To twist or not to twist?

Softus · 2 Aug 2007

What do you favour with 6mm² and 10mm² multi-core cable conductors?

Twist each before inserting into termination, or leave pristine and straight?

Is it just personal preference, or you do have a sound technical reason for the way you do it?

tim west · 2 Aug 2007

personally I like to keep em straight, apart from welding cable which i'd probably twist first because of the finer cores. Keeping them straight I think makes for a cleaner more neater job.

ricicle · 2 Aug 2007

Twist - because if you leave them straight they can have a tendancy to 'settle' thus making the cable loose in the terminal (unless of course you really graunch it up and risk snapping the individual strands)

Lectrician · 2 Aug 2007

Depends on the terminal type and size.

Hysteresis · 2 Aug 2007

The last time I terminated 6mm flexible cable, I soldered the end of the core, the theory being that I wanted to give the core a good tight termination and did not want any of the strands to be severed in the process of tightening the termination screw.
Anyone have any thoughts on this soldering termination method?

Incidentally, the reason for strand severance is obviously the turning action of the screw. A solution to this problem for the manufactures to install in their design is to have a clamping mechanism that avoids the severing action of the screw. Indusrial type teminations very often use this very simple but effective technique albeit a little more expensive than just the screw, but that expense becomes negligible when large scale production is involved and when one considers the possible consequences of core severance, there must be a safety issue here.

Spark123 · 2 Aug 2007

Don't solder the ends together as over time a soldered screwed connection becomes loose. If it is a must to have a solid core, use a pin crimp.

ricicle · 2 Aug 2007

Spark123 said:
use a pin crimp.

Or bootlace ferrule

RF Lighting · 2 Aug 2007

I would leave straight if it is standard 6 or 10 mm², and twist if it was tri rated or flex. If the terminal is big enough for some strands to not be clamped then double the end over, although most stuff that requires a supply that size has terminals designed for such a cable.

nozspark · 2 Aug 2007

I used to work for the MOD repairing aircraft (fast jet) avionic instrumentation. They found that twisting the stripped ends of cables weakened them and became a contributing factor in "incidents".

So it is best not to twist!!

CallEdsFirst · 3 Aug 2007

Tinning/soldering strands is ok for audio/lv connections, but I would have thought that ferrules or pin crimps were better. Also, like you say, the connections that feature a clamping system, usually even found on MCBs or at least main switches/incomers, are far better for security of the connection and contact/conductivity.

Wow overuse of the forward slash/oblique there!

Albert · 3 Aug 2007

above 2.5mm>2 I do not twist, the twisting on a larger cable will weaken the end.
Regarding the soldering issue I do not think that it will make any difference only will make sure that no strands left out, the material that is used to solder is very soft and will not resist the screw.

securespark · 3 Aug 2007

Not.

I shall illustrate:

Imagine terminating three imperial ring cables into an old Wylex Standard board.

I find twisting them together takes up more space than leaving them flat.

CallEdsFirst · 3 Aug 2007

I would try not to do that. Isn't it about time for a reqire in those cases????

Softus · 3 Aug 2007

securespark said:
Imagine terminating three imperial ring cables into an old Wylex Standard board.

I find twisting them together takes up more space than leaving them flat.

I think you've misunderstood my question.

I believe your illustration involves the termination of three solid core phase conductors into a protective device.

However, I'm asking specifically about one stranded cable, being terminated on its own. For example, the phase conductor for a 10mm² shower cable into the DP isolator.

ColJack · 3 Aug 2007

gotta be straight with a bootlace..

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To twist or not to twist?

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