Crimp Testing Cables

Specification

A leading British cable assembly manufacturer, Telecom Connections Limited, who provide customers in the telecoms and electronics industries with quality cable assemblies and harnesses, wanted to test their wire crimp terminals to make sure they complied with the highest safety standards. The company needed to measure the force required to pull apart the components of a wire crimp connected to a terminal or to another wire. In particular, they wanted to ensure that the crimp terminals complied with the mechanical strength properties in the Underwriters Laboratories® standard UL 486A.

Solution

Mecmesin supplied a VersaTest 2500 N motorised test stand (now superseded by the MultiTest 2.5-dV) and a Basic Force Gauge (BFG). The crimped terminal is attached to a Wedge Grip and held in place with a Cable Cam Grip, which self- tightens as the load is applied, spreading the load evenly and minimising slippage during the test. When the pull test is started, the crosshead on the motorised test stand pulls the crimp until the wire breaks and the maximum force is recorded on the BFG. The test system is used to run regular production checks to confirm that the wire crimp terminals conform to UL486A, ensuring the safety and quality of Telecom Connection's cable assembly products.

System

• VersaTest (superseded by the MultiTest-dV series)
• BFG 500 N
• Wedge Grip
• Cable Cam Grip

Testimonial

"We manufacture some high specification cable assemblies where reliability is a must. In some cases, lives literally depend on the cables not having failures in situations. By using Mecmesin equipment, we can ensure that our product more than meets the UL standard by at least one and a half times the stated requirement, which is the basis of all tests performed by Telecom Connections Limited, thus increasing reliability, increasing quality and most importantly assuring the end-user that the lead will meet the demands intended."

Sean Lathey, Quality/IT Manager, Telecom Connections Ltd, UK