Terminal Tools Crimping Tips | Crimping Tools | Terminal Crimper

Unlike Sta-Kon®, Scotchlok®, and Panduit terminals that are made to be crimped with hand tools, open-barrel automotive terminals are designed to be crimped with high-speed production equipment.

Successfully crimping these open-barrel terminals by hand requires some special considerations. Barrel dimensions and material thickness are not standardized, and making perfect “first time” crimps with a hand tool is often a matter of experience and luck.

Most tools available for crimping replacement OEM terminals are designed to crimp a wider range of terminals with less precision. The tips listed below should be helpful in obtaining and recognizing a reliable crimp.

Crimping Tips:

Select a crimp die that seems to fit the terminal. Too large (resulting in a loose crimp) is better than too small (resulting in breaking the terminal).
A loose crimp can often be tightened in a smaller crimp nest until a satisfactory crimp is attained.
A crimp that appears to be tight, that cannot be pulled off a wire by hand and that has not cracked or broken the terminal should not require secondary soldering.
A crimp that does not meet the above specifications should be soldered. Care should be taken not to apply excessive heat or solder that could destroy spring tension and cause failure.
Cable seals are always gently crimped with just enough pressure to hold the seal in position. A tight crimp will damage the seal and cause failure.
The cable seal should be moved into position and crimped after the electrical crimp is soldered to avoid heat damage to the seal.
A qualified repair technician must make final determination as to whether or not a crimp is satisfactory