Strip lengths for crimp terminals: where to find the right value

Where the value comes from

Terminal makers publish an application specification for each terminal family. It gives the strip length for each wire range, along with crimp height and the inspection criteria. TE's 114-18025 for MQS contacts is one example. We do not reproduce those tables; link the specification next to the terminal in your parts library instead.

Why each end needs its own value

• The two ends often take different terminals — a sealed contact at one end, a ring terminal or splice at the other.
• A sealed end may need the seal fitted before stripping, which changes how the length is checked.
• A wire-end ferrule for a screw terminal has its own strip length, tied to the ferrule size.
• A jacketed cable needs a jacket strip length as well as the core strip lengths.

What a cut list should show

For each wire: the cut length, then for each end the strip length, the terminal part number and the seal part number. A cut-and-strip machine can then be fed the same values the bench checks.

In Zorowire

The cut list has strip_1_mm and strip_2_mm columns next to terminal_1_pn, seal_1_pn, terminal_2_pn and seal_2_pn. The strip length comes from the terminal in your library or is set on the wire end. In our tests, harness.design and Wiring Studio gave no strip lengths in their cut lists.