Information

A STEP AHEAD
Contact Spacing - The spacing between the centers of
contacts within an insert.
Contact Spring - The spring placed inside the socket-type
contact to force the pin into position of positive intimate
contact. Depending on the application, various types are
used, including leaf, cantilever, napkin, ring, squirrel cage
and “Chinese-finger” springs. All perform the function
of wiping and establishing good contact. Various metal
alloys are used. For example, beryllium copper is used
where high conductivity and long life are required.
Stainless steel, while its conductivity is only about two
percent is used in high temperature applications.
Contact Wipe - The distance of travel (electrical
engagement) made by one contact with another during its
engagement or separation or during mating or unmating
of the connector halves.
Crimp - The physical compression (deformation) of a
contact barrel around a conductor to make an electrical
and mechanical connection to the conductor.
Crimping - a pressure method of mechanically securing a
terminal, splice or contact to a conductor.
Crimping Die - Portion of the crimping tool that shapes
the crimp.
Crimp Tool - Mechanism used for crimping.
Engaging and Separating Force - Force required to either
engage or separate mating contacts or connectors.
Extraction Tool - A device used for extracting removable
contacts from a termination assembly.
Flag Terminal - Terminal having a tongue protruding
from the side of the barrel.
Flange Spade Terminal - A terminal whose tongue
edges are turned at an angle to the plane of the tongue.
Grid Spaced - The arrangement of contacts in a multiple
contact termination assembly by spacing in a geometric
pattern.
Hermaphroditic Contact - A contact design which is
neither pin nor socket and which mates with another
contact of the same design. The contacts may be
arraigned as male and female contacts as for pins and
sockets. Hermaphroditic contacts may also be used in a
manner such that one half of each contact mating surface
protrudes beyond the connector interface and both
mating connectors are identical.
Hook Terminal - Terminal with a hook-shaped tongue.
Indenter - That part of a crimping die, usually the moving
part, which indents or compresses the contact barrel.
Common Contact System Technical Manual
Insertion Tool - (1) A device used to insert contacts into
a connector or junction. (2) A device used to insert taper
pins into taper pin receptacles.
Inspection Hole - A hole placed at one end of a barrel to
permit visual inspection to see that the conductor has been
inserted to the proper depth in the barrel prior to crimping.
(See Contact Inspection Hole.)
Insulated Terminal - Terminal having its barrel and insulation
support or grip, if used, covered with a dielectric material.
Insulation Crimp - (1) The physical deformation of an
insulation sleeve covering a terminal or splice and the
adjacent conductor insulation to hold the sleeve in place
(2) Shape combination of insulation sleeve to terminal or
splice and conductor insulation after crimping.
Insulation Grip - The portion of the barrel which is closed
or compressed around the conductor insulation.
Insulation Piercing Terminal - A terminal with a device
which punctures the insulation of the conductor and
makes contact with or enters into the conductor.
Insulation Support - The portion of the barrel
corresponding to an insulation grip except that it is not
compressed around the conductor insulation.
mm2 “millimeters squared” - European Wire Size
Standards (ref. DIN 72551-6 and ISO 6722-3).
Maximum Conductor Operating Temperature
(MCOT) - Ambient temperature plus temperature rise
due to passage of electric current.
Nest - The portion of a crimping die which supports the
barrel during crimping.
Offset Terminal - Terminal whose tongue is forward of,
and whose stud hole is offset from, centerline of terminal
barrel.
Plating - The overlaying of a thin coating of metal on
components to improve conductivity, provide for easy
soldering, and prevent rusting or corrosion.
Pre-Tinned - Solder applied to either or both the contact
and conductor prior to soldering.
Pull-Out Force - Force necessary to separate a conductor
from a contact or terminal, or a contact from a termination
assembly, by exerting a pull along the axis of the conductor
and the termination.
Range, Wire - The sizes of conductors accommodated
by a particular barrel. Also the diameters of insulated
conductors accommodated by a sealing grommet.
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