Use hex crimp tool

Hydraulic and automated crimpers e. Indent style crimps are usually used for crimping fine stranded and compacted conductors. Indent crimping can be done with easy-to-operate hand crimping tools. This style of crimp yields great pullout resistance and good electrical performance when correctly made with a properly sized tool for the cable and connector.

As the strands are formed tightly together inside the connector, nearly all air gaps are removed from the conductor. However, it is more difficult to check if an indent style crimp has been properly made compared to hex-style crimps.

Lugs and connectors that comply with these standards have large outside diameters that can accept all cable types. Hexagonal style compression crimps , the most common type of crimp, create strong mechanical connections. The advantage of this style crimp is that force is applied consistently from all directions over a larger area during crimping, preventing any damage to the conductors.

This style crimp is an industry standard for aluminum and copper cables up to kcmil. Hex-style crimps yield superior electrical performance in addition to great pullout strength. It is important that the size of the crimping dies are matched exactly with the materials and dimensions.

The range of applications for hex-style crimps are crimping of conductors as per VDE categories 2, 5 and 6 and the processing of non-tension connections of aluminium cables per DIN part 1 DIN EN for aluminum ropes. The thicker the wire e. At a certain point, manually powered crimpers will take too much effort or cannot provide enough pressure to crimp thicker wire gauges.

How can you tell if you've made a high quality crimp with a hexagonal compression type hydraulic crimper? See the quick reference guide below. Dieless crimpers are faster to use because you do not need to switch out the die head every time you want to crimp a different size wire. However, die crimpers allow for a wider range of wire sizes to be crimped and are often less complicated in design. These handheld crimpers used for smaller wires. Some can also be used to cut and strip wire as well.

Hydraulic crimpers can apply much more pressure than small handheld crimpers and are used for thicker wires. Proper maintenance requires periodically changing the oil and oil filter so that the hydraulics remain fluid and do not clog. You will also want to make sure there is no dust or air inside the tool after replacing the oil.

Hammer crimpers are cheap, compact, and can crimp a wide range of wire sizes simply by adjusting the height of the movable wedge. The larger the lug, the more strikes you will need to make with the hammer. Cold Welding Hot welding joins two surfaces using intense heat, while cold welding applies intense pressure to the surfaces being welded.

How to Use a Crimping Tool First you will need to strip the length of wire that you want to crimp. How to Select a Wire Crimper The content we provide is meant to inform you and help support the proper selection and use of crimpers. How often will you be making crimps?

Indent vs. Technically the hexagonal crimp is characterised by a centrical and constant force effect applied during the crimping operation from all sides and creating a larger contact area. Hexagonal crimps are suitable for both copper above and for aluminium below. The individual strands of the conductors are being deformed homogeneously in their entirety without any damage.

The results are good electrical properties of these connections. Mechanical and electrical properties of tubular and DIN compression cable lugs are being defined by the IEC part 1.

It defines the requirements that an electrical connection has to fulfil for a permanent safe operation within intended applications. The cross section of a hexagonal crimp performed with a manufacturer recommended tool shows the uniform positioning of conductors in the cable lug. Apart from mechanical pull out tests also electrical durability tests are included. The field of application of hexagonal crimps comprises the processing of conductors as per:.

Conductor types acc. This combination enables hexagonal crimps per DIN and For hexagonal crimps of standard tubular cable lugs it is suggested to strictly observe manufacturers tool recommendations.

Hexagonal crimps are exposed to high loads. For this reason only high quality tools should be used which in addition feature special functions guaranteeing correct and safe crimps. Battery powered crimping tools of the latest generation give an acoustic warning if the required crimping force has not been reached. High quality mechanical crimping tools can only be opened when the crimping operation has been completed. Until then an integrated locking device blocks the tool — a totally completed cable crimp is important as the required compression of the crimp material is only reached at the end of the crimp phase.

A professional hexagonal crimp generally requires use of crimping dies which match sizes of conductors and connecting material. That means that cable lugs and connectors need to correspond to the dimensions of the conductor and crimping die. Incorrect Crimping. Correct Crimping. An incorrect combination can lead to low compression — excess compression crimps with potentially fatal consequences: Faulty cable crimps and lugs can lead to increased contact resistance with rise of temperatures which in the worst case can cause fire.

Incorrect or materials processed with in-appropriate tools can cause heavy defects on installations resp. For this reason manufacturers of branded electrical and cable accessory products such as Klauke recommend for crimping operations their cable lugs and connectors solely use of their own appropriate crimping tools.

High quality crimping dies can be recognised by a polished surface with rounded edges. Example of a crimping die with polished profile. These crimping dies are precisely manufactured and guarantee a constant and neat deformation of copper or aluminium.

Prior to the cable crimping operation the electrical engineer or cable joint must ensure that the conductors need to be brushed to achieve a metallic clean surface and that oxide layers have to be removed from the aluminium cables. While stripping cable conductors it has to be observed that some are not being damaged and that bared length is more or less identical with insertion length of cable lug or connector. Crimping dies need to be clean and metallic bright.

To avoid the incorrect die selection Klauke differentiates in colour, silver stands for aluminium dies and yellow gold for copper die sets.

Left: crimping die for aluminium, silver coloured; right: crimping die for copper yellow-gold colour. Tip: Klauke recommends to start crimping operations on cable lugs always from the palm towards the cable. A cable lug or connector always needs to be crimped under consideration of the crimping direction and use of appropriate tools.

Within the standard copper range the so called manufacturer specific hexagonal crimps are used for cable types as per VDE class 2. Permissible — manufacturer specific hexagonal crimp. Manufacturers with a reputation for quality such as Klauke offer hexagonal crimping dies for processing standard copper tubular cable lugs as per EN and approved cable conductor connections as per IEC These cable lugs are being used for instance in the construction of electrical control cabinets because of design and smaller dimensions.

To accomplish a professional crimp it is of great importance to use high quality tools. Only using such tools guarantee that a sufficient degree of compression is being achieved to insure optimum contact properties. To achieve an IEC approved connection it is necessary that all components used match each other — this includes cable lug, crimping tool and suitable die set.

This concerns the cable lug and appropriate conductor but also the suitable appropriate crimping die and crimping tool — resulting in a safety engineered system. The classification of manufacturer specific crimping dies and cable lugs is — other than with DIN standard crimps — not controlled by die codes; it is rather regulated by the cross section of the cable specified in sqmm.

Manufacturer specific crimp with indication of cross section. Every manufacturer is responsible for the electrical durability of connections being processed with their products — specified tests have to be provided as evidence. As a professional and safe hexagonal crimping is dependent from an exact matching of crimping dies and cable lugs Klauke recommends for crimping their cable lugs solely use of their own tools as well.

In case of special applications it is advisable to involve the preferably identical manufacturer of both tools and cable lugs.