Terminal Crimping Machine Electrical Consolidation Circuit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Crimped electrical connections often exhibit high electrical resistance due to surface oxides on aluminum wires, which are difficult to displace during crimping, leading to unstable connections and potential overheating, as existing solutions like high-pressure contact points or additives increase complexity and cost.
Innovation Solution
A terminal crimping machine with an electrical crimp consolidation circuit that applies an electrical pulse during the crimping process to break down oxide layers and enhance metal-to-metal contact between the terminal and wire strands, reducing resistance and stabilizing the crimp.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high pressure contact points such as serrations or indentations are used to increase wire deformation, then the displacement of oxide film on outer strands is enhanced, but the oxide films on inner strands remain unaffected and the high pressure features are difficult to produce requiring high crimping effort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical crimping system with an electrical system. Instead of using mechanical pressure through serrations or indentations to displace oxide films, the invention applies electrical current pulses that generate electromagnetic forces and Joule heating to break down and remove oxide films from both outer and inner wire strands. This electrical approach eliminates the need for complex mechanical crimp barrel features while achieving more uniform oxide removal throughout the wire bundle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the crimping process by introducing electrical current as a new parameter. By controlling current magnitude, pulse duration, and timing, the system can selectively remove oxide films based on their electrical resistance properties. This parameter change allows the same crimp barrel design to effectively treat both outer and inner strands without requiring differentiated mechanical features.
2Reliability
If additives such as brass powder or brass screens are used to puncture the oxide and form intermetallic bridges, then electrical connection is improved, but cost and process complexity increase and contaminants are introduced to adjacent processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for additive materials from the crimping process. Instead of introducing brass powder or screens to puncture oxide layers, the invention uses electrical current to directly break down and remove the oxide films, allowing pure metal-to-metal contact between the terminal and wire strands. This extraction of additives simplifies the process, reduces cost, and eliminates contamination risks to adjacent manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of oxide films (which prevent good electrical contact) into a beneficial diagnostic tool. By measuring electrical resistance during the crimping process, the system can detect the presence and removal of oxide films in real-time. The oxide films that previously caused connection problems now serve as indicators of process effectiveness, allowing automated quality control without requiring physical additives.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional crimping is used without electrical pulse, then the crimping process is simple, but high electrical resistance remains at the terminal/wire interface and between strands
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two previously separate processes into one integrated operation: the electrical pulse application is combined with the mechanical crimping action. The electrical current is applied during the crimping stroke, allowing oxide removal and metal bonding to occur simultaneously with the mechanical deformation. This merging maintains process simplicity while dramatically improving electrical connection quality, as the electrical and mechanical actions complement each other rather than requiring separate processing steps.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The electrical pulse effectively reduces electrical resistance at the terminal/wire interface and between strands, improving the mechanical and electrical connection without the need for high-pressure features or additives, resulting in a more stable and efficient crimping process.
Implementation Method 1
an electrical crimp consolidation circuit 150 operated during the crimp stroke to provide an electrical pulse to at least one of the wire 122 and the terminal 120. The electrical pulse causes fritting between the strands 124 of the wire 122 and/or between the terminal 120 and the strands 124 of the wire 122
Implementation Method 2
The electrical pulse causes fritting between the strands 124 of the wire 122 and/or between the terminal 120 and the strands 124 of the wire 122 of the crimped segment 152 to reduce the electrical resistance of the wire assembly 110
Data Source
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AI summary
A terminal crimping machine (100) includes crimp tooling defining a crimping zone that receives a terminal (120) and a wire (122) and is actuated during a crimp stroke to form a crimped segment (152) between the terminal and the wire. The terminal crimping machine includes an electrical crimp consolidation circuit (150) electrically connected to the crimped segment and operated during the crimp stroke to provide an electrical pulse to at least one of the wire and the terminal of the crimped segment before completion of the crimp stroke.