Yep the copper settles over time but if the wire was correctly prepared it's usually minimised. It's a habit of some to use linesman's pliers to twist the wire strands tight before putting the wire into the lug or cage clamp or if there's two wires they twist both wires together tightly. This just means the wires don't settle into the shape of the clamp as it's tightened and the contact area between the clamp and the wire is a lot less..... leading to higher resistance...... leading to heat.
Molex have a nice beginners guide to crimping, it's biased toward production line crimping but it's an interesting read and good info.
Reply With Quote
Did you like this article? Share it with your favourite social network.