Electrical Team Prep

[Kevin Sevcik]

At this point I think I'll start my campaign for teams moving to wire ferrules for the power distribution board. I know they boldly declare that the WAGO terminal blocks require no crimping or soldering, but I am not prepared to believe them. Using stranded wire with this style of connection make it possible to birdcage the wire as you're inserting it, leaving bare strands hanging out, waiting to short something. Especially if you're constantly shuffling wires around or are in a hurry. Under ideal assembly conditions where you technician is very practiced, etc. I'm certain this is a very rare occurrence. But conditions in FIRST pits are far from ideal, and our student technicians will not be terribly well practiced next year. So wire ferrules are the answer. They crimp onto the ends of stripped, stranded wire, turning it into a solid piece of wire that won't birdcage on you. Pin terminals are a similar option, using a standard ratcheting crimper.

Probably I'm being completely paranoid, but having my students use ferrules will give me just a little more peace of mind.