Abstract: A system for manufacturing wire harness assemblies is provided. Each wire harness includes a shielded cable having a plurality of insulated conductors therein, with each conductor being terminated at its respective opposed ends and with the terminated ends being mounted in connector housings. The system includes a plurality of pallets that are movable along a conveyor to work stations at which various assembly steps are carried out. A first station is provided for mounting the cables to the pallet, such that the wires at the opposed ends are mounted in fixtures. A second station may selectively deposit drop wires into fixtures on the pallets. A third station trims and strips the ends of the wires and aligns the drop wires with the cable wires. A fourth station sequentially crimps terminals to the ends of the wires, with the pallet being indexable between successive crimps.

Abstract: An apparatus and a process are provided for assessing the quality of crimped electrical terminations of a terminal to a wire. The apparatus includes a strain gauge incorporated into a crimp press for measuring the strain generated in the press during each crimping cycle. The strain gauge is operatively connected to a controller which generates appropriate signals in response to strain measurements that are not within an acceptable range. The crimp press may further be operative to selectively adjust the crimp height or the length of the crimp stroke. The adjustment may be operatively connected to the controller, such that the crimp press is self-adjustiong and accommodates the gradual wearing of the crimp tools.