A Primer on Small Wire Crimping

Trends toward miniaturization and electronification, especially in the automotive industry, are driving increased demand for small wire terminations. TE Connectivity (TE) defines small wires as anything that has a wire cross-sectional area of 0.35 mm2 (22 AWG) and smaller. Small wire terminations present unique quality challenges due to their sizes. This article will describe some of these challenges, list common ways to inspect for quality, and outline how to overcome the challenges of small wire terminations.