A Guide to making an in-line, wire to wire connections.

A Guide to making an in-line, wire to wire connections.

A question I am often asked is, ‘what is the best way to create an in-line wire to wire connection?’. I like this sort of question as it is good to be part of the design process and to help people with making the best decisions for them.

Depending on the specifics, there are many options available. Let’s take a look at my ‘Top 5’ ways to create a cable joint:

1: Crimp Splice

The In-Line Crimp Splice is simple and requires minimal tools. These handy splices are great for simple connections and are very popular in electrical installations.  Although the crimp splice is not waterproof it is simple, and if you have to make a cable connection in an environment where there is no mains power all, you need is a hand crimp tool.

2: Solder Sleeve

Solder Sleeves are similar to the Crimp Splice; however, they have the added benefit of having an inner lining of solder that creates the joint when being heated.  The outer jacket is a heat shrink material that, by shrinking down to the diameter of the cable, creates a basic environmental barrier. A good example of the use of a solder sleeve is splicing a piece to wire to the braid of a multi-core cable.  The Solder Sleeve is robust, simple and effective but does need to be used by an experienced trained assembler; this is because the combination of heat and the fact that you only get one shot to install these means they must be assembled correctly to work effectively.

3: Terminal Block

We have all seen these and, if you have plenty of space and a screwdriver, these are the simplest way to create a connection.  Mostly used in power cables, they can be used for any cable to cable connection.  Simple and easy and you can get these anywhere!

4: Ultrasonic Weld

The ultrasonic welding process takes place in a solid state, without any melting of the parts being joined. This is accomplished by overlapping the weld metals and rubbing them against each other using low pressure and high frequency mechanical oscillation. Within a fraction of a second a permanent, solid and pure connection, with outstanding physical properties, is created.

As a rule, all non-ferrous metals are suitable for this joining technique, however, copper, aluminum and their respective alloys are particularly well-suited.

The method of Ultrasonic welding is the strongest and most reliable, however it is also the most expensive, requiring the use of incredibly expensive machines.

5: Solder

Solder is the easiest one of the strongest and lowest cost methods of joining cable.  This quick and simple method is the most widely used because it is simple and effective, and it also has the added benefit that it takes up very little space.

While a solder joint is not flexible and must be assembled correctly it is my personal favorite.  There are many different types of products on the market , but all of the above are by far the most common you will be likely to come across.

If you are not sure which is best for you then fear not – your helpful cable assembly experts will be there and happy to help you!

FAQ

What is the best way to join stranded wire?

In the case of stranded wire, always keep the individual strands together after stripping the insulation by firmly twisting them together, or better still, applying a little solder

How are connecting wires made?

An extrusion machine is used to create copper wire by forcing the metal through a series of extrusion dies to create a particular shape

How to connect L and N wires?

The terminal L must be connected to the unearthed conductive part of AC main supply and the terminal N must be connected to the earthed conductive part of AC main supply, to apply the safety agency approval. This purpose is protection by a blowout fuse from electric shock by earth fault

What is an inline connector?

Inline splice connectors are used to connect two physical cables or to split an existing cable into two separate entities while maintaining signal continuity between them. Inline splices are designed to provide a quick and efficient solution to customer wiring requirements

How do push in connections work?

Push-in wire connectors are typically self-latching; an internal spring clamp secures the stripped wire, although some versions secure with an external latching mechanism, such as a lever or clamp. They are available with one or more ports; only one conductor should be used per port

How do you permanently connect two wires?

Twist them together with a wire nut. Crimp them together in a spade lug or butt splice. Screw them down with a terminal strip. Clamp them down on a ground rod with a grounding clamp