On 2007-12-11, Paul wrote:
In article , "DoN. Nichols"
wrote:



I would like to look at the HF crimper, to compare it with my
collection of AMP crimpers. If it is good enough, I might use it for an
on-the-road tool to avoid taking three of the AMP ones along. (I would
among other things, check how it crimps the insulation support.) But
for building something, I would use the AMP ones. And for building a
*lot* of something, I would get some of the compressed air driven
crimpers from AMP which show up in eBay auctions from time to time.


For some semi-volume production crimping, say 1,000 to 2,000 crimps per
week, we rely on a pneumatic tool available from Paladin-Tools Co,
www.paladin-tools.com. Part No. 901510.

Paladin makes a pretty good third-party crimper series. I have
a couple of those for things which I have not been able to cover with
the AMP tools which I have been able go get used at reasonable prices.

It is simply an air cylinder with a frame/clamp that holds a
ratcheting-pliers type crimping tool (their 1300-series pliers in our
case) and closes them for you with a foot operated air switch.

O.K The ones made by AMP which I was looking at recently have
drifted off the current auction list, There were two in a single lot for
about $30.00 IIRC. There are examples (for quite a bit more) in the
eBay stores section. An example is auction number:

190173235220

This is for semi-production -- or production work which has to
be in an inconvenient place, like in the cockpit of a flight simulator,
or a real aircraft.

For cables and assemblies which fit on the assembly workbenches,
there are bench-mounted machines which feed the terminals from a reel,
and you just have to stick the stripped wire in and hit the foot switch,
or perhaps even a switch set where it can be bumped by a knuckle as you
stick the wire in. Those are significantly more expensive, even from
eBay auctions -- starting over $1000.00, and sometimes a *lot* over
that.

For my purposes, most terminals can be crimped by hand-held and
hand powered crimpers -- but I don't do real production. I do have a
hydraulic pump which cycles up to 10,000 PSI and then releases, to
handle the hydraulic heads for the 8 ga through 2 ga, and the 1/0
through 4/0. (Two different heads, with different diameter rams, so the
10,000 PSI peak is right for each.

The alternative -- for me -- is to pump the lever on an Enerpac
cylinder. When I first encountered the 4/0 dies and head (where I
worked many years ago), there was a floor resting pump with a foot pedal
to get the 10,000 PSI, and another one to release the pressure once you
hit the "break" point where suddenly your foot went down rapidly, after
the peak pressure had been reached. (Bypasses in the heads, I think.)

Enjoy,
DoN.

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