Ferrules are a great way to consistently prevent frayed stranded wire ends but did you know they offer many other advantages to bare ends and solder tinned ends?

Aside from easier identification the ferrule’s plastic sleeve also creates a strain relief for the wire by moving the flexion point away from the crimp junction, and the ferrule’s crimp tube gives the stranded wire further mechanical protection from the terminal the wire will be inserted into.

When used properly the crimp pressure will group the stranded wires into a solid core which reduces oxidation by allowing for less air space between the strands. This means your cables will last longer and perform at their maximum potential for a longer period.

Tests have also determined that stranded cables that use a ferrule for termination lower contact resistance.

Of course, the advantage of no splayed wires is even more applicable when using dual wire ferrules to combine two wires at one junction.

Why is using a ferrule a better option than tinning your wires with solder?

The different thermal expansion rates between the copper and the solder tin can cause loose connections over time as heat in the connection causes the solder tin to expand and contract at different rates. Once the connection cools the screw terminal will become loose over time causing higher and higher resistances, and again the cycle starts again – only slightly worse each time.

The solder’s tin is actually quite soft and the connection point will cause it to deform over time, again slowly leading to loose connections with high resistances.

As the solder wicks up the wire it creates an area of potential failure where the solder ends, and the stranded wire begins. The wire has a great potential for internal damage that cannot be seen because it usually ends up beneath the wire’s insulator.

As you can see there are many great reasons to use a ferrule on the end of your stranded wire when it will be inserted into a connector. Check out our inventory of DIN 46228-4 colour coded ferrules and improve your connections!