LARGE CABLE, LARGE PROBLEMS
Considerations for Innovation in the Large Cable Market
Introduction
Electric vehicles are predicted to be the next wave of innovation
for the automotive market. Based on predictions from Morgan
Stanley in 2017, as the technology matures, the electrical vehicle
market will surge with an inflection point around 2035. By
2050, 4 out of 5 cars sold worldwide will be battery-electric
vehicles (BEV) and the BEV fleet may equal the Internal
Combustion Engine (ICE) fleet for the first time just before
2050. To make this growth a reality, large wire crimping is
becoming a larger focus of the wire harness industry.
ELECTRIC VEHICLE FUTURE
This whitepaper will look at the challenges involved in preparing
and terminating both copper and aluminum stranded high
voltage cables, specifically for the Electric Vehicle (EV) market.
Defining What is Considered a Large Cable
Cables can be generally classified into three sizes: Small
wire, which is anything less than or equal to 1mm2 (18
AWG), Mid-size: 1mm2 (18 AWG) - 10mm2 (7 AWG) and
Large Cables: > 10 mm2 (6 AWG).
These large diameter cables are used widely throughout
the transportation industry in Automotive, Aerospace,
Light & Heavy Rail, Energy storage, Battery Systems, and
more.
>6 AWG 7 - 18 AWG <= 18 AWG
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Current Landscape of the BEV Market
The large cable markets are constantly evolving. Take the EV
market as a clear example of the changing landscape:
EVs are not yet widely purchased, compared to ICE vehicles but the
offerings are growing rapidly. 50 new BEVs were brought to market
in 2019. A growing proportion of these vehicles have been designed
from the ground up for an electric drive train rather than converting
existing models. The vehicles come from 35+ Brands, not only
existing brands but also new players to the market.
The expanse of the available EV landscape is creating an equally
expansive ferrule and terminal offering. For harness makers, unique
tooling challenges are emerging with the existence of so many
styles available with larger sizes and shapes varying widely based
on functionality and market.
While the market share for EV’s currently represents less than 3%
of global sales, industry experts do predict that EV sales are on
the rise thanks to continual technological advancements which
are closing the gap in price and functionality of EV’s compared to
traditional ICEs. On a single charge, highway-rated EV’s can now
travel from 128km (80 miles) to over 482km (300 miles).
However, consumers are held back by high upfront costs, range
anxiety, battery safety, long charging times, and charging
availability. All items that will need to be addressed for wide
acceptance.
A PRIMER ON LARGE WIRE CRIMPING
High Voltage Shielded Cable Prep
In addition to BEV’s, there are Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)
and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) coming to the
market. Although they are not entirely electric, they are built
with highly electrified drivetrains in addition to a conventional
ICE. PHEVs generally can drive exclusively on battery electric
power for around 40 miles before needing to switch to gas or
recharge. According to industry projections, 50% of new cars
sold by 2030 will have electrified powertrains.
Shown below is a breakdown displaying the use of large cables for
the drive train systems of electric propulsion systems.
There is overlap between HEV/PHEVs and BEVs but the
higher current requirements of electric only drivetrains
require the largest cables.
As the cables grow in size, so do the challenges involved in
preparing them for termination.
HEMs cables are specially designed to shield electronics,
antennas, and sensors within a vehicle from high voltage
interference produced throughout the electrified drivetrain.
The five layer cable used in cars, trucks and busses comes
with unique requirements due to the structure of the cable.
Cross Section of a Shielded High Voltage Cable
Outer Insulation
Foil Shield
Braid Shield
Inner Insulation
Conductor
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Steps to Prep Shielded High Voltage Cables
Challenge: “Footballing”
HEMS cabling is stored and cut from large
heavy spools. Due to its large size, deformation
(footballing) of the wire end often occurs when
cut. Footballing of the wire interferes with the
crimping process due to difficulty stripping
cable that is not perfectly round and sliding components
over the wire. For proper termination, and to prevent tooling
damage, operators must confirm that the wire ends are
reshaped before stripping cables and crimping terminals.
Challenge: Outer Jacket
Made of a heavy silicon-based material, the outer jacket
holds on to debris making it difficult to keep clean and
crimp properly. Operators must minimize the amount of
insulation tearing along with balancing their cut GOOD
depth to minimize damage to the underlying
braiding while stripping the outer jacket.
Challenge: Foil Shield
EV’s require the addition of shielding to
reduce radio frequency and electromagnetic
interference (RFI/EMI). In most cases the
shielding is made up of a plastic backed foil
that is wrapped around a tinned copper braided BAD
shield. The foil must be completely removed before
terminating the braided shield to confirm that it does not
interfere with the connection to the crimped ferule.
Challenge: Tinned Copper Braiding
Due to the dangerous levels of electricity in the GOOD
powertrain of EV cables, high voltage cabling for EV’s
require a rigid protective cover to minimize damage
caused by vehicle collisions. A tinned copper braiding
provides this durable and difficult to cut protective
shield. Operators must cleanly cut the braided
shielding without damaging the underlying insulation
below. To avoid short circuits, electrical interference
and other electrical hazards, special care must be
made to confirm that no braiding strands come into
contact with the crimped ferule or terminal.
BAD
To expose the silicone-based inner insulation the
braiding must be flared to allow for crimping of the ferule.
Many terminals require the braiding to be unwoven. This is
often a slow manual task that requires finger protection.
A PRIMER ON LARGE WIRE CRIMPING

Challenge: Inner Jacket Challenge: Crimp Force

The inner jacket is typically made up of a As cable size increases, so does the crimp force
GOOD
second layer of a silicone-based material. required to terminate it. For small wire sizes you
Its main purpose is to shield the electrical are likely to see forces below 3,000 lbf. For mid-
current from the tinned-copper braiding. It size wires, forces are generally below 10,000 lbf.
must be stripped in a similar fashion to the
For large wire sizes, forces continue to rise with some
external jacket. Damage to the conductor
95mm2 cable terminations requiring greater than
must be minimized for proper crimp
30,000 lbf to terminate. As current requirements
performance. If the wire is not concentric
increase, and 120mm2 cable becomes more common,
due to manufacturing or processing, it
we will likely see forces approaching 40,000 lbf.
makes it much more difficult to strip the
insulation without damaging the conductor.
Challenge: Clocking
The edge of the insulation must be clean
enough to not affect termination. The clocking of the terminal
on the cable is important.
Missing strands reduce the overall cross BAD
For very long leads you
sectional area and insulation nibs that end
have some give in the
up in the crimp barrel affect hitting the appropriate
cable, but for shorter leads
crimp height. In both cases, the poorly stripped inner
and asymmetric terminals,
insulation can have many negative effects on a termination
the terminals will need to
affecting both mechanical strength and conductivity.
be installed in the proper
orientation compared
to the termination on the other end of the cable.

Challenge: Extrusion

All terminals extrude slightly during the crimping

process. This varies based on material and size. A mid-
Example of folded
sized cable of 5mm2 will generally extrude less than
braiding
1.5mm during termination. Conversely, 70mm2 cable
can extrude as much as 5mm. Die sets are designed to
In some cases, the foil braiding must be folded to allow
allow for and control extrusion but these features are
for crimping of the ferule. This is ferule dependent and
only effective when the die set is loaded as intended.
proper folding relies highly on proper cut length and
flaring in earlier processing steps.

Crimping Challenges
The crimping process for large wire applications is similar
to small and mid-sized wires, except the terminals are
largely loose piece. This requires open guarding on the
crimping machine allowing operator access to the die
set and terminal loading during each cycle. Care must
be taken to prevent additional components on the wire
entering the crimp area. Terminations must be to the
terminal application specification for terminals to conduct 5mm for a
as expected. Many issues may occur during the crimping 70mm2 cable
process, and this white paper will explore them in detail.

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A PRIMER ON LARGE WIRE CRIMPING

Challenge: Cracking Automation Challenge: High Mix/Low Volume

Cracking of the terminal is a big concern for large
cable terminations and can decrease the durability
of a crimp. Cracking can occur when deviating from
the terminal specification such as: over crimping,
using an inappropriate cable size, and using a
machine that crimps at an inappropriate speed.
Cracking prevention by following the application
specification is very important as cracking is only
visible with cross sectioning of the terminal.
As new EV’s rapidly enter the market, new and frequent product
developments from OEM’s enter the mix. New terminals, ferrules
and wire shielding developments are widening the existing high
voltage landscape, constantly evolving wire prep and crimping
requirements. The wide mix of terminal shapes, sizes, and crimping
requirements (terminals and ferrules) make it more difficult to
offset equipment and setup costs with automated equipment.
High Mix/Low Volume

Challenge: Multi-conductor Assemblies

Multiconductor assemblies are common in the

automotive market, especially for battery to battery
connections. Multiple conductors are wrapped in
a single outer insulation or connected together by
additional components. Due to limited break out
length and bend radius, care must be taken to properly
terminate these cables. In some situations, special
die sets are required as the standard die sets do not
allow for crimping without damaging the assembly.
Automation Challenge: Time & Cost
It’s not only the cables that are getting larger. Many small wire
terminals can be bought for less than $0.50/piece (USD), and in
large quantities, you can be looking at only a few cents. Large
wire terminations can run from a few dollars to greater than
$90 depending on capacity and quantity. The cable itself is
also expensive, running at more than $30/meter. Large wires
can double or triple the crimp time due to wire management.
All of these costs together can make setup many times more
expensive so care must be taken to design and use processes
that reduce the amount of scrap and non-value added steps.

Time Vs. Cost

Automation Difficulties
Unlike small and mid-size wire applications that can be
run by the hundreds or thousands per hour on semi-
automatic and fully automatic lead makers, EV cables are
too heavy and complex to be run on existing high-volume
machines.

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A PRIMER ON LARGE WIRE CRIMPING
Automation Challenge: Lead Length & Weight
50mm2: 2 meters = 1.3 kg (6.5’ and 2.9 lbs)
0.35mm2: 2 meters = less than 10 g
The weight of large wires makes it
unsafe to create large bundles of
leads as they could quickly become unmanageable
for workers. In some cases, leads may be as long as
a bus or train carriage and the limited bend radius
of these cables dictate a large storage area.
Automation Challenge: Additional Assemblies
Ferrules, connectors, housings, and seals often need to be
placed onto the wire
before crimping. In some
cases, they need to be
put on before stripping
the wire to prevent
damage to the conductor strands.
Although not impossible as seal
kits are available for automatic
termination, the number of
components and their complexity
would greatly increase the cost and
difficulty of an automated setup.
Automation Challenge: Traceability
Traceability is an important part of any quality system.
With the modularity required within automation, a robust
traceability system allows for the tracking of a product
through the assembly line. After completion, it allows for
quality control to confirm the appropriate equipment was
used, such as the die set, and also the important metrics
were maintained, such as crimp height and termination
speed. To achieve this, proper labeling of each assembly
is key. Using a wire marking system provides an easy to
automate method to identify each piece produced. In the
event of a quality issue, this information narrows down
the other assemblies which may have been effected
reducing costs and effort required to resolve the matter.
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Aluminum Vs. Copper Conductors
Beyond automation, there are other ways that the industry is trying
to reduce costs while improving products. Moving to aluminum
cables is one such strategy. Emission and fuel consumption
standards are getting tighter in many markets around the globe
as climate change has started to worry many governments. One
of the major ways to reduce both emissions and consumption
is to reduce weight. Aluminum is lighter and less costly than
copper leading it to be the next viable choice for Original
Equipment Manufacturers. These weight savings can be applied
to both ICE and BEV vehicles alike although the increased large
gauge cabling in BEVs will likely lead to higher weight savings
in that market. Aluminum comes with its own challenges, but
aluminum terminations are already used in some markets.
Aluminum Vs. Copper Challenge: Ultrasonic Welding
Many current applications also use ultrasonic welding which is slow,
has high capital cost, is sensitive to wire surface quality, requires large
amounts of energy for large cables, has a post sealing requirement
to prevent corrosion, and may also need Secondary strain relief.
Example of ultrasonically welded cables
Aluminum Vs. Copper Challenge: Reduced Conductivity
Aluminum is not a direct drop in replacement for copper. Aluminum
is 40% less conductive than copper so to have the same conductivity,
you must go one wire size larger. This reduces your weight savings
from 70% down to 49%. In the case of existing designs, care needs
to be taken to confirm there is enough room for the larger wire.
Aluminum Vs. Copper Challenge: Lower Strength
Aluminum has a lower strength than copper with a tensile
strength of only 38% that of copper. It can be alloyed but that
reduces conductivity, and the one-size-up rule does not resolve
the reduced strength. This lower
strength can lead to strand fatigue,
such as necking and breaks.
It can also cause stripping difficulties as
the individual strands are more fragile
and prone to damage. To prevent metal
fatigue, extra strain relief and supports
must be used for this type of cable.
A PRIMER ON LARGE WIRE CRIMPING

Aluminum Vs. Copper Challenge: Oxide Film Crimping Challenge: Crimp Height

Aluminum reacts spontaneously Terminals are designed to balance electrical and mechanical
with water and/or air to form performance within their crimp height range. Crimping at an improper
aluminum oxide. Aluminum oxide, crimp height setting can cause missed strands, higher temperature
Al2O3, forms a stable passive changes during load, shorter life, and a higher risk of failure.
layer that protects aluminum from
corrosion or further oxidation. Crimp Height & Reduced Conductivity
This layer is about 4 nm thick and
will provide corrosion protection
as long as this oxide layer is stable. The drawback is that
an oxide film is non-conductive. Increasing the number
of strands in an EV application requires more oxide
to break up. If not, middle strands contribute little to
conductivity. Low twist wires maximize flexibility but
minimize differential surface scrubbing between strands,
increasing the difficulty of removing the oxide layer.

Automation Challenge: Galvanic Corrosion

Galvanic corrosion is the electrochemical process in which

one metal corrodes preferentially when it is in electrical
contact with another, in the presence of an electrolyte. Crimping Challenge: Cross Sections
Aluminum is highly prone to galvanic corrosion, meaning
It is important to check for proper crimping throughout your
additional steps are needed
production run. If not using an automated crimp quality device,
to maintain a closed design
it is important to confirm the crimp profile with cross sections at
to prevent water egress
the interval dictated by either industry standard or by the terminal
into the wire harness.
manufacturer. Cross
sectioning requires
the terminal to be
Importance of Proper Crimping
cut through the
No matter the wire size, to confirm success, proper wire barrel after
crimp quality fundamentals need to be followed. crimping. This
process allows for the inspection of proper crimp height,
compression, and more. Due to its destructive nature, it
Crimping Challenge: Short Circuits
can’t be used on crimps destined for assemblies.
Loose strands, from the braid or conductor can become
stuck to the insulation and seal. If not removed before Crimping Challenge: Excessive Electromagnetic Interference
assembly, these strands can
Improper care with the braiding may lead to interference from
come loose and short two or
the high voltage drivetrain, such as radio interference, and
more terminals. Due to the
unexpected operation of equipment. As cars contain more sensing
high voltage of these systems,
equipment as well, much of which is safety equipment, preventing
this can cause tripped fuses
interference transitions from a cosmetic issue to one of safety.
or even system failure.

Crimping Challenge: Water Egress

Improper treatment of the seals may reduce seal integrity

shortening the life of the termination and the overall assembly.
Seals can be damaged by chemicals, improper storage
environment (temperature, humidity, light), and mishandling.

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A PRIMER ON LARGE WIRE CRIMPING
Crimping Challenge: Proper Tool Maintenance
As with all tools, crimping equipment must be
properly maintained. Please follow all information
contained in the instruction sheets provided with
your equipment to confirm long life and quality.
Large Cables: Aerospace & Industrial
While this paper focused mainly on the challenges of large
wire crimping in the automotive market, large cabling is
used in the Energy, Aerospace and Industrial markets as
well. While the standard tooling in these markets vary
from the transportation segment, due to cable sizes and
weights, similar challenges exist in these markets.
Large Cable Challenge: Stiff Cabling
Non automotive markets use high twist and large stranded
cable which are very stiff. This makes them
difficult to work with as you often need to
reorient your tool instead of your cable. The
spools must also be larger to accommodate
the large bend radius requirements.
Most of these cables can be stripped by
hand but large cable strippers greatly
reduce the effort and time it takes to
process the cable. As with automotive
cable, care must be taken to minimize
deformation and damage of the conductor. Some
Aerospace cables often have a thin but durable insulation.
Although possible, it is laborious to strip by hand and often
requires laser stripping equipment to process efficiently.
Tooling Options for High Force
Large cable portable tools are normally hydraulic as manual
linkage tools would require too much human input to
complete a crimp. They allow for the tool to be brought
to the cable, such as in an airframe or at the top of an
electrical pole, allowing for a cable to be threaded through
an assembly before preparing and crimping. Additional
safety training on the appropriate treatment of high pressure
devices with hydraulic pressure ranging from 8200 psi
to 10,000 psi is required to use this equipment safely.
These tools use interchangeable U and Shank dies allowing
for one tool to crimp multiple different cable assemblies.
They come in three varieties, Manual, Battery, and Electric.
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Tooling Options: Manual Hydraulic Tools
Manual hydraulic tools require no power supply to crimp the terminal.
They rely on the operator to manually
pump the tool multiple times to build up
enough hydraulic pressure to complete the
crimp. Depending on cable size, they can
weigh more than 40lbs. The ergonomics
of this arrangement are less than ideal due
to the weight of the tools and because
of this, they are generally better for small runs and repair work.
Tooling Options: Battery Hydraulic Tools
Battery hydraulic tools are good options for some of the smaller
cable sizes and range from 4 – 12 tons of crimp force. Battery
electric tools are much lighter and easier to manage by one person
while also allowing for a less manual operation without the need
to provide AC power to the crimping location. They allow for extra
control and hold in place even if a battery dies during the crimp.
This allows for a replacement battery to be installed and the crimp
completed without any sacrifice to quality. Because the batteries are
interchangeable, there is no need to wait for the tool to charge as you
can charge a separate battery while working.
Because these tools do not require
manual pumping, they can help to reduce
repeated stress injuries that may arise with
the overuse of manual portable tools.
Tooling Options: Electric Hydraulic Tools
Electric hydraulic tools can achieve the highest forces, up to 33 tons.
The most common pressure is 8200 psi but 10,000 psi heads also
exist. Different heads are designed to run either U-dies or shank
dies, the latter allowing for higher loads. When used in an airframe,
the use of these tools becomes a two person task, with one person
holding the tool in place and another locating the cable and terminal.
The heads are designed to use TE hydraulic pumps and some can
be used with battery powered versions for more portability.
Although multiple heads can be used with the same pump, please
always be sure that you are using the recommended pump with
the appropriate pressure to confirm quality and safety.
Tooling Options: Benchtop Termination
Crimping of large cable with benchtop terminators is similar to small and
mid sized cable but the terminals are largely loose piece. This means that
you must open the guarding of the machine you
are using to access the die set to load in the next
terminal. Care must be taken to prevent additional
components on the cable from entering the die set.
SUMMARY TE CONNECTIVITY
Large wire crimping presents a unique set of challenges, FIELD SERVICE
but harness makers can overcome these challenges with the
help of the right application tooling partner. TE Connectivity SERVICES
works diligently to maximize the quality of its tooling so wire
Standard Service VALUE-ADDED
harness manufacturers can produce the best crimps. SERVICES
• Includes
Here are six keys to high quality large wire crimps:
troubleshooting and Preventive
1. Use only high quality tooling making repairs Maintenance and/
or Inspection
High quality tooling includes the applicator, terminator, crimper, Equipment Installation Certification
and anvil. The applicator must be easy to set up and must
• Providing installation, • Provides service for
maintain consistent quality. Users must select a crimper and anvil
set-up and training periodic visits to
designed and manufactured for initial quality as well as longevity.
at time of equipment perform Preventive
2. Set up the applicator properly delivery Maintenance and/or
Inspection Certification
Users must properly load the terminal into the die set and the crimp Training Service on hand tools,
height must be setup correctly to match the terminal specifications. applicators and bench
• Basic Crimp Theory
equipment. Inspection
3. Understand Proper Cable Prep
• Hand tool, applicator of the finished product
High voltage cables require a much more involved and equipment set-up, is made to confirm it
process to confirm proper termination. Understanding the operation and meets TE application
makeup of your cable assembly is critical to success. maintenance specifications.
Documentation is
4. Multi-part Assembly Process available upon request
for traceability to
High voltage cable assemblies have many parts that need to be
support your facilities’
completed in order. Proper preparation and the right tooling will
quality system
speed up production, allowing you to stay efficient and profitable.
requirements.
5. Process is the Key to Quality

Creating a standardized process will maximize your efficiency.

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