Patent ID: 8671551

Claim:
A process for nondestructive evaluation of the quality of a crimped wire connector, comprising: providing a crimping tool having an anvil on which a wire circumscribed by a terminal is positioned, an upper jaw movable relative to the anvil to compress the terminal between the anvil and the jaw, a transmitting ultrasonic transducer mounted on one of the anvil and the jaw, and a receiving ultrasonic transducer mounted on the other of the anvil and jaw; moving the jaw relative to the anvil to close the distance between the jaw and the anvil, and thereby compress and crimp the terminal against the wire; transmitting ultrasonic waves from the transmitting ultrasonic transducer while moving the jaw relative to the anvil, such that the ultrasonic waves are propagated through the terminal and wire; receiving ultrasonic waves at the receiving transducer while moving the jaw relative to the anvil, wherein the ultrasonic wave comprises a voltage as a function of time; detecting and recording the voltage as a function of time that is received at the receiving ultrasonic transducer as the jaw is moving relative to the anvil; determining a rate of change of the detected and recorded voltage corresponding to at least one of compression and pressure release; and determining whether a pathology exists in the crimped wire connector by comparing the rate of change to a predetermined limit.