On Mon, 30 Dec 2013 18:29:23 -0500, Fred McKenzie
wrote:

In article ,
Ashton Crusher wrote:

Depending on what's needed, crimping is almost always going to be
faster and cheaper for a great many applications and will be "good
enough" for the life needed.

You are suggesting that soldering, although more time consuming and
expensive, would be better for longer-life applications.

Back in the early 60s, I worked with an engineer that needed to
determine which type of connection would be best for use in a
high-reliability military system.

Half of several connector sets were soldered, half were crimped. This
included using smaller gauge wire in some pins, folding the wire for
crimping.

My job was to monitor the testing, which included vibration, shock,
temperature cycling, humidity cycling and salt spray.

As I recall, there were numerous failures of the soldered connections.
The only crimp failures were where smaller gauge wire was used.

Fred


I said "depending on what's needed". I made no claim that soldering
was always better nor that crimping was always better, only that
crimping is faster and IF conditions are such that crimping will last
the design life it's likely that manufacturers will crimp rather then
solder. Same as why production electricians will shove the wires into
the spring clip holes on home electrical outlets instead of taking the
time to wrap the wire dinner the screw and tighten it. Same reason
many things are pop-riveted instead of brazed, and on and on.