Wire Stripping
Wire stripping is the removal of the sheath at the cable end without damaging the conductor. Every strand cut during stripping permanently reduces the cross-section and the current carrying capacity. The strip length must equal the length of the ferrule or terminal barrel to be used.
Cutting all the way round with a utility knife is the most common mistake; the moment the blade passes through the insulation it cuts the outer strands too. On a 1.5 mm² conductor with twenty strands, cutting five strands takes away a quarter of the cross-section and the remaining strands have to carry the same current.
- Use a gauged stripper: strippers with cross-section steps stop the blade at a depth that keeps it off the conductor.
- Get the length right: too short a strip does not fill the barrel, too long a strip leaves bare conductor outside the barrel and creates a risk of leakage.
- Do not twist the strands: twisting the strands at an end where a ferrule will be fitted makes entry into the barrel harder and causes them to splay.
Inspect the end visually after stripping: if you see cut strands, shorten the cable by a few millimetres and strip it again. This small step prevents a significant part of later heating and voltage drop problems from the outset, especially in low-voltage, high-current systems such as 12 V.
The context in which this term is used: Installation, redundancy and field continuity