Maximising Operator Efficiency

Only if the operator is relaxed and comfortable, and has the total crimping area within sight, will a consistent crimp standard be achieved.

Experience will soon teach an operator how many wires to hold at one time. It is usual to hold the wires in the left hand, using the right for sorting, evening up the wires and feeding. A block may be used to ensure that the right hand is in line with the machine.

The practised operator will soon be able to use the thumb and forefinger of each hand independently, placing the wires in position, and moving the terminated wire from left to right. The other fingers and the wrists remain still. See figure L.

Wire Positioning

The wire stop on the applicator is designed to help obtain the correct wire position before crimping. The wire can be inserted further into the crimp barrel by increasing the angle; conversely, decreasing the angle will prevent it from going to far into the crimp. See figure K.

The price, scope and flexibility of semi or fully automatic crimping has substantially reduced the demand for hand tooling. Semi-automatic production involving an operator accounts for a large percentage of crimping today, with fully automatic becoming increasingly popular for larger scale and more complex crimp requirements.