PECM Issue 23 2016 | Page 45

Cembre Ever experienced a problem with a failed connection? ‘It’s a fact that, however hi-tech the equipment, the integrity of its seemingly ‘simple’ electrical connections is fundamental to its operation. Reliability, Safety, Reputation and Livelihood are at risk when insufficient attention is paid at this basic level. Even experienced Electrical Engineers familiar with the requirements of codes of practice BS7609 and BS7727 look for guidance when deciding whether to trust the provenance of many of the myriad of connectors available today. These standards govern the use of Copper tube and Insulated compression connectors and advise that best practice for good electrical connections is to use a matched system of terminations, crimping tools and die sets. Whatever size, type and material the connector to be crimped - insulated Red, Blue or Yellow (pic1) commonly used in control circuits or 800sqmm 4-hole Transformer lug (pic2) - the OEM/Contractor should willingly provide their Customer with the Cembre assurances that: - The current carrying capacity (related to the Copper cross sectional area) of the termination at least equals that of the cable being connected. Low price alternatives may be only ‘thin wall’ connectors having too little Copper to carry the designated full load current without over-heating. Pic 1 Insulated Red, Blue and Yellow connectors Pic 2 800sqmm Transformer lug Pic 3 Crimpstar crimping tools - Terminations are fully annealed post-forming to optimise electrical contact and remove residual stresses thereby improving mechanical performance over their operating life. Again price may be the enemy of integrity. - Crimping tools and die sets are matched with the termina tions to ensure consistent, high-integrity connections. Pic 4 - Smartool reporting feature on 18v crimping tools. Cembre is one of few manufacturers to offer a truly matched system...by design. (pic3) In addition, Cembre’s new generation of 18v crimping tools for 10-400sqmm lugs has Smartool software (pic4) that enables the user to view, instantaneously, the force applied to each crimp as it is completed. And the data for up to 200,000 cycles is easily downloaded, printed and provided to the customer to verify accordance with BS7609 and BS7727. No surprise then that Cembre’s Best Practice Crimping Workshops have become the must-have on-site Tool Box Talks for those involved, particularly, in Electrical Design, Installation and Maintenance. Never experienced a problem with a failed connection? You must already be a Cembre customer. If not please call us to arrange for our local engineer to visit. Cembre Ltd - +44 1675 470 440 - [email protected] - www.cembre.co.uk Issue 23 PECM 45