Engineering Guide | Crimping Diagram

ETCO’s Engineering Guides provide important electrical terminal performance and quality information for manufacturers. Click through for answers to your engineering and manufacturing questions.

UL 310 Terminal Testing Terminal Cross Sections Stud Hole Sizes Crimp Cross Sections Test Currents Insert / Extract Values

UL 310 Terminal Testing Procedure Video

Ul 310 is a safety standard developed to evaluate performance of quick connect electrical terminals. ETCO engineers simulate UL 310 testing to qualify terminal performances to industry requirements. The test outlined here exposes mated sets of terminals forming a circuit to cyclical periods of energization.

TERMINAL CROSS SECTIONS -- ACCEPTABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE

Cross Sections of Acceptable and Unacceptable Crimps

When it comes to wiring and providing an acceptable crimp for connectors ETCO always comes out on top. Our connectors are engineered with efficiency, safety, quality and durability in mind. There’s nothing worse than a crimp with wires jutting out causing possible fire hazards and connectivity losses. ETCO has never comprised on quality. The gallery below illustrates the differences between our crimps and competitor crimps.

The Good

: Cross Section of a Good Crimp

The Bad and The Ugly

: Crimp Ear Too Large – Stranded Wire

: Crimp Ear Too Large – solid Wire

: Crimp Ears Too Small for Wire Size

: Worn Anvil

: Worn Rolling Tool

: Worn Rolling Tool & Anvil

: Why Pull-out Force Alone Is Not Indicative of a Good Crimp

: Example of an Unacceptable Insulated Crimp

Reference Information for Test Currents Per UL 486 UL 486 UL 1659 UL 310

Test Current Per UL 486 for Connectors Intended for Single Conductor, Amperes

Conductor Size		Assigned maximum	Static-heating
AWG or kcmil	mm2	ampere rating	test current
28	0.08	–	3.5
26	0.13		3.5
24	0.2		7
22	0.324		9
20	0.519	–	12
18	0.823		17
16	1.31	–	18
14	2.08	15	[20]30
12	3.31	20	[25]35
10	5.261	30	[40]50
8	8.367	50	70
6	13.3	65	95
4	21.15	85	125

Static Heating & Heat-Cycling Test Currents Per UL 1659 for Conductors

Wire Size		Static Heating Test	Heat-Cycling Test
Wire Size	mm2	current amperes	current amperes
AWG	mm2	current amperes	current amperes
18	0.82	10	20
16	1.3	13	25
14	2.1	18	32
12	3.3	25	37
10	5.3	30	45

Test Current Per UL 310 for Connectors Intended for Internal Wiring

Wire Size		Temperature		Heat-Cycling
AWG	mm2	0.110, 0.125 inch	All others	0.110, 0.125 inch terminals	All other
AWG	mm2	(2.8mm), (3.2mm) terminals	All others	(2.8mm), (3.2mm)	All other
22	0.32	2	3	4	6
20	0.52	3	4	6	8
8	0.82	4	7	8	14
16	1.3	5	10	10	20
14	2.1		15		30
12	3.3		20		40
10	5.3		24		48

Insert / Extract Values

Male/Female Disconnect Insertion/Extraction Forces

The typical average force observed when inserting/extracting a standard NEMA DC2 male test tab into a standard ETCO disconnect while using an ETCO insertion/extraction force gauge to standard operating procedures is shown below:

Male Size	First Insertion	First Extraction	Sixth Extraction
Width (mm)	lbs. (N)	lbs. (N)	Ibs. (N)
* .250″ (6.35)	8.5 (37.81)	7.5 (33.36)	5.5 (24.47)
.187″ (4.75)	6.0 (26.78)	10.0 (44.64)	6.0 (26.78)
.110″ (2.79)	6.0 (26.98)	7.0 (31.25)	4.0 (17.85)

*Male test tab with recessed dimple for the detend feature, versus through hole on all others.

Wire/Crimp Ear Pullout Test Values

The minimum force required to separate the wire from the wire crimp ear with the insulation ear, if present, rendered inoperative will be as follows:

In some cases ETCO will recommend higher pullout forces to increase conductivity. ETCO will recommend crimp height to accomplish best all around crimp performance.

Size Of Conductor	Pullout Force	Pounds	Newtons
AWG	mm2	Pounds	Newtons
28	0.08	2	8.9
26	0.13	3	13.4
24	0.2	5	22.3
22	0.324	8	35.6
20	0.507	13	57.7
18	0.823	20	89
16	1.31	30	133.5
14	2.08	50	222.5
12	3.31	70	311.5
10	5.261	80	356
8	8.367	90	400.5
6	13.3	100	455
4	21.15	140	623

Acceptable Measurement Areas

Measuring Crimp Height: Crimp height must be measured with the spindle and anvil of a micrometer, centered against the bottom and the top of the crimp respectively and between the ribs on the bottom of the crimp, if applicable.

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Product Consideration for Progressive Die Manufacture
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Engineering Guides

UL 310 Terminal Testing Procedure Video

TERMINAL CROSS SECTIONS -- ACCEPTABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE

Stud Hole Sizes

Cross Sections of Acceptable and Unacceptable Crimps

The Good

The Bad and The Ugly

Reference Information for Test Currents Per UL 486 UL 486 UL 1659 UL 310

Test Current Per UL 486 for Connectors Intended for Single Conductor, Amperes

Static Heating & Heat-Cycling Test Currents Per UL 1659 for Conductors

Test Current Per UL 310 for Connectors Intended for Internal Wiring

Insert / Extract Values

Male/Female Disconnect Insertion/Extraction Forces

Wire/Crimp Ear Pullout Test Values

Acceptable Measurement Areas

Request Our White Papers

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Download Locking Ring Terminal Evaluation

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