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- Standard / SAE-USCAR-21-4
SAE USCAR-21-4
SAE USCAR-21-4 - Performance specifications are used for evaluating the mechanical and electrical performance of cable-to-terminal crimp connections.
Significance and Use
SAE USCAR-21-4 is most known for its use in a study to evaluate the strength and electrical stability of solderless crimped connections between wires in automotive wiring harness systems. The standard encourages the manufacturers to explore the ability of the joining points secured by crimping and vibrating under electrical loading, thermal cycling, humidity, and long-term exposure to determine the pull strength, the contact resistance (since resistance is a major category of long-term reliability), and the durability of the joints. The specification also supports crimp tooling validation, wire and terminal compatibility studies, process verification, and production quality analysis. Presto Stantest offers advanced tensile and pull-force testing systems suitable for SAE USCAR-21-4 testing with accurate force measurement, programmable testing conditions, and software-based result analysis for laboratory and industrial applications.
Scope
SAE USCAR-21-4 specifies test methods and validation requirements for solderless crimped electrical connections used in low-voltage automotive systems up to 48 VDC. The standard applies mainly to stranded copper automotive wires and covers various performance evaluations, including pull force testing, crimp height measurement, insulation crimp retention, cable seal retention, and contact resistance studies. Environmental conditioning such as thermal shock and humidity exposure is also included to study long-term crimp performance under automotive service conditions.