Hydraulic vs. mechanical crimping tools for electrical connectors

The selection of the best tool for making an electrical connection is based on personal preferences, budgets, and benefits. The fastening of two electrical lines is completed using a crimper, which is a compression tool available in a variety of sizes, mechanisms, and styles. The current crimping tools are engineered with the user in mind to guarantee safety, worker’s health, and efficiency. The crimping tools can either be die or dieless. The die crimper requires a set of dies for each connector size while the dieless are self-contained units that use any wire or connector in a given wire size range.

Hydraulic crimpers are either hand-held or remote compression tools. In the hand-held compression crimpers, the connector is placed between the pumps and the jaw of the tool and compressed until the jaws crimp the connector at the right pressure. The remote hydraulic crimpers have a hydraulic pump that is separated from the head, which holds the jaws. The two-section are connected using a flexible hose.

The pump can either be placed on the ground or hanged on the shoulder using a strap; either position decreases the weight on the operator’s hands and allows easy maneuverability. The hydraulic crimping tools are designed for intensive installation works. The hydraulic presses in these tools will enable the crimping of the cables connectors and terminals on wires that have a bigger cross-section.

The hydraulic crimpers are also compatible with a variety of crimping dies; thus, they can be used for crimping different types of connectors and terminals. The hydraulic crimping tools also deliver greater power compared to the conventional hand presses.

Mechanical crimpers are tools that require brute force, which is ideal for occasional users. The manual crimping tool resembles pliers and is used to join two-wire terminal or connectors by exerting pressure. The pressure causes the wires to deform and join together.

The mechanical crimpers are hand-held devices that may be basic die, dieless, or ratchet tools. The mechanical die-type has built-in, multi-nested die wheel, which the operator spins to choose the proper die for the connector being crimped. The multi-nested die wheel saves time and eliminates the possibility of die changeover or dies being lost. The mechanical tools may also have a controlled cycle mechanism. The mechanism gives the control of the controller on the crimp tool rather than the installer. This controlled cycle mechanism improves the reliability of the completed crimp. The hand-held mechanical crimping devicesare ergonomically designed. This design decreases the stress on the wrists and the hands of the operator. The ergonomics also reduces the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome by ensuring that crimping is handled with up to 60 percent less force.

Other manual crimping tools may include embossed integrity dots that will provide easy visual verification of the crimps. Other key features of the hand-held manual crimper are the narrow nose and a movable handle that enable crimping in confined areas. The mechanical crimping tools have insulation to protect the operator from electric shock.