Handling - The Table Mount
Since the opening angle (A) of hand crimping pliers can be quite large, handling for small hands is a special challenge. Table holders can help with this.
A suitable table mount also brings advantages when inserting the wire: The crimping pliers in one hand, the stripped wire in the other. There is a risk that the position of the wire will be " wiggled" when closing the pliers. If the hand crimping pliers are fixed to the workbench via a fixture, this source of error is eliminated.
If crimp connections are made with hand crimping pliers on the workbench, a table mount for the hand crimping pliers is always useful! A fixed hand crimping tool facilitates the insertion of the crimp contact and especially the insertion and positioning of the stripped wire.
The easiest way is to clamp the hand crimping pliers in a work vice. The disadvantage is that the hand crimping pliers can be damaged by clamping. In addition to table holders (1) offered by specialist dealers, a suitable square tube (2), into which a handle of the hand crimping pliers is inserted, also serves its purpose.
Disadvantage: When the hand crimping tool is closed, the dies move during the closing process. As a result, the stripped wire positioned in the crimp contact and held by hand can be displaced in the crimp contact.
Hand crimping pliers usually consist of a fixed (B) and a movable handle (A). Ideally, the hand crimping tool should always be mounted to the table holfder on the fixed handle, as the positioning aid with the fixed crimp contact then does not move when the hand crimping tool is closed. This prevents "wobbling" when positioning the stripped wire.
Unfortunately, there are currently only a few practical solutions for table mounts to be found on the market. So, your own creativity is often required!
The solution shown here of a table holder for the PEW12 type pliers from Rennsteig Werkzeuge GmbH offers a good solution for fixing a hand crimping tool. For this purpose, the handle protection on the fixed handle (B) is pulled off and can then be installed and locked in place in the table holder. By pressing down the movable handle (A), the crimping process is carried out.
Important: The table holder for the PEW 12 tool is adjusted to the design of that hand crimper and is not compatible with other crimping tool types!
In connection with closed crimp terminals (e.g.: pre-insulated terminals), the table holder is an optimal supplement for working with hand crimping pliers at the workbench. It facilitates the insertion of the crimp contacts and the insertion and positioning of the stripped wire into the crimp contacts. The crimping pliers can be closed with one hand.
Example: An individual table mount for PEW12
The use of these table mounts on the PEW12 with standard dies for open crimp ferrules and matching positioning aid is not practical. The following picture shows the reason for this:
(A) Upper die: wire and insulation crimper
(B) Lower die: The anvil
(3) Positioning aid / locator
(4) Crimp contact fixed in the locator
If a hand crimping tool with dies and positioning aid for an open crimp sleeve is fixed in the table holder, the positioning aid (3) points downwards.
This means that the insertion area of the crimp contact (4) for the stripped wire also points downwards. The insertion area of the crimp contact is therefore not visible. Insertion and consequently effective creation of crimp connections is not possible.
The reasons for this lie in the basic design of the hand crimping tool and the dies:
The width (1) of the receptacle for the upper die (A - wire & insulation crimp) is 5.2 mm. The width (2) for the lower die (B - anvil) is 4.2 mm.
This means that the positions of the standard dies in the hand crimping pliers are predefined. It is therefore not possible to reverse the dies.
The positioning aid can only be used in the anvil area (B - lower die). If the table holder with the fixed PEW12 is standing on the workbench, the positioning aid covers the fixed crimp contact. Consequently, the insertion area for the stripped wire in the crimp contact (4) is not visible!
The company AWM Weidner (https://awm-weidner.com) has created a simple, viable solution to this problem.
The width (1) for holding the upper die (A) is brought to the same width (2) of the lower die (B) (4.2 mm).
The dies can now be exchanged in the holders of the hand crimping pliers. The width-adjusted upper die (A - wire & insulation crimper) is inserted into the bottom of the hand crimping pliers. Together with the adapter (C), the lower die (B - anvil) is inserted at the top and screwed into the crimping pliers with the positioning aid (3).
If the hand crimping tool is now inserted and fixed in the table mount, the positioning aid (3) is in the correct position. The insertion area in the crimp contact for the stripped wire is clearly visible.
In order to provide the operator with an ergonomic, optimal view of the crimp contact fixed in the locator, the table holder can be mounted on a beveled block (e.g. wood) as required.
Since the hand crimper fixed in the table mount is still small and compact, it can be used well even on routing tracks for large wire harnesses. Probably the most important advantage is that with this optimized hand crimping tool, a considerable increase in the quality of the crimped connections can be achieved compared to conventional methods of use of hand crimping tools. The prerequisite, of course, is that the assignments of the nominal cross-section of the wire to the crimp contact are correct and the dies create a crimp connection that corresponds to the crimp specification.
Note: This example describes the table holder for the PEW12 hand crimping pliers from Rennsteig. Whether this table holder fits for hand crimping pliers of other manufacturers has not been checked.
