Should cables with crimp connections be pull tested before leaving the Factory?
No one should ever have to experience wires coming loose and pulling out of their crimp terminals.
While pull testing is a mandatory step in the set up portion of the manufacturing process, it is a destructive test and is not intended for production testing.
To insure that wires stay put, several steps must take place before production begins.
Crimp contacts have a pull force range, a Crimp height range, and an Insulation Crimp height range specified by the manufacturer. It is the responsibly of the assembler to verify that the specifications will be met by test and validation during the job set up.
To do this the assembler takes the wire, crimp terminal and tooling (hand or automated crimper) that are for the specific job at hand and crimps a test lot. The test lot is then measured for crimp and insulation height and finally pull tested using a crimp pull tester with a telltale gauge.
Results are recorded and compared with the manufactures parameters. If all measurements are within spec the cable is then released to production.
If the test identifies any condition where the spec is not achieved adjustments are made to tooling and tests are repeated until the spec is met.
This insures that all cables made with the specified wire, crimp terminals and tooling will not pull out in the field.
