Automatic Molex Conn Pins Crimping / Or finding a company to do it - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: ZeroAviation
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 04, 2018, 08:04:03 pm
content: Does such a machine exist that will automate crimping of these pins? Pins: 0016020096 - Housing: 50-57-9404I did a google/ebay search and found a few chinese machines but was not able to find any good information on them.I gotta make 300 cables with these connects on both ends, doing the pins by hand will take a very very long time.Any feedback welcome! If there is a company that will make the cables for me I would consider that route as well!Thanks

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2018, 07:08:44 am
content: Yes, they do. I forget if it's a combined wire cutting - stripping - crimping tool, or just crimping, but you should probably be sitting down to see the price (~$5k?).Contracting it out may be a good idea, might be a couple low hundred bucks. Same price to buy the proper crimp tool (the ratcheting thing, does one pin at a time by hand with very good results), plus a couple hours sitting down to do it yourself.Where are you at? I know of a house or two around here, but don't know if they're the scale you're looking for, or nearby enough to be worth it.Tim

author: olkipukki
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2018, 12:03:24 pm
content: Molex crimp press and required applicator would cost $7K-$9K.As far as remember, Molex offers another bench press where you can reuse a crimp head from their hand tools, but still around $5K.Above assuming that you already have stripped wiresIf this is one off project and don’t mind to pay a premium price (guesting 0.5$ per wire), worth to check vendor pre-crimped wires (on DigiKey,Mouser,...) and assembly cables in house. In the most cases, Molex (as well as Hirose, Samtec etc) made these available.

author: reboots
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2018, 02:50:48 pm
content: Quote from: olkipukki on August 05, 2018, 12:03:24 pmI'm a huge fan of Digi-Key's pre-crimped leads, where wire length, gauge and color are suitable. The parts and assembly are high quality. These 150 and 300 MM leads appear to be compatible with Molex SL-series housings:https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/molex-llc/0797580003/WM15221-ND/6187842https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/molex-llc/0797580011/WM15222-ND/6187843$.73/ea might be steep for hobby use or mass production. For small production quantities, I think it's a bargain.

author: olkipukki
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 05, 2018, 03:27:16 pm
content: Quote from: reboots on August 05, 2018, 02:50:48 pmExactly, these are Molex's wires (at least manufactured by certified subcontractor), very unlikely you will have headache...OP needs 300 cables, so 300x4 = 1200x0.4$ => $480 + $90 for housings + $30 for extraction tool (just in case) + labour to assembly pieces together

author: DerekG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2018, 01:20:35 am
content: Quote from: reboots on August 05, 2018, 02:50:48 pmWe are as well. We use the JST pre-crimped leads & connectors as the cost is less than Molex.We were quoted for 1000 crimped leads from a cabling company that specialises in looms, leads & connectors, however it was still cheaper to buy the crimped leads from Digikey.I'm assuming Mouser also sell them.

author: HHaase
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2018, 07:08:51 pm
content: I use an older Molex 3BF press for some of their KK series connectors. But applicator dies are about $1,000 per set on the used market, and double that or more for new.The newer, but still obsolete, TM-40/TM-42 presses also do that kind of work.I forget the model number on the current press with the universal applicator.Either way, you're looking at a few thousand dollars even on the used market to get up and running, unless you really luck out.$5k-$10k for buying new equipment is pretty much in the ballpark.600 crimps honestly wouldn't be worth it to get the tooling. I do about 20,000 crimps per year, which is why I kept with cheaper used equipment.

author: D3f1ant
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2018, 07:41:26 pm
content: For production product, either buy precrimped cables, or buy the genuine premium hand crimp tool that is intended for production quality crimps. No 'universal' tool even comes close to how precise and fast you can crimp terminals with the genuine tools. Yes they appear to be very expensive, but are money well spent and you'll have the tool for future projects.

author: olkipukki
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2018, 10:05:36 pm
content: Quote from: HHaase on August 13, 2018, 07:08:51 pmHow do you strip wires?

author: D3f1ant
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2018, 08:44:50 pm
content: http://www.weidmuller.com/155870/Products/Tools/Product-overview/Stripping/cw_index_v2.aspxMy old version of the Spripax tool is 20y old, would have done hundreds of thousands of strips and it still works flawlessly.

author: jagw
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2018, 11:37:35 pm
content: Quote from: olkipukki on August 14, 2018, 10:05:36 pmThese Chinese machines do a decent job if you have a lot of wires to cut and strip:https://tinyurl.com/yanla6lgThey are not perfect, and you do need to inspect for out of spec wires, but they save tons of time when you have lots of wires to cut & strip.

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2018, 12:38:52 am
content: Quote from: ZeroAviation on August 04, 2018, 08:04:03 pmmaybe?https://dirtypcbs.com/store/cables

author: olkipukki
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2018, 09:32:23 pm
content: Quote from: jagw on August 15, 2018, 11:37:35 pmDo you own same (or similar) machine?QuoteI doubt about that claim... can it ever strip AWG 24?

author: jagw
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2018, 11:46:00 pm
content: Quote from: olkipukki on August 16, 2018, 09:32:23 pmYes, I would not have commented if I did not own one. I use it for AWG 16 through AWG 24. I cannot comment on the full range.

author: olkipukki
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2018, 09:56:27 pm
content: Quote from: jagw on August 16, 2018, 11:46:00 pmHow do you feed wires? Passive/active dereeler?

author: ChristopherN
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 30, 2018, 01:25:15 pm
content: I've received one of those machines today. Setup is supper easy, I've used it to strip and cut AWG24 and to cut heat shrink.It took about 20 minutes and a few meters of wire to set it up and tune it in. Wire feeding is important, the spool should run as free as possible. I'll laser cut something for that. Took me about 50 minutes to figure it out and make 2 different kinds of stripped wires (400 total) and 200 pieces of heat shrink.This will be a great time saver in the future.