2-16
2. Slip the terminal barrel over the bared wire end and up against the insulation. Make certain that
all wire strands are inside the tubular barrel of the terminal.
3. Center the terminal barrel in the female nest of the plier jaws as shown in figure 2-12 so that the
indentation formed by the staking die will be in the center of the barrel. Crimp until the pliers
reach their stop or limit. This is necessary for a good mechanical and electrical connection.
4. Slip the tubular insulation down over the terminal barrel so that it extends a little beyond the
barrel. Tie it in place if spaghetti is used. If heat-shrinkable tubing is used, shrink with a heat
gun.
Q11.
What is a major advantage of the crimped terminal over the soldered terminal?
Q12.
What are the two types of insulation most commonly used for noninsulated splices and terminal
lugs?
Q13.
What is the maximum allowable temperature that should be used on heat-shrinkable tubing?
Q14.
What is the maximum allowable source pressure that can be used with the compressor
air/nitrogen heating tool?
ALUMINUM TERMINALS AND SPLICES
Terminals that are used with aluminum wire are made of aluminum. Proper crimping is more
difficult with these terminals because of such factors as aluminum creep and softness. Aluminum wire has
an undesirable characteristic called aluminum creep. Aluminum has the tendency to actually move away
from the point where pressure is applied. This is not only true during the crimping operation but also
takes place during temperature changes. The aluminum wire is softer than the terminal lugs and splice
connectors and contracts faster than the connector when the temperature drops. This causes the wires to
creep away from the crimped connections, which, in turn, causes loose connections. The softness of
aluminum wire also makes it subject to being cut or nicked during stripping. You should be careful never
to use an aluminum terminal with copper wire or a copper terminal with aluminum wire because of
electrolysis. Electrolysis is the chemical action that takes place when an electric current passes through
two dissimilar metals. This chemical action corrodes (eats away) the metal. Also, never use the aluminum
crimping tool for crimping other than the aluminum terminals. Aluminum terminal lugs and splices are
not insulated, so you must use spaghetti or heat-shrinkable tubing for insulation as discussed earlier.
The barrels of several styles of larger size aluminum terminal lugs are filled with a petroleum
abrasive compound. This compound causes a grinding action during the crimping operation. This
removes the oxide film from the aluminum. It also prevents the oxide film from reforming in the
connection. All aluminum terminals and splices have an inspection hole to allow checking the depth of
wire insertion. This hole is sealed with a removable plug, which also serves to hold in the oxide-inhibiting
compound (figure 2-17).
