Mechanical Analysis of the Crimping Connection

In recent years, the demands for higher contact reliability of automotive connectors has increased as a result of the growth of electric components. Furthermore, we must reduce the time necessary to test the reliability of the crimp connection. This paper reports the FEM analysis and experimental examination of a crimp mechanical deformation. The calculated equivalent plastic strain by FEM was compared with the hardness distribution on the cross section of the crimped terminal with good correlation. We propose a new technique for determining the contact pressure with strain gauges. The results show an agreement with the material stress relaxation characteristic.