Crimping – A Permanent Connection

The ideal crimp joint combines low electrical resistance with good mechanical strength. To achieve this, the wire of the cable is compressed within the crimp terminal to provide the best electrical conductivity.

October 03, 2023. By News Bureau

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Crimping

DhaSh PV Technologies

Permanent Connection

Manufacturing

electrical resistance

Conductivity

Solar power plant

Crimping is a joining process that connects two components with each other by a defined pressing process. The method forms a secure connection between the conductor and contact and has largely replaced the soldering process.

The ideal crimp joint combines low electrical resistance with good mechanical strength. To achieve this, the wire of the cable is compressed within the crimp terminal to provide the best electrical conductivity. Crimp not only will provide the greatest surface area for electrical contact, but it also prevents oxygen or moisture from reaching the metal of the wire and terminal, reducing the possibility of corrosion.

DhaSh PV Technologies exemplifies precision in its approach to crimping, a vital joining process that seamlessly connects components through a meticulously defined pressing procedure.

Importance of Proper Crimping in Solar PV Connectors

Connectors used in solar power plants play an important role in facilitating connectivity throughout the system and also prevent misconnection. This helps avoid loose cable ends, leading to energy losses and other performance issues. Therefore, connectors provide secure and touch-proof connections between components.

PV connectors are installed outside and exposed to a variety of environmental conditions. They are expected to operate for around 30 years, and if a crimp is made improperly, the connectors are subject to risks that could lead to them failing before their expected life. In the crimping portion, in the least detrimental case, connector failures include melting of the insulator body. In the more severe cases, risks include fire hazards, electric shock, and other situations where physical harm or even death could occur.

The most important task when crimping is to prevent crimping errors and thereby achieve homogeneous crimped connections. The production of a quality crimp requires not only manual skill, but also coordinated crimping tools. Using the wrong crimp tool or die set can result in a damaged connector. If the crimp is too tight, the copper lugs could be cracked. Contrary, if the crimp is too loose it could allow aramid slippage, decreasing the pull force. Therefore, it is important to use the connector manufacturer’s recommended manual crimp tool or an automated crimp tool.

Images of lousy crimping and good crimping

Advantages of crimp connections

Efficient manufacture of connections on any production scale.
No cold solder joints.
Good connections with reproducible electrical and mechanical values.
No burnt, discoloured or overheated conductor insulation.
Easy monitoring of production.
Conductor flexibility behind the crimped connection is maintained.
Processing with fully or semi-automatic crimping machines or manual crimping tools.

Crimping is an important part of the termination process which will improve longevity and reliability of connections. Improper crimping could lead to catastrophic failure and costly delays. Even for a seemingly straightforward step such as crimping, one needs to have good manufacturing support, procedures, the right tools, good-quality components, and well-trained operators.

- DhaSh PV Technologies