Choosing the right wire crimper involves more than size, as the die shape must match your electrical wiring application. For instance, ferrules are best crimped with square or trapezoidal profiles for secure connections.
As a caravanner or RVer, crimping is the most effective method for terminating electrical wires. It delivers a robust, secure connection capable of enduring extreme off-grid conditions, including vibrations. However, crimping involves more than simply inserting connectors into a wire crimper's jaws and squeezing the handles.
Wire crimpers, like other electrical wiring tools, come in various types and designs. Some are designed for small wires, while others accommodate larger gauges. They can also crimp insulated or non-insulated terminal connectors, producing profiles such as hexagonal or other shapes. In this guide, we will look at these details to ensure you select the ideal crimping tool for your campervan, caravan, or RV electrical wiring - starting with the benefits of crimping, then the two primary methods of operating crimpers and the seven common crimping profiles that determine the type of compression applied to terminal connections.
What Is a Wire Crimper?
Crimping is the preferred method for terminating electrical wiring in campervans, caravans, and RVs. It forms a solid, secure cold-weld mechanical bond with high pullout strength, resistant to vibrations.
Typically, crimping entails applying pressure to deform the metal barrel of a terminal connector, securing it tightly around the wire. A wire crimper is the ideal tool for this, featuring specialised jaws with dies (crimping cavities) that compress the terminal barrel. Its basic structure includes a pivot point, handles, and crimping dies.
Depending on the crimper type, the dies may be removable or fixed, while the handles may feature ratcheting or non-ratcheting mechanisms. Many users ignore details like these when choosing their wire crimpers. However, these variations influence the crimping experience, with some tools enabling more efficient crimping than others.
Why Use a Dedicated Crimping Tool for Electrical Wiring in Campers?
Primarily, there are various methods of crimping electrical wiring in campervans, caravans, and RVs. However, using a dedicated wire crimper is the optimal choice, offering significant advantages, such as:
- High Precision: Crimpers have unique dies that apply consistent, high-pressure compression to the terminal connector. This provides a mechanically strong and electrically reliable connection with superior conductivity.
- Efficiency: Crimpers boast ergonomic handles, a smooth pivot point, and specialised crimping cavities that enable quick and effortless crimping. Thus, very handy during high-volume wiring tasks.
- Versatility: Wire crimpers are often compatible with a wide range of terminal connectors, allowing a single tool to address most of your wiring needs. For example, our ratcheting wire crimpers can handle 20-10 AWG wires.
- Reduced Damage Risk: The dies of wire crimpers apply even pressure on the terminal connector, preventing over-compression or deformation. Modern ratcheting crimpers also release the jaws only after completing a full crimp cycle. Hence, you won't need to worry about damaging the connector's barrel or wire.
- Enhanced Safety: Crimpers allow safe handling of small to large wire gauges without risking finger or palm injuries.
- Compliance with Standards: Crimpers adhere to industry standards, such as the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 60352-2, which mandates die profiles matching connector and wire types. They also adhere to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) AS7928, requiring calibrated tools for high-reliability environments.
How to Choose the Best Die Profile for Your Wire Crimper
Wire crimper jaws feature dies, uniquely shaped components that compress the barrel of terminal connectors around electrical wires. These dies vary in size and shape.
Generally, a die size determines the connector size the crimper can accommodate safely. On the other hand, the die shape influences the type of crimp formed on the terminal barrel and the pullout strength.
The die profile (or die shape) defines the crimp's final shape on the terminal connector. Below are the seven primary crimping profiles for electrical wiring.
Seven Main Crimping Profiles for Electrical Wiring in Campers
- Indent Crimp Profile: This is the oldest crimping method, featuring a notch and indent on the jaws. It creates a single (or sometimes double or quad) indentation in the terminal connector, focusing compression at specific points for a tight, secure connection.
- Hexagonal Crimp Profile: This is the most common profile in modern crimpers, where it forms a six-sided crimp on the terminal. It applies a uniform, concentric force, ensuring a strong, consistent bond of the terminal barrel to the wire.
- F-Shaped or B-Shaped Crimp Profile: This is common for open-barrel crimpers, where it compresses one side of the connector inward to grip the wire tightly, forming a B-shape (also visible as an F shape).
- Oval/Barrel Crimp Profile: This is a crimping cavity that compresses the terminal barrel evenly into an oval or cylindrical shape. It is one of the best options for wiring in campers as it delivers a gas-tight, compact connection.
- Bootlace Ferrule Crimp Profile: This type of crimping is specific to bootlace ferrule crimpers, where it compresses ferrules into a square or trapezoidal shape for a tight, secure connection.
- Square Crimp Profile: This is the crimping profile that compresses a terminal barrel on four sides. It is ideal for rectangular terminals, providing a large contact area for enhanced conductivity.
- Trapezoidal Crimp Profile: This is not very common except in specialised ferrule crimpers. It is a style of crimping that creates a connection wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, ensuring a tight bond for small conductors.
Note: Besides the seven, other crimpers produce additional profiles, such as W-shaped or bow-tie shapes. However, they are variations of the above profiles that you create with dies or indents designed for specific applications.
Ratchet vs Basic Wire Crimpers: Which Should You Choose?
Wire crimpers are defined not only by the shape and size of their crimping cavities but also by the operation of their handles, which significantly impacts performance. You can opt for either the old basic handling or the modern ratcheting style.
Ratcheting Wire Crimpers
Ratcheting wire crimpers are the most prevalent and efficient option available today. As their name implies, they feature a built-in ratchet mechanism that keeps the jaws closed until a full crimp cycle is completed, ensuring consistent results.
A wire crimper's basic structure consists of handles connected to crimping jaws via a pivot point (fulcrum). Squeezing the handles amplifies pressure through the pivot, enhancing the jaws' mechanical gripping power.
Ratcheting crimpers include a quick-release lever on the handles. Once you begin squeezing, the ratchet mechanism ensures the jaws maintain pressure on the terminal connector without opening mid-cycle, releasing only when the lever triggers.
For optimal crimping results, always allow the ratchet system in your ratcheting wire crimpers to automatically release the handles and jaws. This ensures that the crimping dies or indents apply consistent pressure to the terminal connector's barrel, securing it to the wire. As a result, the crimper delivers uniform pressure across all connections, even when you are fatigued, ensuring reliable and code-compliant crimps.
That said, high-quality ratcheting wire crimpers feature ergonomic handles, enabling extended use without hand strain. The ratchet system incorporates an internal spring that automatically reopens the handles and jaws after each crimp cycle. This eliminates the need to manually pry the handles apart, enhancing efficiency and reducing fatigue during repetitive tasks.
Examples of Ratcheting Wire Crimpers:
- 0.5mmΒ² to 6.0mmΒ² Hex Crimp Ratcheting Wire Crimpers
- 1.25mmΒ² to 16mmΒ² HS-16 Indent Ratcheting Wire Crimpers
Basic (Non-Ratcheting) Wire Crimpers
Basic wire crimpers are non-ratcheting crimping tools that require manual operation to open and close the jaws. While they resemble ratcheting wire crimpers in design, they lack the ratchet mechanism and quick-release lever that ensure consistent crimping pressure.
To crimp electrical wires with basic wire crimpers, you must manually squeeze the handles and maintain pressure throughout the entire crimp cycle. Releasing the handles causes the jaws to open, interrupting the crimping process and potentially loosening the grip on the terminal connector.
As a result, basic wire crimpers are best suited for experienced users familiar with crimping techniques. Inexperienced users may struggle to apply the correct amount of pressure to the connector's barrel, risking over-crimping, which can damage the connector or wire conductor, or under-crimping, which results in a loose, unreliable connection.
Examples of Basic (Non-Ratcheting) Wire Crimpers:
- 6mmΒ² to 50mmΒ² Hex Crimp Battery Lug Wire Crimpers
- 0.5mmΒ² to 6mmΒ² Automatic Wire Stripper and Crimping Tool
Insulated vs Non-Insulated Wire Crimpers
At Campervan Builders, we offer a diverse range of high-quality wire crimpers crafted with superior materials and meticulous craftsmanship, adhering to industry standards. In our collection, you'll notice we have crimpers categorised as "insulated," "non-insulated," or "insulated/non-insulated," indicating the type of connectors they can safely crimp.
Insulated Wire Crimpers
Insulated wire crimpers are a type designed to compress the barrel of pre-insulated terminal connectors without damaging their plastic or vinyl insulation. These crimpers feature rounded or smooth-edged die cavities to grip the connector's surface gently.
A perfect example of our insulated crimping tool is the 0.5mmΒ² to 6.0mmΒ² Hex Crimp Ratcheting Wire Crimpers we mentioned earlier.
Non-Insulated Wire Crimpers
Meanwhile, non-insulated wire crimpers are for compressing bare metal terminal connectors. Their dies are more aggressive, often featuring a "tooth" that leaves a sharp indentation after compression.
The 1.25mmΒ² to 16mmΒ² HS-16 Indent Ratcheting Wire Crimpers we referenced above is a perfect example for terminating non-insulated terminal connectors.
What Do the Coloured Dots on a Crimping Tool Mean?
To fully utilise your wire crimpers, it's essential to understand their primary profile. In this guide, we have covered all critical details, including crimp profiles, ratcheting vs non-ratcheting operation, and the distinction between insulated and non-insulated crimping.
As we conclude, crimpers may be standalone tools or multi-functional. For example, the 0.5mmΒ² to 6mmΒ² Automatic Wire Stripper and Crimping Tool is primarily a wire stripper with integrated crimping dies (typically indent teeth) located below the pivot point.
Another thing, you may notice crimping cavities of both standalone and multi-functional crimpers are colour-coded with red, blue, and yellow dots. Basically, these coloured dots correspond to the standard wire size codes:
- Red colour that identifies wire sizes 0.5mmΒ² to 1.5mmΒ²
- Blue colour that identifies wire sizes 1.25mmΒ² to 2.5mmΒ²
- Yellow colour that identifies wire sizes 4.0mmΒ² to 6.0mmΒ²
Frequently Asked Questions
Why use a crimping tool instead of pliers?
A dedicated wire crimper forms a solid, secure cold-weld mechanical bond with high pullout strength, resistant to vibrations. Its dies apply consistent, high-pressure compression for a mechanically strong and electrically reliable connection, while also complying with industry standards such as IEC 60352-2 and SAE AS7928.
What is the difference between ratchet and basic wire crimpers?
Ratcheting crimpers feature a built-in ratchet mechanism that keeps the jaws closed until a full crimp cycle is completed, ensuring consistent, code-compliant crimps even when you're fatigued. Basic (non-ratcheting) crimpers require you to manually squeeze and maintain pressure throughout the crimp cycle, so they're best suited for experienced users.
What do the coloured dots on a crimping tool mean?
The red, blue, and yellow dots on crimping cavities correspond to standard wire size codes: red identifies wire sizes 0.5mmΒ² to 1.5mmΒ², blue identifies 1.25mmΒ² to 2.5mmΒ², and yellow identifies 4.0mmΒ² to 6.0mmΒ².
What is the difference between insulated and non-insulated crimpers?
Insulated wire crimpers have rounded or smooth-edged die cavities designed to compress pre-insulated terminal connectors without damaging their plastic or vinyl insulation. Non-insulated crimpers are for bare metal connectors, with more aggressive dies that often feature a "tooth" leaving a sharp indentation after compression.
Ready to make reliable, vibration-proof connections? Browse our full range of electrical wiring tools at Campervan Builders today.
