Page 25 - IEC Insights Jan-Feb2019

FEATURE

A crimp. elevated crimping technology into a new The end result is time saved on the job
age with a single tool: the Smart® Tool+. along with a full array of automatic data
It seems so easy. You Combining generations of in-house collection on critical connections –
slip a seamless tube mechanical improvements with the cutting data that is increasingly specified on
QAQC jobs that require high levels of
connector over the edge of cloud-based communications, quality control, including hospitals,
stripped end of a wire ABB’s engineers collaborated to create data centers, military installations
and crimp it. Like magic, a tool that is designed to solve multiple and other power-critical projects.
crimping needs at once: the need to
an electrical connection confirm the proper-sized lug is being The tool’s innovative features include:
is ready to go. No solder. used on a given wire size; the need to • Superior dieless crimping. Smart® Tool+
No worries. Simple. produce the proper crimp dimension for produces an indent-style crimp that is
the lug and wire combination, without
needing to choose the proper die for precisely calibrated to the lug and wire
Or is it? the application; the need to visually through pressure sensing and preset
inspect for quality, and the need to indentation levels, resulting in solidly
Crimping, done correctly and according document the work with pen and paper. bonded connections with configurations
to manufacturers’ specifications, is that are more predictable than those
reliable and effective, but the process A dieless, battery-powered hydraulic produced by other dieless crimpers. The
is not nearly as simple as it looks. crimper capable of producing thousands target lug size can be entered manually
Crimping electrical connections of reliable, consistent crimps for multiple for standard Color-Keyed® lugs or
reliably on a mass scale actually wire sizes with less reliance on the entered automatically by scanning
requires a fairly sophisticated blend of decision making of operators, Smart® RFID enabled Color-Keyed® lugs.
mechanical engineering and electrical Tool+ can scan lug characteristics;
engineering in order to work well. automatically configure itself to deliver • Automatic quality check. The Smart®
Tool’s sensors check for the correct
a solid crimp; provide crimp data
Think of it as cold welding. All of the wires confirming the quality of a finished compression of a properly fitted crimp.
in a braid or a multi-wire cable need to crimp; then transfer that detailed data A green light illuminates to inform
make solid contact with the wires next to a mobile app. The mobile app can the user that a proper crimp has been
to them without deforming and, finally, then upload the data to a secure cloud formed, and the crimp quality along
must be pressed firmly enough into the environment for storage and retrieval. with the connection’s associated
connector barrel to leave no air gaps and information is logged to the tool’s
to remain securely in place, in some cases The tool can be used reliably with standard data storage. If the crimp compression
in the face of strong pull forces. The failure Color-Keyed® lugs in the range of 3/0 is not correct, the tool signals failure
to accomplish all of that – usually due AWG to 750 kcmil for copper wire and 1/0 with a red light and records the failed
to improper settings, operator error or AWG to 600 kcmil for aluminum wire, but crimp in its internal database.
both – can result in complete connector utilizes its full capabilities when combined
failure, or to increased electrical resistance with ABB’s equally groundbreaking new • Data collection and analysis. When
and heating that can lead to eventual RFID enabled Color-Keyed® lugs, which used with RFID lugs, the Smart® Tool+
failure and a potential fire hazard. bring serialization and another level of registers a wealth of information on
each crimp, including the lug size, its
accountability to electrical connections.
Manufacturers have introduced many
improvements in crimp technology since
the 1930s when Thomas & Betts, now
ABB Installation Products, introduced
the first compressible lug to help speed
the construction of the Empire State
Building. Most innovations, such as
Color-Keyed® lugs and hydraulic crimping
tools, have centered around improving
the human function of selecting proper
connector sizes to match the wire gauge
or the mechanical function of applying
the proper pressure and torque.

In 2018, though, ABB Installation Products
introduced a series of innovations that

www.ieci.org | January/February 2019 | Insights Magazine 23