Selection guide
How to Choose a Terminal Crimping Machine
Choose a terminal crimping machine by terminal presentation, wire range, applicator standard, required process steps, inspection method and production mix.
Technical lead: Lao Xiaoyu (劳晓宇) · Senior Engineer
Content updated:
The correct terminal crimping machine is determined first by the terminal system, then by output. Selecting on tonnage or pieces per hour before confirming terminal presentation and tooling is the fastest route to an unusable machine. Match feed, applicator and crimp profile to the actual terminal drawing, then verify crimp height, pull result and changeover on your samples.
Classify the termination before selecting equipment
| Termination | Typical tooling route | Key question |
|---|---|---|
| Reel-fed open-barrel terminal | Applicator in a bench press or automatic line | Which applicator standard and feed direction? |
| Loose bootlace ferrule | Bowl or loose-piece feeding system | Which ferrule lengths and conductor sizes? |
| Tubular cable lug | Guided die with hydraulic or servo force | Which lug drawing, material and crimp profile? |
| Pre-insulated ring or fork terminal | Matched die and controlled positioning | Does insulation support require a second geometry? |
| Seal plus terminal | Seal insertion before crimping | What seal, lubrication and insertion depth? |
The terminal drawing and reel strip are more useful than a photograph. Provide carrier pitch, material thickness, feed direction and crimp specification. If the applicator already exists, provide its interface and shut height.
Choose the production architecture
Bench or semi-automatic press
A bench press is suitable when operators present pre-stripped wire, product mix is high or existing applicators must be reused. The WM-3130T servo terminal crimping machine is a controlled press platform; the final tooling still has to be matched to the terminal.
When an operator presents a pre-cut fine wire but terminals feed from a reel, the WM-395 strip-and-crimp station combines end stripping with applicator crimping. Confirm the terminal feed direction and applicator interface; cutting wire to length remains a separate step.
For connector contacts needing matched feeding and crimp tooling, review the WM-3116B connector-contact configuration with the contact drawing and inspection criteria. Compatibility is established for the actual contact and tooling; the aviation-style description is not aerospace qualification.
Fully automatic cut-strip-crimp line
A line such as the WM-3202 automatic double-end crimping machine is intended for repeat production where wire cutting, stripping and terminal application can run as one sequence. Its practical output depends on wire length, terminal feeding, process options and inspection plan—not only the machine’s headline rate.
Match the material and finished connector
“Flat cable” and “automatic crimping” do not identify a complete process. Use the finished assembly drawing to distinguish these routes. For automatic machines, include material replenishment, setup and first-piece inspection in the operator’s workload.
| Your material and end connection | Model and machine process | Operator work and details to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Unstripped wire with IDC piercing contacts | WM-386 cuts AWG 30–18 wire and pierce-crimps connectors on one or both ends; housings feed automatically | Replenish wire and housings. Send the exact connector reference, pitch and pin count; we confirm compatibility and tooling on the quote. |
| Ordinary ribbon cable made of individually insulated conductors | WM-3215 cuts, separates and strips the conductors, then crimps individual terminals; 3–20 pins standard | Load cable and terminal supplies. Confirm conductor pitch, insulation web and terminal drawing; 20–40 pins requires customization. |
| Membrane-switch tails, FFC or FPC | WM-385 crimps one end of 2P–20P flex tails | Load each tail and unload the crimped part. Match the terminal and conductor pitch to the die; this is a different material route from WM-3215. |
| RJ45 and other 4P–10P modular plugs | WM-719 performs one bench crimp per trigger | Cut and strip upstream, insert the cable into the plug, place it in the locator and trigger the crimp. For a whole automated patch-cord line, send the complete process for a custom review. |
| Crimped contacts inserted into housings at both ends | WM-376 combines wire preparation, double-end crimping and housing insertion for AWG 32–16 | Replenish wire, terminals and housings. Confirm both housing references, cavity assignment and wire lengths. |
| Both ends need terminals, wire seals and housings | WM-3247 combines cutting, stripping, crimping, seal and housing insertion for 0.35–2 mm² | Replenish wire, terminals, seals and housings. Send the complete pinout and actual parts; we confirm the sequence and tooling for both ends. |
Distinguish number-tube stations from heat-shrink lines
- WM-393: manual number-tube threading. The machine prints and presents the PVC number tube; the operator threads it onto the wire by hand and presents the wire for processing. The station strips, twists, inserts the ferrule and servo-crimps. We confirm the exact sequence on your samples. Its 0.3–6 mm² wire range requires dedicated fixtures below 0.5 mm², with 0.3 mm² ferrules by customization.
- WM-3244: operator-loaded number-tube and ferrule station. The operator loads pre-cut wire; the station strips, prints and inserts the number tube, then crimps the ferrule. It covers the listed BVR sizes of 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.5, 2.5 and 4.0 mm². Cutting to length stays upstream; multicore tails also need the outer sheath prepared first.
- WM-389: automatic heat-shrink insertion, marking and shrinking. For 0.3–5 mm² wire, the line cuts, strips and crimps, inserts heat-shrink tube, laser-marks it and shrinks it in one pass. The operator loads material supplies and sets up the job; per-lead tube threading and shrinking are machine operations. Confirm the terminal, tube and marking result on your samples.
PVC number-tube identification and heat-shrink insulation over a crimp are different requirements. Choose from the finished lead specification, then compare the control-panel wiring workflow. For tooling and upkeep, use our applicator parts and shut-height guide and parts support to identify the matching applicator, blades and wear parts.
Compare servo, pneumatic and mechanical presses
Drive type is separate from applicator feeding. For example, TE’s bench-press documentation describes motor-driven presses accepting different applicator feed systems. An air-fed applicator does not make the press pneumatic.
| Press route | When we would trial it | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Servo drive | Jobs needing the quoted programmable motion or setup controls | Which parameters are adjustable, and whether monitoring and logging are included |
| Pneumatic drive | Operator-loaded terminals with matched dies and a suitable air supply | Required pressure during operation, full die closure and terminal positioning |
| Conventional mechanical linkage drive | Repeat jobs within the press’s stroke and applicator interface | Shut height, available stroke, adjustment method and tooling condition |
Ask how the proposed motor or cylinder moves the ram; specify the transmission and its controls separately. None of these labels guarantees a better crimp. If the tooling interface or loading clearance fails, select another terminal press or lug-crimping configuration before comparing drive types.
Run the same wire-terminal combination on each candidate. Check first-piece approval, a repeated run and the first piece after changeover using the criteria below. Compare press plus applicator cost, compressed air where needed, maintenance, setup time, inspection and rejects at the same annual workload. A servo premium needs a demonstrated process benefit; a lower-priced press still needs to pass the same acceptance checks.
Specify acceptance before ordering
Our sample trial begins with written criteria:
- crimp height and width where specified by the terminal supplier;
- conductor brush and bellmouth condition;
- no cut or missing strands;
- insulation support position;
- pull-force threshold for the exact wire and terminal combination;
- cross-section requirements for compression, symmetry and voids when applicable.
The WM-813 crimp cross-section analysis system supports destructive section analysis. Pull force, cross-section and visual inspection answer different questions; one should not be presented as a substitute for the others.
A practical selection checklist
- Identify terminal presentation and tooling interface.
- Define every process step before and after crimping.
- Group orders by terminal and wire family to estimate real changeover frequency.
- Decide whether the operator loads the wire or the machine cuts from a reel.
- Write acceptance criteria before the trial.
- Trial the actual wire, terminal, seal and applicator combination.
See the power-cord production sequence or EV harness process for complete line context. Approved evidence is published in the case library. To match a terminal and applicator, send the drawings and sample details.
See the process in action
Demonstrations from the machines referenced in this guide. Click to watch the operation, then request a trial with your own material.
Questions engineers ask
What determines whether a terminal can run on a crimping machine?
The terminal presentation, applicator interface, strip dimensions, wire range and required crimp geometry must all match. A terminal on a reel, loose ferrule and tubular cable lug require different feeding and tooling systems.
When is a fully automatic crimping line justified?
It is justified when part families repeat long enough to recover setup time and when cutting, stripping, seals or double-end operations can be combined reliably. High product mix and short orders often favor separate semi-automatic stations.
How should a crimp be approved before production?
Approval should use the terminal supplier's dimensional and pull-force criteria where available, plus visual inspection and crimp cross-section analysis when required. Record the wire, terminal, applicator and settings used for the sample.