Cable Piercing Connectors

Connectors with cable piercing technology are designed to create a semi-permanent metal-to-metal connection between the wire conductor and the cable piercing connector. A cable piercing connector is an electrical connector that utilizes a connection process to pierce or displace the cable of a wire or cable to make a conductive path with the conductor inside. They are also commonly known as cable piercing clips, cable displacement connectors, and wiretaps. Below we explain the Cable Piercing Connectors. 

What is a Cable Piercing Connector? 

Cable Piercing connectors are purpose-built for quickly diagnosing, testing, or connecting wires in a circuit at different locations. The fast installation and minimum clean-up combined with dependable performance have made cable piercing connectors popular in many industries. 

The key features offered by the Cable Piercing Connector are: 

●Copper conductor with Captive and flexible end caps. 

●It is equipped with a shear head to ensure a reliable tightening torque. 

●The operating temperature is from -55°C to +55°C. 

●Installation temperature is from -20°C to +55°C. 

●There’s no limitation of mechanical loads for central and branch conductors. 

●The shear head forces are adapted to the needed contact forces for each application: the main, service, and lightning. 

●There will be no change in contact resistance and temperature after overloads or load cycling. 

●The voltage can withstand ranges to 6 kV after heavy weathering exposure. 

Use of a Cable Piercing Connector 

Cable Piercing Connector is used to achieve contact by simultaneously piercing the cable on LV ABC conductors of the main power distribution line and cable copper or aluminum conductors of network connection lines. Elastomer insert eliminates bimetallic corrosion since it prevents the appearance of moisture on contact points. 

Contact plates are made of electrolytic metal sheets of excellent conductivity and very high tensile strength so that piercing of the cable is possible even at shallow temperatures. Tightening is done until mechanical damage of shear head nut. Installation under voltage is possible with proper protective equipment. 

Applications of Cable Piercing Connectors 

There are four main applications to Cable Piercing Connectors, which are as follows. 

●Street light connections 

●Tap off/multi-tap connection to households 

●Distribution box charging connection 

●Jumper connection 

Conclusion 

Cable Piercing Connectors are helpful in many applications, most commonly; automotive diagnostics, telecoms, security alarms, and decoders. If you want to choose the suitable Cable Piercing Connectors for your application, it is recommended to use a ‘work backward’ approach and assess what wires you plan to test. From there, identify your exact cable piercing connector requirements by wire capabilities, contact type, and connection method. Many Cable Piercing Connectors are serviceable in different applications; however, using the right tool for the job usually makes the task faster, safer, and accurate.