Crimping tools are devices that use compressive force to connect two items with a specially designed connector. They are divided into two categories: manually operated and powered. Hand crimpers are the most widely used and come in various types for different applications. Powered crimpers use hydraulic fluid to crimp larger connections. Crimpers are also categorized by the type of crimp they produce, either tip or compression.
Crimping tools can be broadly defined as devices for making connections between two items by using compressive force to shrink or deform a specially designed connector item. These devices fall into two basic categories: manually operated and powered. The more common of these two groups are the hand held varieties which are generally used for crimping smaller electrical connections. Powered crimping tools usually use a pressurized hydraulic fluid source to perform the crimp and are typically for joints that are too rugged to crimp by hand. Within these two groups, crimping tools are again divided into categories defined by the type of crimp they produce.
Hand crimpers are the most widely used of all types of crimpers. Most are designed in a basic pliers pattern with one or more crimp points machined into their jaws. This type of tool is typically used to make smaller crimps on steel cable, electrical terminations and connections, insulated lugs and ferrules, and RJ-type plugs. The crimp points on hand crimpers are half round compression or cup and tab crimp patterns. This type of crimper is typically used to crimp steel or copper ferrules or sleeves to join two lengths of steel or electrical cable
Hand crimpers are also used to crimp the wide variety of lugs to terminate electrical and steel wire. Additionally, hand pliers can be used to crimp smaller high pressure hose collars. Hand tools also include pre-insulated terminals and RJ plug crimpers. These are fairly specialized tools designed to crimp split RJ plugs used on data cables and telephone lines, or to crimp pre-insulated terminals without compromising the insulation.
Powered crimping tools typically use a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid to move a series of half shell crimp inserts together to compress large lugs or sleeves. These tools use an electric or hand hydraulic pump to provide their power. Power crimpers are used for splicing and terminating large high voltage wires and heavy duty hose fittings that are too large to crimp effectively by hand. A typical motorized crimper features a head with removable inserts of various sizes that allow crimping of a range of sleeve diameters.
Crimpers are also categorized by the type of crimp profile they produce. Crimp types fall into two basic groups: tip crimps and compression crimps. The cup and tab pliers are a good example of a crimping prong and have a U-shaped crimp point on one jaw and a short, raised protrusion on the other. When the crimp is made, the protrusion is forced into the sleeve to deform it, thus gripping the cable tightly. Prong crimps are not suitable for solid single core wire as they tend to damage the core.
Compression crimpers typically have crimp points on both jaws that are half-round or hexagonal in shape. This type of crimp tool simply compresses the sleeve or lug around the wire to complete the joint. Crimpers on hydraulic hose fittings are usually of the compression type designed to crimp the special collars used on high pressure hose fittings.
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