Compression Cable Lugs – be safe – use a system.

A poorly crimped cable lug will cause an increase in joint resistance, creating heat and in the worst case a fire – Clearly something we all need to avoid.

A hexagonal crimp form is now the preferred style for most installers. It looks neat and with a heat shrink cover seems to create a good connection. But a hexagonal crimp is very size specific to the diameter of the cable lug to create a perfect result (OD & ID). If the Cu tube size is smaller than that of designed die, the crimp will not compress enough – if the Cu tube is too large the crimp will create flash or ‚ears‘ on the side of the connector - often the installer will file these off which is reducing the amount of Cu in the lug and again creating a high resistance connection.

All cable lugs – irrespective of type – can only be crimped properly when a suitable system is used. A correctly matched die will form a complete hexagon, without any flashing, and in most cases imprints the die or cable size reference in the outside of the barrel for inspection and QA purposes. To avoid such consequences, Klauke recommends using a crimping tool from the same manufacturer as the cable lug to ensure a matched system.

In addition, the new range of crimping tools from Klauke have pressure monitoring built-in, which ensures the correct force is applied by the compression tool – completing the system and ensuring a perfect connection every time. Be safe – use a crimping system.

More info www.klauke.com