Crimp Terminal Types: A Guide to Applications and Selection
A crimp terminal is the metal contact that connects a wire to a connector system. It is not the plastic shell that holds it. That distinction sounds simple, but it causes a large share of wrong quotations, mismatched samples, and failed builds. A buyer may ask for a "crimp terminal" and receive a shell, a PCB header, or a complete cable assembly. None of those is the same part. The confusion comes from using one phrase at different levels of a connection system: the metal contact, the plastic shell, and the complete mated system. This guide separates those levels, compares wire-to-wire and wire-to-board connections, and establishes a practical selection sequence. It does not cover standalone ring, spade, or quick-disconnect terminals. What Is a Crimp Terminal? A crimp terminal is a metal contact with a crimp barrel that is permanently deformed around a stripped wire. The conductor crimp compresses the wire strands and creates the electrical connection. The insulation crim...