product is marked as TML(o), it is noteworthy that they can be installed on the ends of cables using solder and soldering, which almost completely removes the value of the transition resistance.

Quite often in electrical engineering there is a connection aluminum wire with a copper cable, in this case it is recommended to use aluminum-copper lugs for a high-quality connection of the aluminum wire and the copper busbar of the panel.

With the reduction in overall dimensions of instruments and devices, pin products have become popular tips for terminations. They are used in electrical equipment and circuit breakers in protection devices. With the reduction of clamping fasteners, the pin is the most optimal solution for good contact. This species is labeled as NSP.

Wire crimps - types

cylindrical shape;
fork;
loop;
connecting;
with a knife.

In addition, the crimp range is important, which shows the maximum and minimum cable cross-section. When working with wires with a diameter of 0.25 to 16 mm, hand press pliers are used. They are suitable for laying and repairing computer networks, telephone lines and other low-current systems.

Crimping of car battery wires, cable lugs with a diameter of no more than 120 mm and installation of substations are performed using a hydraulically driven tool.

For large volumes, it is advisable to use electric pliers that can operate in automatic or semi-automatic mode.

Additional insulation. Usually plastic is used to make plier handles, but some models also have rubber inserts. It does not conduct electricity and reduces the risk of electric shock.
The blade on the working part of the tool. It allows you to cut the cable and do without additional equipment.
If it is necessary to crimp large quantities of sleeves of unequal sizes, then it is better to choose pliers with rotary dies or an adjustable punch.
Due to their design features, they can be used to work with wires of different cross-sections. Crimping of small-diameter tips is carried out using pliers with shaped jaws.

For crimping insulated and non-insulated lugs, in order to secure them to the ends of wires of various sections, hand-held press pliers, called crimpers, are used. Crimpers are classified as professional tools for electrical installation and are produced by many manufacturers. hand tools.

Using press pliers you can crimp the tips various types: ring, fork, pin, plug, sleeve and flat connectors, connecting sleeves and other types of tips.

The jaws of the mites are called a matrix; there are specially shaped recesses on it for different diameters crimped wires, flexible stranded and solid single-wire, and, accordingly, for various tips.

Suitable for stranded insulated tips, for single-wire rigid ones - uninsulated.

The lugs as such are a convenient means of reliably connecting sockets, circuit breakers, RCDs, lamps, switches, chandeliers, meters and many other devices.

Hydraulic presses are used for crimping conductors with a significant cross-section, more than 16 square millimeters, but for the needs of professional electrical installation, manual press pliers and crimpers are also suitable.

Press tongs (crimpers) are different. There are specialized crimpers, for example, for crimping only 4P4C and 4P2C telephone connectors, as well as multifunctional ones that combine, for example, a stripper - a tool for removing insulation. There are crimpers for fiber optic connectors, for D-sub connectors, etc.

A typical crimping crimper has comfortable plastic handles and a steel body and jaws. This device allows you to crimp the tip with one hand.

Particularly convenient are crimpers with a ratcheting mechanism that blocks the release until the tip is completely crimped, so that under-pressuring does not occur. If crimping needs to be interrupted due to, for example, an error with the wire diameter or ferrule, the ratchet can be released manually.

The crimps often located on the jaws are marked in different colors, for example, a crimp for a wire with a cross-section of 0.25 to 1.5 sq. mm is marked in red, blue - from 1.5 to 2.5 sq. mm, yellow - from 4 to 6 sq.mm.

This is necessary so as not to get confused and make a mistake with the diameter of the wire and the tip. By the way, the insulated tips themselves also have colored cuffs in matching colors.

The crimping process is quite simple. For example, you need to crimp the PuGV wire 1x4.0 sq. mm. To do this, take the necessary tip, for example, we need a ring one, and we chose NKI 6.0-4, which is suitable for wires with a cross-section from 4 to 6 sq. mm.

First, the insulation is removed from the wire to the length of the tubular part of the tip to obtain the contact part, the wire strands are twisted a little, the tip is put on so that the wire protrudes slightly (about 1 mm) beyond the cuff, and the insulation rests against the metal.

The tip is installed in the matrix of pressing pliers, in our case - in the yellow one, and crimping is carried out, holding the wire. The tip is pressed into the wire along the profile. Then the strength of the resulting crimp is checked.

Using press pliers, you can crimp various connectors, crimp various wires, and select any necessary lugs.

Among the wide range of crimpers on the market today, every professional installer can easily select a tool according to his profile. It can be a simple crimper or a crimper-stripper, multi-functional, or only for one type of connector, for example RJ45.

Crimping pliers for automotive terminals

Crimping pliers for car wire terminals are an auto tool that allows the wires inside the sleeve to be spliced well and the cable to be connected to the lug. The use of this tool in a car repair shop significantly increases the speed and quality of work on repairing the electrical wiring of your car or your client.

Moreover, this tool does not belong exclusively to professional equipment, and therefore can be used for private car repairs in the garage.

Crimping pliers automotive terminals are divided into 2 types: diaphragmatic or functioning like ordinary pliers. The latter compress the parts from 2 sides.

They have special holes on the jaws that allow you to correctly guide and adjust the parts being repaired. These tools are considered universal because they can be used to reach problem areas from different angles and projections.

Diaphragm crimping pliers adjust elements from 4 or 6 sides. The more precise properties of the instrumentation depend on the functions of the aperture. This mechanism ensures a very tight cable crimp.

In addition, due to the features of the equipment, it can be adjusted to the sleeves different sizes, which ensures its versatility.

But diaphragm crimping pliers have a certain disadvantage. They can only be used if the wires are inserted into the sleeve from one side. Otherwise, the pliers will be on the wire due to the structural features of their heads.

Hydraulic hand press designed for crimping cable lugs and hexagon sleeves with a cross-section of up to 70 mm². Copper lugs and sleeves must not exceed a cross-sectional area of 50 mm².

Does the design include a pressure limiting valve? Such products are more reliable; they prevent the press from overloading due to pressure.
Type of pressing head, which can be open or closed.

pre-open the stopper;
pull out the matrix;
put the wires and tip;
close the device.

And only after this you can begin crimping the cable. For small cross-section wires the process is much simpler. If the press has an open C-head, the wires can be pressed quickly anywhere.

Up to 70 mm².
Up to 120 mm².
Up to 300 mm².
Up to 400 mm².

As the power of the press increases, its weight increases. Some manufacturers reduce weight by using lightweight aluminum alloys for the body. All hydraulic presses are designed for crimping copper and aluminum wires.

The press includes replaceable dies for crimping. Most modern models, are equipped with rotating heads and a high-speed device.

Inside the device, on one side there is a working piston with a cuff - to return it to its original position, a spring is mounted. On the other side there is a discharge cylinder and a plunger.

Main components of a manual tip press

Pos. 1 – axis.
Pos. 2 – head.
Pos. 3 – matrix half-forms.
Pos. 4 – screw.
Pos. 5 and 6 – handles.

The pump plunger moves back and forth.
Excessive pressure is created in the cylinder.
Oil under pressure begins to flow into the working cylinder, moving the working piston.
The piston, acting on the matrix, creates required pressure to the tip.
The design has a two-way plunger.
At idle, the circuit that ensures rapid injection of fluid into the working cylinder is open. At the end idle speed the second circuit begins to open, developing maximum force.
The return spring, when the shut-off valve is open, which connects the working cavity of the cylinder and the oil cylinder through channels, returns the piston to its original position.
The cable lug crimping press is equipped with a safety valve, which, when the pressure in the system is exceeded, begins to release a certain amount of oil back into the oil cylinder.

Making tips

What to do if you don’t have special tools for crimping on hand or you just don’t want to buy them if you only need to crimp one or two tips?

Many, when faced with this problem, resort to incorrect methods, which in the future only worsen the contact without ensuring a reliable connection.

They begin to flatten the tip with hammers, simply squeeze it in a bench vice, crush it with pliers, and press it in with a chisel. All these methods are incorrect and do not bring the desired result. After such amateur activity, poor contact is obtained with its further heating during operation.

True, some manage to compress the tip with a hydraulic press so that the wire easily comes out of it, as soon as you pull with a little force.

There are other ways to crimp power wires with lugs using improvised means, which can be found in almost everyone’s garage or home.

The easiest and fastest way is pressing using a center punch.

an ordinary hammer;
the tip itself, no matter what type or manufacturer;
vice or sledgehammer;
punch or, as a last resort, you can use a 200mm nail once.

insert the tip into the wire;
place it on a hard surface - an anvil, a vice, the wide side of a sledgehammer;
and with uniform blows of the hammer on the center punch, make pinpoint dents on the tip. First on one side, then on the other.

At the same time, on the back side of the tip, the crimping points should not be symmetrical to those on the front part, but shifted by a couple of millimeters.

The most important thing is not to perforate the tip and control the force of the blow. Therefore, if you use a 200mm nail for this, first of all you should dull it.

As a result, you will get sufficient contact, which, of course, is not comparable to crimping with a professional PGR-70 tool, but in the absence of excess loads it will last a long time. The most important thing in this method is to choose the right wires and tips. The declared cross-section is very often smaller than the actual one.

For reliable contact, the wire must fit tightly inside the sleeve without any slack. Therefore, this point is always checked manually; you should not blindly trust the numbers on the cable sheath and on the tip blade.

There are other simple ways to connect ferrules to wires without using a press. For radio amateurs who have no problems with solders and other devices, ordinary soldering is suitable.

This cannot quite be called crimping, but is still a method of connection without the use of a special crimping tool.

The wire is tinned, and so is the tip inside. In this case, in its upper part, where the blade is, you need to drill a small hole in the sleeve.
The stripped end of the cable is inserted inside, after which the entire structure (cable + tip) is wrapped with fiberglass tape.
It is heated by a gas burner and molten tin begins to be poured into the hole from above.
With constant heating with a burner, it will easily penetrate between the wire strands and the walls of the sleeve. The fiberglass will prevent the tin from leaking out.

Some do it even simpler. They put tin inside the tip, heat the whole thing with a burner or even on a gas stove and then insert the tinned cable there.

To avoid damaging the insulation at the end of the wire, you can use a hair dryer to warm it up:

If you don’t have soldering accessories, and you consider point crimping with a center punch to be not reliable enough, then the third method remains.

Select a long enough threaded screw so that it covers the pressed part of the sleeve. The diameter of the screw should not be large so as not to push through or crush the tip itself.

Place this screw along the tip. Then you squeeze the entire structure in a vice. The end result should be approximately this form of pressing.

If one screw is not enough, a second one is placed on top of the depressed one and compressed again. You can initially use 2 screws, only installed on different sides of the sleeve. The main thing is not to overdo it and not break the sleeve.

To prevent the screw from moving, you can fix it with electrical tape. In general, to summarize, we can say that these three methods have the right to life, and many only connect power cable wires and lugs this way.

To create mechanical connections of wires with lugs and cables, special devices are used. Depending on the material and its cross-section, tools are used for crimping tips, which come in several types. They allow you to provide maximum area contact and uniform pressing of the cable core and shank.

General information

In the process of connecting various types of technical devices and electronics, you have to work with wires. For this procedure, a special tool is most often used - crimping pliers for tips. They are selected depending on the type of wire. Now they have appeared various types new cables. They differ from each other:

power parameters;
conductivity.

To prepare the contact of the leading cores it is necessary to crimp the connecting ends correctly. For this purpose, press pliers are usually used as crimpers for electrical cable lugs. Most often with this special tool electricians, radio amateurs and auto mechanics work.

This type of tool can be used for simple cables. It is also used in processing unusual non-standard connectors, for example, a network cable for a computer.

Due to their characteristics, ferrule crimping pliers have become a very popular tool. It's inexpensive and effective remedy for work.

The simple design of the equipment makes it possible to easily and quickly press the tips. The principle of the press pliers allows you to quickly and efficiently crimp the cable. This helps to make the highest quality connection between the connecting structure and the rest of the conductors. The price of an electrical installation tool will depend on the manufacturer, quality, material used and type of device.

Types of tools

Now many manufacturers produce crimping equipment. The finished tool must have a narrow direction for pressing a certain type of wire. They also produce universal type pliers intended for production and household needs.

At home crimping tool should be maximally suitable for performing operations with multi-core wires in the electrical network. It is used when working with:

switches;
sockets;
energy-saving meters;
various lighting fixtures.

A high-quality, reliable and safe electrical and mechanical connection can be ensured by properly selected electrical installation tools for crimping wire lugs. This type of tool is a pressing type of equipment. Most often, crimping pliers for wire lugs are used when it is necessary to secure the contact in low-current systems. Depending on the purpose, such equipment is divided into several types:

press jaws;
hydraulic hand press;
mechanical press;
electromechanical press.

Crimping can be done using mechanical or hand tools. It is done by pressing, continuous or combined compression. In the inner part of the press, on one side there is a working piston with a cuff. With the help of a built-in spring, it returns to its previous position. On the other side there is a plunger and a discharge cylinder.

Excess pressure is built up in the cylinder itself, after which oil flows to it. It moves the working piston and it acts on the matrix, creating required pressure in the tip area. This design is equipped with a two-way plunger.

The slave cylinder will be open when at idle the circuit quickly creates a fluid injection into it. Another circuit opens slightly, developing maximum force at the very end of idle. When the support valve is closed, a return spring connected by the oil cylinder and the working cavity brings the piston to its previous position.

The crimping press is also equipped with a safety valve. At elevated level pressure in the system, excess oil is returned back to the oil cylinder.

Operating principle

Pressing pliers allow you to accurately and quickly remove the desired length of insulation on the wiring without damaging the core itself. They are adjusted to the required diameter manually or automatically.

During manual setup there is a possibility of damage to the wiring. If you do this in automatic mode, then when removing the braid, the cross-section of the cord will not be affected. This type of equipment is most often used in working with lighting and distribution boxes.

To perform a cut in one step, it is necessary that cutting edge always remained sharp. This will allow you to efficiently remove the outer insulation of the wire.

First you need to remove the outer insulation at the ends of the wires being connected. Once cleaned, they are threaded into the sleeve. Its diameter can be different, it depends on the sum of the sections. The sleeve itself must be made of suitable metal. After this, press pliers are used for crimping.

The sleeve must be insulated with insulating material or heat-shrinkable tubing. This procedure is quite simple if used correctly. suitable tool. Manual model it is necessary to compress with sufficient force to ensure a high-quality crimping.

Selection criteria

There are several important characteristics that must be taken into account when choosing equipment of this type. Great value has a crimp range. It indicates the minimum and maximum cable cross-section that can be compressed using hand press pliers.

For cables with a small cross-section, a tool with a range of 0.5-6 mm2 is quite suitable. For thicker cables, it is better to choose equipment with parameters of 10-20 mm2.

You should pay attention to the insulation of the tool handles. They are usually made of plastic, but some models of crimpers are now covered with special rubberized inserts. This material does not conduct electric current, which is always important when handmade with cables. If the wire is live, then it does not pose a danger to a working person.