Smaller Terminals Present
Unique Challenges

 By Vernon Smith, Manufacturing Manager and

Bob Grenke, Product Marketing Specialist, Molex, Incorporated

 In today's world of mini-style crimp applicators, there is a required setup
process for press shut height adjustments and/or applicator shimming. These
steps in the crimping process reduce production rates and increase overall
costs. A new technology now available will minimize shut height
adjustments and shimming, leading to streamlined, standardized
crimp production.

With the trend toward miniaturization and optimizing board space,
smaller terminals present unique crimping challenges. Until recently,
crimping smaller terminals required more press shut adjustments
and/or applicator shimming to achieve the required specification.

Industry is moving towards a new technology known as the fine adjust
crimp applicator.  This applicator may remove the need for press adjustments,
reduces shimming and requires an operator to only make adjustments at
the applicator level.  Precision adjustments to the applicator can be made
in .0006mm increments.   Until now, efficiently maintaining a standardized
process has been difficult.

Traditional applicators are typically designed to function within a three-step
process.  In the first step the terminal is contained on the down stroke of
the ram, in position over the anvils. In the second and third steps of the
process the carrier strip(s) are cut and the terminal is then crimped to the
required specifications.

With these three functions, timing is essential to process.  When
adjustments to a press are made the timing has the potential to change. 
This timing change will alter your three-step process and the actual crimp
height on the processed terminal, requiring the operator to evaluate their
next adjustment.  This next adjustment may be a shut height adjustment,
applicator shim or a combination of the two.

This timing issue is due to the fact that punches and cutoff strikers
are designed to specific lengths to achieve the proper timing for the
sequence.  An applicator can be designed for a specific wire gauge to
crimp; the problem comes when an applicator is designed to crimp a
range of wire ranges.  For example, when setting up an applicator from
14awg to 18awg, the crimp height has to be adjusted.  This can only
be achieved accurately by a few methods.

The first method is by adjusting the cams or pads located at the top
of an applicator, which will affect everything mounted to the ram such
as the punches and cutoff strikers. This method will rarely give the
proper settings to achieve the required specification unless you have
an applicator that has independent cams with the ability to adjust
in .0005 increments.

The second option would be to shim the applicator, which will require
a trained individual and is an extremely time consuming process.
This option also affects the ram position, terminal feed and some cutoff
strikers and the conductor punch.

The third and final option would be to adjust the shut height on the press
that you will use in this process.  This option has the same adverse affects
as options 1 and 2 and introduces another variable to the situation. This
extra variable makes it more difficult for your operator to control and
standardize the process.

As variables are increased in the process, it becomes more difficult to
evaluate and adjust to achieve targets. The crimping problem caused
by all three above methods is that the timing for the containment, cut
and crimp is disturbed.

The TM2000 (above) reduces wire
termintion costs and promotes
consistent quality crimps for
mid-volume, semi-automatic
bench operations.

The new fine adjust crimp applicator allows the user to maintain the
standard shut height in all presses and eliminate shimming. Overall,
companies will be able to standardize their procedures, increase
productivity and reduce the amount of training time for new operators. 
E-mail: Vernon Smith, Manufacturing Manager vsmith@molex.com
or  Bob Grenke, Product Marketing Specialist bgrenke@molex.com
in the Application Tooling Division of Molex, Incorporated, Lisle,
Illinois. For further information, visit www.molex.com
or call 800-78MOLEX.