Be especially careful of undercrimping, overcrimping, using wrong crimping tools, improper cleaning methods, and cutting or nicking the conductors. A loose contact allows an oxide film to form between the wire and the terminal. This results in increased resistance, and the resistance causes heat. The heat accelerates deterioration, and eventually a failure results.

PREINSULATED COPPER TERMINAL LUGS AND SPLICES

The use of preinsulated terminal lugs and splices has become the most common method for copper wire termination and splicing in recent years. It is by far the best and easiest method. There are many tools used for crimping terminal lugs and splices.

Hand, portable power, and stationary power tools are available for crimping terminal lugs. These tools crimp the barrel to the conductor and, at the same time, form the insulation support to the wire insulation.

The power tools, both stationary and portable, are usually found in large shops where wire bundles are made up. In the next paragraphs, we will discuss the more common hand-crimping tools you will most likely be using in your day-to-day work.

TERMINATING COPPER WIRE WITH PREINSULATED TERMINAL LUGS

Small-diameter copper wires are terminated with solderless, preinsulated copper terminal lugs. As shown in figure 2-19, the insulation is part of the terminal lug. It extends beyond the barrel so that it covers a portion of the wire insulation. This makes the use of spaghetti or heat-shrinkable tubing unnecessary. Preinsulated terminal lugs also have an insulation support (a metal reinforcing sleeve) beneath the insulation for extra supporting strength of the wire insulation. Some preinsulated terminals fit more than one size of wire. The insulation is color coded, and the range of wire sizes is marked on the tongue. This identifies the wire sizes that can be terminated with each of the terminal lug sizes. (See table 2-2.)

Figure 2-19. - Preinsulated straight copper terminal lug.

Table 2-2. - Color Coding of Copper Terminal Lug or Splice Insulation

For crimping small copper terminal lugs, several hand-crimping tools can be used for wire sizes AWG 26 through 10 (figure 2-20 ). These hand-crimping tools have a self-locking ratchet, which prevents the tool from opening until the crimp is completed. Some of these tools have a color-coded selector knob to match the color-coded terminal lug or splice being used. Other tools have a replaceable set of dies for several wire sizes. The hand-crimping procedure for preinsulated copper terminal lugs in wire sizes No. 26 through No. 10 with the standard hand-crimp tool is as follows:

Figure 2-20. - Hand-crimping tools.

Strip the wire insulation using the recommended stripping procedures already discussed. Ensure that the tool handles are fully open and the proper die set has been installed correctly. Insert the terminal lug, tongue first, into the wire side of the hand tool barrel crimping jaws. Be certain the terminal lug barrel butts flush against the tool stop on the locator. See figure 2-21 for the correct insertion method.

Figure 2-21. - Crimping tool with terminal lug inserted.

Squeeze the tool handles slowly until the tool jaws hold the terminal lug barrel firmly in place, but without denting it. Insert the stripped wire into the terminal lug barrel until the wire insulation butts flush against the near end of the wire barrel. (See figure 2-22.)

Figure 2-22. - Proper insertion of stripped wire in insulation terminal lug for crimping.

Remove the completed assembly and examine it for the proper crimp in accordance with the following:

If not properly stripped, some of the smaller gauge, thin-wall wire insulation can be inadvertently inserted and crimped in the terminal wire barrels. This will cause a bad electrical connection. Do not use any connection that is found defective as a result of a visual inspection. Cut off the defective connection and remake using a new terminal lug.