Simulation of Crimping Process for Electrical Contacts to Ensure Structural Integrity of Crimped Joint under Static Loads

The use of electrical contacts in aerospace applications is crucial, particularly in connectors that transmit signal and power. Crimping is a widely preferred method for joining electrical contacts, as it provides a durable connection and can be easily formed. This process involves applying mechanical load to the contact, inducing permanent deformation in the barrel and wire to create a reliable joint with sufficient wire retention force. This study utilizes commercially available Abaqus software to simulate the crimping process using an explicit solver. The methodology developed for this study correlates FEA and testing for critical quality parameters such as structural integrity, mechanical strength, and joint filling percentage. A four-indenter crimping tool CAD model is utilized to form the permanent joint at the barrel-wire contact interfaces, with displacement boundary conditions applied to the jaws of the tool in accordance with MIL-C-22520/1C standard. The study identifies the parameters affecting the performance of the crimped joint and recommends them for crimping simulations. A demonstration of the crimping process simulation is provided for a barrel contact (EN3155004M2020) and cable size 20 (EN2267-010A 006) American Wire Gauge (AWG). The analysis predicts the mechanical strength quantitatively and percentage filling of the joint qualitatively. The FEA methodology developed in this study is aimed at reducing the overall design cycle time of wire crimped joints.