Terminal blocks are a fundamental component of the automation industry, facilitating the transmission of signals, currents, and other intermediate media with precision and reliability. At the core of their design are two essential features: safe protection devices and user-friendly operation. In the following article, LCSC supplier Kangnex will introduce the five common connection technologies of terminal blocks in detail.
In the power automation connection system, the use of terminal blocks facilitates daily operation and maintenance. With their simple structure and rich variety, they can provide thousands of solutions for industry partners. When a terminal in the connection short-circuits due to burnout, the advantages of using terminal blocks become immediately apparent. Once the power is cut off, we can immediately replace the burnt terminal with a new one of the same model, greatly shortening the entire maintenance time. Terminal blocks themselves incorporate several key aspects of connection technology：
Screw Connection
Screw connection is a connection method using screw-type terminal blocks. Kangnex reminds you to pay attention to the large and small cross-sections of the allowed connecting wires and the maximum tightening torque allowed for screws of different specifications.
Soldering
Soldering is a common type of welding. The key to a soldering connection is that there should be a metallic continuity between the solder material and the surface being soldered. Therefore, for wire connectors and cold press terminals, solderability is important. Common platings for the soldering ends of circular wire terminals include tin alloy, silver, and gold. For spring contact pairs, common soldering ends include the solder tab type, punched solder tab type, and notched solder tab type: for pin contact pairs, common soldering ends include the drilled arc-notch type.
Crimping
Crimping is a technique for compressing and displacing metal within specified limits and connecting the wire to the contact pair. A good crimping connection can produce metal mutual melting flow, causing the wire and contact pair materials to deform symmetrically. This connection is similar to a cold welding connection, which can obtain better mechanical strength and electrical continuity, and it can withstand more severe environmental conditions. It is generally believed that the correct crimping connection is better than soldering, especially in high current situations. Special crimping pliers or automatic or semi-automatic crimping machines are required for crimping. One must correctly select the wire barrel of the contact pair based on the cross-section of the cold-pressed terminal and the wire of the cold-pressed terminal. It should be noted that the crimping connection is permanent and can only be used once.
Winding
Wrapping is to wrap the wire directly around the angular contact winding post. During winding, the wire is wound under controlled tension, pressed into, and fixed at the corners of the contact winding post to form an airtight contact. There are several requirements for winding wires: the nominal value of the wire diameter should be within the range of 0.25mm~1.0mm; when the wire diameter is not greater than 0.5mm, the elongation of the conductor material is not less than 15%; when the wire diameter is greater than 0.5mm, the elongation of the conductor material is not less than 20%. The tools for winding include winding guns and fixed winding machines.
Piercing Connection
The piercing connection, also known as insulation displacement connection, is a novel terminal technology invented by the United States in the 1960s. It features high reliability, low cost, and ease of use, and has been widely applied to various printed circuit board terminal blocks, cold press terminals, cold press connectors, and ring terminals. It is suitable for the connection of flat cables. When connecting, there is no need to strip the insulation layer of the cable. The “U” shaped contact spring blade of the terminal pierces into the insulation layer, allowing the conductor of the cable to slide into the groove of the contact spring blade and be clamped, thus forming a tight electrical connection between the cable conductor and the terminal spring blade. It only requires simple tools, but it is necessary to use cables of the specified gauge.
About Kangnex
Ningbo Kangnex Electric Co.,Ltd is a nationally renowned supplier of connector total solutions and currently has CE, ROHS, REACH, ISO9001, UKCA and other quality system certifications. The company’s main products include pluggable terminal blocks, screw terminal blocks, and barrier terminal blocks. View and select Kangnex’s terminal blocks on LCSC.
Source: Kangnex
