wiredinUSA September 2012

INDEX

UL certification for ferrule

Wire-end conductors with plastic collars provide a gas-tight connection between the wire conductor and the ferrule. A twin wire-end ferrule is also available.

Weidmüller has received worldwide certification for a crimped wire-end ferrule for the North American and Canadian region: the connection as awhole has been certified – not the individual components. Underwriters Laboratories certified the system, which means the wire-end ferrules, together with the hand tools and automatic strippers and crimpers used for the crimping process. UL approval applies to all insulatedwire-end ferrules belonging to the cross-section range 0.25-50mm 2 (AWG 26-1) – excluding the 35mm 2 (AWG 2) cross-section version. The classic wire-end ferrule is a tinned copper sleeve, crimped onto the end of the wire. Wire-end ferrules are used to insert the conductor into a connection or terminal compartment without splitting. Tinning finely stranded wire-ends will not avoid splitting, because the tin solder or the tinned wire conductor will yield under the pressure of the clamping screw. Crimping provides a permanent electrical and mechanical connection between the wire conductor and the crimp contact. In comparison with non-insulated ferrules, wire-end ferrules with plastic collars offer an enhanced level of electrical safety as well as mechanical stability, and standardized color-coded plastic ensures wire conductor cross-sections are easily identifiable.

TPE alternatives

For the first time, Teknor Apex Europe can produce compounds spanning its entire range of TPE chemistries at its plants in Belgium and the UK, supporting European plastics processors serving industries as diverse as automotive, medical, and wire andcable. Following two years of expansion in Europe, and the reorganization of its operations in the region to integrate sales, service, and distribution, Teknor Apex now provides the “broadest selection of TPE alternatives available from a European compounder,” according to Barry Galpin, sales director for Europe. “Over more than six decades, Teknor Apex Company has acquired a wealth of experience serving key industries like automotive, consumer and industrial products, electrical and electronics, and medical devices, and now all of this expertise is available to manufacturers in Europe,” said Mr Galpin. “As a custom compounder drawing from the region’s broadest portfolio of TPE chemistries, Teknor Apex Europe is well positioned to supply each customer with precisely the right compound for an application.”

wiredInUSA - September 2012 PRODUCTS - MACHINES TECHNOLOGY 40

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