Patent ID: 8746026

Claim:
A method for determining the quality of a crimped connection between a conductor and a contact comprising the steps of: a. operating a crimping device to exert a crimping force on the conductor and the contact; b. determining a crimping force curve that occurs during the crimping representing the crimping force exerted versus a stroke distance of the crimping device; c. determining a compression surface that lies under a reference crimping force curve, wherein the compression surface corresponds with a triangular area (csiC) defined by a pair of parameter points (csiA, csiB) of a base line disposed under the reference crimping force curve and along an axis representing the stroke distance, and a point of peak force (Fp) disposed on an axis representing the crimping force exerted; d. subdividing into several adjacent zones the crimping force curve and the reference crimping force curve along the compression surface, the subdivision taking place under consideration of the size of the compression surface; and e. determining at least one further area that lies under the crimping force curve in a zone outside and adjacent to the zones of the compression surface, the at least one further area being a measure for the quality of the crimping connection.