<div dir="ltr">Rick,<div><br></div><div>Sorry for the delay, I wanted to have the crimpers in front of me to verify the model number (63819-0900). I knew they were Molex branded but Molex has hundreds of chassis and die combinations. The application is 12V lights/USB on a bicycle and the current measured just under an amp on Friday but that was lights only, no load on the USB socket. </div><div><br></div><div>Crimpers</div><div><a href="http://www.molex.com/molex/products/datasheet.jsp?part=active/0638190900_APPLICATION_TOOLIN.xml&channel=Products&Lang=en-US" target="_blank">http://www.molex.com/molex/products/datasheet.jsp?part=active/0638190900_APPLICATION_TOOLIN.xml&channel=Products&Lang=en-US</a><br></div><div><br></div><div>Terminals</div><div><a href="http://www.molex.com/molex/products/datasheet.jsp?part=active/0039000038_CRIMP_TERMINALS.xml&channel=Products&Lang=en-US" target="_blank">http://www.molex.com/molex/products/datasheet.jsp?part=active/0039000038_CRIMP_TERMINALS.xml&channel=Products&Lang=en-US</a><br></div><div><br></div><div>18 ga wire has insulation listed at 0.010", measured diameter 1.72 mm</div><div><br></div><div>20 ga wire has insulation listed at 1/32", measured diameter 2.50 mm</div><div><br></div><div>So the 18 ga and 20 ga both fall within the Molex spec for maximum diameter (3.10 mm) of the insulation (max cable diameter). But switching from the 20 ga to the 18 ga provided a big improvement in the reliability measured via pull test. The terminals also much less fussy when crimping with the smaller diameter 18 ga cable. <br></div><div><br></div><div>Other Resources I found when looking for specs on Molex crimping.</div><div><br></div><div>Molex Crimper Specification Sheet</div><div><a href="http://www.molex.com/pdm_docs/ats/ATS-638190900.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.molex.com/pdm_docs/ats/ATS-638190900.pdf</a></div><div><br></div><div>Molex Quality Crimping Handbook</div><div><a href="http://www.molex.com/pdm_docs/ats/TM-638000029.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.molex.com/pdm_docs/ats/TM-638000029.pdf</a><br></div><div><br></div><div>Molex Industrial Crimp Quality Handbook</div><div><a href="http://www.molex.com/pdm_docs/ats/TM-640160065.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.molex.com/pdm_docs/ats/TM-640160065.pdf</a><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Thank you to everyone who send suggestions on or off the list!</div><div><br></div><div>Shane</div><div><br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Oct 16, 2015 at 4:37 PM, Rick via TriEmbed <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:triembed@triembed.org" target="_blank">triembed@triembed.org</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
Good afternoon Shane,<br>
<br>
Please pass along the crimp terminal part number(s), as well as the
tool part number, and I'll see what I can dig up.<br>
<br>
Usually, the insulation is captured by the rear tabs, and the bare
conductor by the shorter front tabs (with the contact mating surface
considered the front).<br>
<br>
I've used the generic crimping tool as shown below:<br>
<br>
<img src="cid:part1.09030103.01080808@triad.rr.com" alt="" height="324" width="821"><br>
<br>
Please note this tool costs about $60.00 from Newark (you may find
the price vary about 20% ... this is NOT the $8.95 tool).<br>
<br>
If you look at the crimp openings, one end is a concave "tooth" the
other is an arc with a point in the middle ... or a double arc if
you wish. The tabs on the crimp terminal go into the double arc,
this forces the tabs around the wire and produce the double rounded
top crimp. You must use the appropriately sized opening (marked in
mm on the tool) for your crimp terminal; too large, and the wire
will slide out of the crimped terminal, too small and you will
deform the terminal (if you see shiny copper, or tightly folded
tinned copper, you are using an opening that is too small.<br>
<br>
You can look at the data sheet for the individual crimp terminal,
and it should tell you what size to crimp both the bare wire
portion, and the insulation-holding portion (they can be different).<br>
<br>
You need to use firm pressure and ensure the tool closes completely
(look below the hinge rivet and ensure the gap is closed the same as
when there is not terminal in the tool.<br>
<br>
A proper crimp requires rather precise die, terminal, and wire
dimensions; you are cold-forming the terminal and wire to exclude
oxygen (called a gas-free connection) ... no oxygen, no oxidizing! <br>
<br>
If you still can't make sense of things, feel free to e-mail or call
Molex; their applications engineering group is more than happy to
help you select the correct terminals, housings, crimp tool and tool
die size to use. I've been using my crimper for 15 years and have
not had any issues, once I identify the proper die size and make
sure I'm using the proper terminal for the wire size. <br>
<br>
<br>
Hope this helps.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Rick<br>
<br>
- There are no shortcuts, just delays until you do the job correctly
- <br><span class="">
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div>On 10/15/2015 10:14 PM, Shane Trent via
TriEmbed wrote:<br>
</div>
</span><blockquote type="cite"><div><div class="h5">
<div dir="ltr">Hey TriEmbed!
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I have a client who is having reliability issues with their
hand-crimped Molex connectors. They are using what appear to
be genuine Molex crimpers and the proper wire for the terminal
size (by wire gauge anyway, 20 ga)) but are still having
problems getting reliable connections. The wire seems to have
larger insulation than I expect to see. Their 20 ga with
insulation has a larger OD than my "house brand" 18 ga. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Does anyone have a brand or type of connector that they
like for hand-crimping in the 2 to 6 circuit sizes? These are
low current circuits, expected to carry 4 amps or less. I am
happy to treat for coffee if anyone has wisdom to share!</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Thanks,</div>
<div>Shane<br clear="all">
<div><br>
</div>
-- <br>
<div>
<div dir="ltr"><span>A blog about some of
my projects. <a href="http://fettricks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://fettricks.blogspot.com/</a></span><br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br>
<fieldset></fieldset>
<br>
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<br>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:HelveticaNeue-Light,'Helvetica Neue Light','Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,'Lucida Grande',sans-serif;font-size:16px">A blog about some of my projects. <a href="http://fettricks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://fettricks.blogspot.com/</a></span><br></div></div>
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