1 Tab Manufacturers in 2022

What Is a Tab?

A tab is a type of flat connector-type crimp terminal used to facilitate connection and disconnection when connecting wires. The male side is a tab and the female side is a receptacle, and a typical example is a fastening terminal. Special tools are required because the terminals must be formed by bending a flat sheet of metal.

There are various types according to shape and current capacity, and since the standards are standardized by JIS, connection is possible even if the manufacturers of tab and receptacles are different.

Uses of Tabs

Tabs are used to connect cables by inserting tabs into receptacles. The receptacle may be crimped onto the cable end in the same way as the tabs, or it may be mounted on a board or similar device.

Since tabs do not completely secure cables to each other and allow them to be plugged and unplugged, they are useful where maintenance is required, such as when replacing or replacing cables. They are also used as inexpensive connectors for relaying cables when cable routing is inconvenient during assembly.

Principle of Tabs

Tabs connect cables by inserting tabs made by bending flat metal plates into the grooves of a receptacle, which is also made by bending flat metal plates. By making the groove width of the receptacle slightly smaller than the thickness of the tabs, the elasticity of the metal holds it in place. The standard type provides a strong connection, but there are also types with claws to prevent disconnection for a stronger connection. Although tabs crimp the cable by caulking, the connection to the receptacle is so strong that the cable may come loose from the terminal if it is not removed and inserted carefully.

Since the metal of the tabs are exposed as it is, it is necessary to cover the terminal with an insulator to protect it from electric shock and leakage. In this case, only the receptacle pull side should be covered, and the tabs side should be hidden inside the cover after the cable is connected.

Forming tabs requires special tools for bending and crimping flat plates, and the terminals to be used should be selected according to the wire thickness, connector shape, and size. Most terminals are standardized by JIS or other standards, so selection should be made by referring to the standards table.

Tab terminal 110

Tabs are standardized by JIS, a Japanese industrial standard that conforms to IEC international standards, and are the male side of flat connection terminals. The tabs are combined with female connectors (called receptacles) and are classified into series according to the width of the terminal joint, commonly referred to as 110, 18 7, 250 fastons, and so on. The 110 faston is the 110 tabs.

Some manufacturers add their own series, such as the 205 series, as standard products. Faston terminals for board mounting are generally available in bagged packages, radial lead taped, SMT embossed taped, or chain reeled forms as standard products. All of them conform to the JIS standard for flat terminals, but there are dozens of actual fastening terminal manufacturers, including those in Japan and overseas, and since they can easily manufacture them, some local manufacturers use inferior products that are merely imitations of the appearance of the product. Therefore, the selection and reliability of tabs are important factor in ensuring the safety of electrical wiring.

Crimping Tools for Tabs

The following is a brief explanation of crimping tools for tabs and how to use them. It may seem that the correct way to attach (crimp) flat terminals is to simply bend the tabs of the terminal and attach it to the wiring cord, which can be done with radio pliers or similar tools, but this is a big mistake. The important thing is to crimp them with electric pliers. The key word here is wire barrel.

This wire barrel is the name of the part of the crimp terminal shape where the core wire is crimped after the insulation coating of the wire has been removed. In the end, the reliability of the terminal block connection is determined by how firmly and securely this wire barrel portion of the terminal block is crimped to the wire core. If the wire is not securely crimped here, the tensile strength will be too weak and the wire will come loose. On the other hand, if the crimp strength is unqualified and too strong, the core wire may break, resulting in a broken wire, so it is important to use a dedicated crimping tool recommended by the manufacturer and crimp the wire securely and reliably.