Today’s electronics devices and systems use a lot of wires, despite the growth of wireless technology (phone cords, for example, are long gone, as well as some headset wires). Bigger systems, such as an airplane or car’s engines and electronics, or he heating and cooling systems and electrical wires of a house, require cables and wires to function, and sometimes, the right tools are needed to get everything back in working order, or to install something new. A hand crimp tool can handle a cable or wire whenever needed, and wiring work can be made easy.

Wires on Earth and Space

Much of today’s marvels can only happen thanks to advanced electronics and the wires inside them. Without hand crimp tools, electrical tape, and more, these systems would fall apart into disuse. Global communication relies on orbiting satellites, and those satellites have wires that needed proper care before the device was launched into orbit. Ever since 1945, Arthur C. Clarke conceived of orbiting communication devices, and when these systems go down, trouble can ensue. In 1998, for example, a Galaxy 4 satellite failed, and 80% of all pagers on Earth were affected. Down on Earth, any home built within the last 50 years probably has safe, non-metallic (NM) sheathed cables and wires on the inside, and a plastic coating on the outside over the tight weave of wires. A hand crimp tool, then, allows any professional or amateur to handle wires and keep electronics running. Of course, a hand crimp tool is just a machine; safety is also a concern in regards to the finished wire work. Electrical hazards are very real, and electrocution is the sixth leading cause of death at the workplace. Electrical hazards, annually, cause 300 deaths and about 4,000 injuries to American workers, but these statistics may be cured somewhat with responsible repair and construction work, and that includes wire crimping.

The Dirty Work

Crimping wires for repair or construction is a simple and mess-free endeavor. Wires, by default, are one or more metal wires with plastic sleeving over them for safety of human handlers and protection of the delicate wires themselves. By themselves, wires cannot typically connect to much of anything, but with contacts and terminals placed on them, wires are ready for work. A hand crimp tool can help anyone get that terminal put on just right. First, the last inch or so of the wire has the plastic sleeve stripped, exposing the inner wires. Then, terminal or contact has the wire inserted, so the wire’s exposed metallic insides touch the terminal’s metal. This assembly (which is still loose) is placed into an open hand crimp tool, and the tool’s user gently closes it shut in position, taking care to use the correct size slot on the tool. Finally, the user squeezes the tool totally shut, and the terminal is crimped onto the wire and fastened into place.

The user may need to squeeze a few times, and once the job is done, the user may gently tug on the wire to ensure that it does not slip free of the terminal. Now, this end of the wire is ready for use, whether in an aircraft, orbiting satellite, or air conditioning for a home or office. There are also powered crimp tools available, which will automatically crimp the wire into its terminal, and some accessories, such as lights or an adjustable tab to make sure that everything is exactly lined up correctly (different models of hand crimp tools will require or come with such features).