Page 24 - 2021 Connectivity Components: Everything but the Connectors eBook

24
layers. An anvil and punch system guarantees the inner layers will not be damaged and cuts the shield cleanly and evenly, 360° around the cable.
The resulting shield length will depend upon the ferrule being used since the shield will be wrapped around it. The cut must be clean and consistent, otherwise long strands may cause shorts with other components and short strands may degrade the integrity of the ferrule crimp.
Sometimes the shield length is longer than the length of the dielectric. These applications require that the shield is opened and folded back after it is trimmed so that the inner layers can be stripped.
4. Fold shield
The shield gets folded back over the ferrule but in some cases, not completely. Different connectors require different fold angles to ensure the connector fits together properly. The fold angle may be between 90° and 180° but the fold must be even, 360° around the ferrule. The shield strand ends must fall within the specified tolerances to ensure proper performance. Strands that are too long may cause shorts and short strands might not secure the shield properly when the outer ferrule is crimped.
5. Removing dielectric or filler
The dielectric or filler can be removed in the same way as the outer jacket. Multiconductor cables are not allowed to have any damage to the conductor insulation.
For coaxial cables, conductor detection plays a big role to ensure the center conductor is not damaged by the stripping blades. As with the outer jacket, the system must be able to accommodate non-concentric cables to provide the most flexibility.
6. Multiconductor orientation and stripping
Prior to terminating a multiconductor cable, the cable must be oriented properly so that polarity is correct when the conductors are plugged into the connector. Sophisticated systems must be able to recognize the wire colors and then rotate the cable accordingly without losing cable position.
Once oriented properly, the conductors are formed to enable
termination according to the connector cavity pitch. Once the
conductors are properly formed, the ends should be stripped on
a device with conductor detection to ensure the wire strands are not damaged.