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Monday, December 13, 2010

Should I solder or crimp my electrical conections ?

I prefer crimp unless on at an area that it can't be used. It should be mentioned that there is a correct way to apply a crimp to crimp connectors. All crimp connectors start out as a flat piece of metal that is shaped into a cylinder, so they have a seam where the edges meet that runs the length of the connector. The connector should be placed in the crimping tool with the seam at 12 o'clock (facing up). When the jaws are closed, the shaped crimper die presses down on the seam from above, bends and crushes the connector metal, compresses and traps the wire strands and produces a tight crimp. A connector that's crimped with the seam in a different position may still work, but the connector may not assume the desired crimped shape and its grip on the wire strands may not be as tight as a result.

Second, I've learned that the European Union (EU) has passed legislation requiring the removal of all lead from solder. This has presented problems in electronic items. With the lead removed, tiny whiskers can form on a solder joint that can short out adjoining connections.

Reference : www.motor.com

1 comment:

  1. Crimping connections is ok as long as the materials used are "like materials". The common problem with crimping is when a circuit has, let's say, 5 to 10 amps or more running through it and the butt connector is aluminum and the wires copper. It is a recipe for corrosion when two different metals are introduced to current flow. The more current introduced, the faster the corrosion in the connector takes place.
    Nice blog! I enjoy your articles.

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