The TML tip is a device for creating the best possible contact between the device wires and the network. This marking is deciphered as follows. The letter "T" means that the part is made of pipe, "M" is the name of the material, in this case copper. Brass or aluminum can also be used. Naturally, with the change of the source material, the marking will also change. The letter "L" means that the contact is tinned.
General information
Any good host understands that simply connecting a household device to the network will not be enough to create acceptable conditions for the operation of the device. If the contact is poor, the wire will begin to experience overloads when voltage is applied, which, most likely, will lead to failure of the entire device as a whole or even a fire to the wiring. To avoid such troubles, you need to make sure the connection is reliable. TML tip is a special device that is designed to solve a specific problem. This is a special tip that is used to terminate the electric wire and thereby provide a reliable connection between the network and the device. There are several materials from which the tip can be made, but copper is considered the best.
Kinds
There are two types of fixtures. The first is cable lugs that are not coated, and the second are cable lugs that are tinned.
Tinned TML tips are considered a better look than those that are not coated. They are more practical in application, as they provide sufficient protection against corrosion, which, in turn, greatly increases the life of the device. In addition, tinned contact is resistant to such types of acids as sulfuric, nitric and hydrochloric. Another plus was the fact that such TML tips are not afraid of exposure to moisture, air, as well as any other aggressive manifestations of the environment. It is worth saying that because of this coating, the electrical conductivity of the device is still reduced, however, those indicators that are available are considered stable and acceptable for operation.
Termination and crimping
Another important point when using this device is the protection of cleaned copper contacts, which oxidize quite quickly, because of which they lose their current conductivity, because of this, resistance rises, which means that they will start to warm in this place and a fire will occur.
TML copper tinned tips are used to terminate bare copper contacts. Most often, to install such a device on cores made of copper material, ordinary crimping pliers are used. It is worth noting that copper pipes with different diameters are used as the material for the production of these devices. They are cut, and then flattened on one side. After that, a small hole is made in the tapered end of the pipe, which is necessary to tighten the bolt that will hold the tip.
Crimping of TML tips is used for the following purposes:
- establish a connection between the building’s power grid and the desired appliance;
- establish contact within one device between several parts or establish communication between several devices;
- the splice operation is very common, which is used when it is necessary to lengthen an existing wire by attaching another to it.
Tip with viewing window
One of the varieties of the TML tip is TML (o). By basic characteristics, these models are completely identical. As follows from their marking, they are also made of copper, like other parts. The only and important difference from standard elements was the presence of a viewing window. This is a hole that allows you to make sure that the contact is connected correctly, while the device is already worn on the wires. Most often, such varieties are used in industrial enterprises, and therefore not all electricians or just home owners who need to connect wires know about the existence of such a small subspecies.
Bimetal Tip Type
The type of TML cable lug may differ not only in the material of which it is made, but also in the method of its installation, as well as in its intended use.
The most universal part is considered to be an electrical bimetallic part. It has such advantages as the ability to connect with any type of metal core, and also has a special small stopper that allows you to clamp the wire on the desired length. Most often, aluminum is used instead of copper for the production of such devices.
Another type of this element is the TML KVT tip.
Copper tip
The most durable and reliable model is a copper blank. Very often it is made airtight, which makes it possible to install it in a humid environment. In addition, it has good resistance to any aggressive environmental influences. A cheaper and more affordable analogue of such a tip is brass.
It is important to note that copper fixtures can only be installed on copper cable cores. Another important nuance. Everyone who bought such parts came across a large number of numbers on the package. For example, the tip of TML 6-6-4. It is important to note here that all tinned elements can be installed on cables with a cross-sectional diameter of 2.5 to 240 mm 2 . The maximum voltage is up to 35 kV. But the numbers 6-6-4 mean the following: wire cross section - 6 mm 2 ; diameter of the contact rod - 6 mm; shank inner diameter - 4 mm.
There are several more types of various tips. To understand which is in a particular package, you must understand the labeling.
- The marking TA indicates that the part is made of tubular aluminum.
- There is such a marking as SIP. It means that the cable lug is an insulated, self-supporting connector with an annular mounting plate.
- The pin sleeve element will be designated as NSHVI.
- A very common mark is the TML-10 tip. The number 10 means that the cross section of the wire and the diameter of the contact rod are 10 mm 2 and 10 mm, respectively.
Setting items
There are 4 main ways of mounting tips. The first option is crimping, the second is screw or bolt, the third is welding, the fourth is soldering of the tips.
If we talk about this type of connection, as crimping, then it can be performed with four different tools. This can be a hand press, a mechanical, pump or hydraulic press. It is important to understand that each of the devices has its own qualities and properties. For example, for pressing household wires and lugs, it is best to use a conventional hand press. In order to interconnect the power cable and the tip, you will have to use a more powerful tool. Most likely, you will need a hydraulic or mechanical press.
Fixing options
One of the mounting options is bolted. In this case, the depth of cable fixation in the part will be fixed by the bolt head. Before connecting these two elements together, it is necessary to strip the desired cable length from the winding to expose the core. It is worth noting that the press may have various sizes, which depend on the scope of the tool. However, the most popular in recent years have become precisely those that can change their size, like an adjustable wrench. Change parameters range from 0.25 to 1 mm. There is another important detail here - this is the lack of the need to use pliers for work. The reason for this was that a hand press with such dimensions is most often used for crimping very thin cables that can break under the strong pressure exerted on it by pliers.
Homemade tips
Currently, the most popular tips are PHOENIX CONTACT. In the CIS, they are most in demand. Reviews about this product are most often positive. They stay on the cable pretty well. The connection between the cable and this part is also at an acceptable level, according to buyers. Some of the buyers used this part to sort the electrical contacts of the car engine. The owners note that even without a crimper, it is very convenient to crimp. You can do it with a hammer, but you need to beat gently, otherwise you can kill the veins. At a current of approximately 80 A, the contacts remained cold.
However, it is not always possible to find a suitable size device. For this reason, quite often people make them on their own. This is pretty easy to do. In order to make such an element, it is necessary to take a copper piece of pipe with a suitable size, flatten one end, and then make a hole with the desired size. However, the problem may be that it is not clear what voltage such a product will be able to withstand. Therefore, doing them yourself is not recommended.