Crimping

Crimping is a wire-termination process in which a tool mechanically compresses or secures a terminal, splice, or contact to a conductor. The resulting deformation forms an electrical and mechanical connection. The basic crimping operation uses mechanical compression rather than solder; soldering a completed crimp is normally not approved and is used only when specified by engineering documentation.

In controlled cable and wire-harness production, a dependable crimp requires the specified contact–conductor combination and controlled tooling. The finished connection is checked against the applicable workmanship criteria. Depending on product class and documented process controls, production verification may use visual inspection, crimp-height measurement, or destructive pull-force testing on samples.

For a practical side-by-side comparison, read our guide to soldering vs. crimping, including where each method fits and what the workmanship standards check.