molex 63811-1200 User manual

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QualityCrimpingHandbook
OrderNo63800-0029 ReleaseDate:09-04-03 UNCONTROLLED COPY Page1of24
Revision:B RevisionDate:10-07-05
QUALITY CRIMPING
HANDBOOK
§Description
§Operation
§Maintenance

QualityCrimpHandbook
OrderNo63800-0029 ReleaseDate:09-04-03 UNCONTROLLED COPY Page2of24
Revision:B RevisionDate:10-07-05
Table of Contents
SECTION
1Introduction
2Purpose
3Scope
4Definitions
5AssociatedMaterials
6Procedure
7Measurement
8ProcessControl
9TroubleShooting
10 WireGaugeChart
11 Notes

QualityCrimpHandbook
OrderNo63800-0029 ReleaseDate:09-04-03 UNCONTROLLED COPY Page3of24
Revision:B RevisionDate:10-07-05
SECTION 1
INTRODUCTION TO CRIMP TECHNOLOGY
Developedtoreplacetheneedtosolderterminations,crimpingtechnologyprovidesahighqualityconnectionbetweenaterminal
andawireatarelativelylowappliedcost. Themethodsforapplying crimpterminations dependonthe applicationand volume,
andrangefrom hand-helddevicestofullyautomatedsystems.
Theapplicationmethodsincludeabasichandtool, apressanddieset,astripper crimper,orafullyautomaticwireprocessing
system. However,nomatter whatmethod isused,thesetupofeachtool iscritical forachieving aqualitycrimp.
Today,manyOEMcompaniesareusingStatisticalProcessControl(SPC)tocontinuouslyimprovetheircrimpterminations. Crimp
terminationisacomplexprocessandtoensureconsistentqualityitisnecessarytounderstandthevariabilityandinter-relational
interactionsthatthetechnologyinvolves.
Withoutathoroughunderstandingofthecrimpingprocess,andallthefactorsthatcanaffectit,theresultmaynot meet
expectations. Thethreekeyelementsinthecrimpingprocessaretheterminal,thewire,andthetooling.
Terminal
Formost applications,it is noteconomically practicalforconnector manufacturerstodesign aterminaltoaccept onewiresize,one
wirestranding, andone insulationdiameter (UL type). Mostterminals accommodatemany wire sizes,stranding, anda range of
insulationdiameters,andtheterminalsaredesignedtomeetacceptablelevelsoverthisentirerange.
Wire
Thewirestrandingandinsulationtypecanvarywidelywithinonewiresize. Forexample,thereismorethan18%morematerialin
an18AWGby19-strandwirethanan18AWGby16-strandwire. Theinsulation diameterof an18 AWGwire canrangefrom
1.78mm(070")toover 4.57mm(180"). Wire strandscan becopper, tinned,overcoated,ortop coated. Wireinsulation materials,
thickness,anddurometers varyfromapplicationtoapplication.
Tooling
Whattypeof toolingdoestheapplicationrequire? Doesthe application require handstripping of the wire ordoes the volume
dictateanautomaticwire-strippingmachine? Does theapplicationand volume requirehand tools, pressanddie, or fullyautomatic
wireprocessmachines? Crimping withamanualhandtool,semi-automatic pressanddie, orfully automaticwireprocessor, all
involvedifferentlevelsofvariability. Theterminal,wire,andtypeofapplicationtoolingallaffectthequalityofthecompleted
terminations.

QualityCrimpHandbook
OrderNo63800-0029 ReleaseDate:09-04-03 UNCONTROLLED COPY Page4of24
Revision:B RevisionDate:10-07-05
SECTION 2
PURPOSE
Thishandbookprovidesgeneralguidelinesand proceduresforunderstandingandachievingacceptablecrimpterminations. A
glossaryinSection4listscommontermsanddefinitions. Section4liststhetoolsthatarenecessarytotakeaccurate
measurementsand evaluatethe crimp'sacceptability.
Thetoolingsetupiscriticalindeterminingthe qualityof thefinished crimp. Theattributes thatneed tobe consideredinclude crimp
height,conductorbrush,bellmouth,andcut-offtaband striplength andinsulationposition. Variability inoneor moreof these
attributescanreducethemeasuredpullforce. Itcanbedifficulttoestablishacceptablevariabilitylimitsbecausetheattributesall
interactwithoneanother.
Forexample,atrackadjustmentforbellmouth alsowillchangethecut-offtablengthandtheinsulationwirepositionwhilestrip
lengthand wirelocationsaffect the conductorbrushand insulationposition. Adjustingthe insulation crimpheightmay resultina
slightchange to theconductor crimpheightmeasurement. Itmaybenecessaryforthe setuppersonto makemultipleadjustments
beforeestablishinganoptimalsetup.
Theorderthesetupisdonemayhelp reducethenumberofrepetitionsrequiredfor anoptimumsetup. Section6has a flowchart
foraprocesssetupwhileSection8isatrouble-shootingguideforcommonproblems. Using StatisticalProcessControl(SPC) during
thecrimping processcan help minimizethe Parts perMillion (PPM) rejectlevels. Section 7 providesa generalexplanation of the
benefitsofusingSPC.
Thishandbookisstructuredsothatparts,orall,ofitscontentscanbeusedasaproceduralguideforISOrequirements.

QualityCrimpHandbook
OrderNo63800-0029 ReleaseDate:09-04-03 UNCONTROLLED COPY Page5of24
Revision:B RevisionDate:10-07-05
SECTION 3
SCOPE
This handbook is intended for Molex customers who are crimping Molex open barrel crimp terminals and are
using Molex tooling, primarilyin semiautomaticorautomatic wireprocessingtermination methods.
Thehandbook's contentsmay slightly differfrom otherconnectormanufacturers' guidelinesorindividual companyprocedures.
Thishandbookprovidesabasicoverviewofwhattolookforinanacceptablecrimp.Itisnotintendedtoreplaceindividualproduct
and/ortoolingspecifications.
Individualterminals orapplications mayhave special requirements. Toolinglimitations alsomaynot permitanattribute tobe
adjustedtomeetoptimumrequirements.

QualityCrimpHandbook
OrderNo63800-0029 ReleaseDate:09-04-03 UNCONTROLLED COPY Page6of24
Revision:B RevisionDate:10-07-05
INSULATION
CRIMP
BRUSH
STRIP
LENGTH
BELL
MOUTH
CRIMP
HEIGHT
CONDUCTOR
CRIMP
CUT-OFF
TAB
SEAM
EXTRUSIONS
EXTRUSION EXTRUSION
TERMINAL CROSS-
SECTION VIEW
Figure 4-1
BEND
DOWN
BEND UP
ROLLING
TWISTING
SECTION 4
DEFINITIONS
Anatomy of a Crimp Termination (Figure 4-1)
§Bell Mouth (Flare)
Theflarethatis formedontheedgeoftheconductor
crimpactsasafunnelforthewirestrands. Thisfunnel
reducesthepossibilitythat asharpedge onthe
conductorcrimpwillcutornickthewirestrands.Asa
generalguideline, theconductor bell mouthneeds to be
approximately1to2timesthethicknessoftheterminal
material.*
§Bend Test
Onewaytotesttheinsulationcrimpis bybendingthe
wireseveraltimesandthenevaluatingthemovementof
theinsulationandwirestrands. Asarule,the insulation
crimpshouldwithstandthewirebeingbent 60 to 90
degrees in any direction, several times. Use care when
workingwithsmallwiresizessothewireatthebackof
theinsulation crimpdoes notshear.
§Conductor Brush
Theconductorbrushis madeup ofthe wirestrands that
extendpasttheconductorcrimpon thecontact sideof
theterminal. Thishelpsensurethatmechanical
compressionoccursoverthefulllengthoftheconductor
crimp. Theconductor brushshould notextend into the
contactarea.
§Conductor Crimp
Thisisthemetallurgical compression of a terminal around the
wire'sconductor. Thisconnectioncreates acommonelectrical
pathwithlowresistanceandhigh currentcarrying
capabilities.
§Conductor Crimp Height
Theconductorcrimpheightismeasured fromthetop surface
ofthe formed crimpto the bottom radialsurface. Do not
includethe extrusionpointsin thismeasurement,(See Figure
4-1). Measuringcrimpheightisaquick,non-destructiveway
tohelpensurethe correctmetallurgicalcompression ofa
terminalaround thewire'sconductor andisan excellent
attributeforprocesscontrol. The crimpheightspecificationis
typicallysetasabalancebetweenelectricalandmechanical
performanceoverthecomplete rangeofwire strandingand
coatings,andterminalmaterials and plating. Althoughitis
possibleto optimizea crimp heightto individual wire
strandingandterminalplating,onecrimp heightspecification
isnormallycreated.
*Consultindividualterminalspecificationrequirements

QualityCrimpHandbook
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Revision:B RevisionDate:10-07-05
Figure 4-2
§Cut-off Tab Length
Thismaterialprotrudesoutsidetheinsulationcrimpafter
theterminal is separated fromthecarrier strip. As a rule,
thecut-offtabisapproximately1.0to1.5timesterminal
materialthickness. * Acut-off tabthatistoolong may
exposeaterminaloutsidethehousingorit mayfail
electricalspacingrequirements.In mostsituations,a toolis
setuptoprovideacut-offtabthatisflushto onematerial
thickness.
§Extrusions (Flash)
Thesearethesmallflaresthatformonthebottomofthe
conductorcrimpresultingfromtheclearance betweenthe
punchandanviltooling.Iftheanviliswornortheterminal
isover-crimped,excessiveextrusionresults. Anuneven
extrusionmay alsoresult ifthe punch andanvil alignment
isnotcorrect,ifthefeedadjustmentisofforifthereis
insufficient/excessiveterminaldrag.
§Insulation Crimp (Strain Relief)
Thisisthepartoftheterminalthat providesbothwire
supportforinsertioninto thehousingand allowsthe
terminaltowithstandshockandvibration. Theterminal
needstoholdthewireasfirmlyaspossiblewithoutcutting
throughtotheconductorstrands. Theacceptabilityofan
insulationcrimpissubjectiveanddepends onthe
application. Abend testisrecommended todetermine
whetherornotthestrainreliefisacceptableforeach
particularapplication.
§Insulation Crimp Height
Molexdoes notspecify insulation crimpheights because of
thewidevarietyofinsulationthickness, material,and
hardness. Mostterminalsaredesignedtoaccommodate
multiplewire ranges. Withintheterminal’s range,the
strainreliefmaynot completelysurroundthewireorfully
surroundthediameterofthewire. Thisconditionwill still
provideanacceptable insulationcrimpformost
applications.
§Alargestrainrelief shouldfirmlygrip atleast88% of
thewire.
§Asmallerstrainreliefshouldfirmlygripat least50%of
thewireandfirmlyholdthetopofthewire.
Toevaluatetheinsulationcrimpsection,cutthewireflushwith
thebackoftheterminal. Oncethe optimum settingforthe
applicationisdetermined,itisimportanttodocumentthe
insulationcrimpheight. Then,as partof thesetup procedure,
theoperatorcancheckthecrimpheight.
§Insulation Position
Thisisthelocationoftheinsulationin relationto the
transitionareabetweentheconductorandinsulationcrimps.
Equalamountsoftheconductorstrandsandinsulationneeds
tobevisibleinthetransitionarea. Theinsulation position
ensuresthatthe insulationiscrimpedalongthefulllengthof
theinsulation crimp,and thatno insulation iscrimped under
theconductorcrimp. Theinsulationpositionissetbythewire
stopandstriplength forbenchapplications. Forautomatic
wireprocessingapplications,theinsulationpositionis set by
thein/outpressadjustment.
§Strip Length
Thestriplengthisdeterminedbymeasuringtheexposed
conductorstrandsafterthe insulationisremoved. Thestrip
lengthdeterminestheconductorbrushlength whenthe
insulationpositionis centered.
*Consultindividualterminalspecificationrequirements

QualityCrimpHandbook
OrderNo63800-0029 ReleaseDate:09-04-03 UNCONTROLLED COPY Page8of24
Revision:B RevisionDate:10-07-05
Figure 4-4
28.5
29.5
30.5
31.5
Thousandths
Measurements
Crimp Height
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10111213 14 1516 17 18 1920 21 2223 24 25
Sample
Contol Limit
Control Limit
UpperSpecification
LowerSpecification
ExampleControlChart
Figure 4-3
Figure 4-5
RAM
PRESS BASE
PLATE
SHUT HEIGHT
GAUGE
Figure 4-6
PUNCHES
WIRE
ANVILS TERMINALS
§Process
Thecombinationofpeople,equipment,tooling,
materials,methods, and proceduresneeded to produce a
crimptermination. ProcessControlisusedtotrack
attributesovertimetoaidinthedetectionofchangeto
theprocess. Detecting aprocess changewhen it happens
helpspreventmanythousandsofbadcrimps.
§Pull Force Testing
Pullforcetestingisaquick,destructiveway toevaluatethe
mechanicalpropertiesofacrimptermination. When
makingacrimp,enough pressuremustbeappliedtobreak
downtheoxidesthatmaybuildupon thestrippedconductor
andthetin-platingontheinsideoftheterminalgrip. This is
necessarytoprovideagood metal-to-metalcontact.Ifthis
doesnotoccur, resistancecanincrease. Over-crimping a
crimpterminationwillreduce thecirculararea ofthe
conductorandincrease resistance.
Pullforcetestingisalsoagoodindicatorofproblemsinthe
process. Cutornickedstrandsinthe strippingoperation,
lackof bellmouth orconductor brush, orincorrect crimp
heightortoolingwillreducepullforce. Wireproperties and
stranding, and terminal design (material thickness and
serrationdesign),alsocanincrease ordecrease pullforce
levels.
§Shut Height
Thedistance(atbottom deadcenter ona press),from the
toolingmountingbaseplate tothetoolingconnectionpointon
theramofthepress.
§Terminal Position
Theterminalpositionissetbythealignmentoftheterminalto
theforming punchandanvils, andthecarrier stripcut-off
tooling. Thetoolset-updetermines conductorbell mouth,cut-off
tablength,andterminalextrusions.

QualityCrimpHandbook
OrderNo63800-0029 ReleaseDate:09-04-03 UNCONTROLLED COPY Page9of24
Revision:B RevisionDate:10-07-05
SECTION 5
ASSOCIATED MATERIALS
§Caliper
Agauge,consistingoftwoopposingblades,formeasuring
lineardimensionalattributes.
§Eye Loop
Amagnification tool,normally 10
timespowerorgreater,whichis
usedtoaid visualevaluationofa
crimptermination.
§Crimp Micrometer
Thisisamicrometerspecificallydesignedtomeasurecrimp
height. Themeasurementis takenin thecenter ofthecrimpso
theconductorbell mouthdoes notinfluence it. Ithasathin
bladethatsupportsthetopofthecrimpwhileapointedsection
determinesthebottomradialsurface.
§Ruler (Pocket Scale)
Thisisusedtoestimatethefive-piecemeasurement ofbell mouth,
cut-offtab, conductor brush, wireposition,and strip length. The
recommendedmaximumresolutionis0.50mm(.020”).
§Pull Tester (ReferenceFigure5)
Adevice used to determinethemechanical strength of a crimp
termination. Mostpulltestingisdonewithadevicethatclamps
thewire,pulls atasetspeed,and measuresforce bymeansofa
loadcell. A pulltesteralsocanbeassimpleashangingfixed
weightsonthewire foraminimum ofoneminute.
§Toolmaker’s Microscope
Thisisusedfor closevisualevaluationandstatisticalmeasurement
ofbellmouth, cut-off tab,conductorbrush,wirepositionand strip
length.