Mechanical Strain Relief - TWO MINUTE TIPS for guys and gals

Описание: Hey folks, today's 2-minute tip is on mechanical strain relief...

A strain relief is used to provide a transition from flexible cable to a rigid connector or connection point. A properly designed strain relief will prevent mechanical force applied to the exterior of a cable from being transferred to the electrical terminations within the connector or device which could lead to failure. An effective strain relief should prevent any load applied to the cable from being transferred to conductor terminations.

Commercially purchased connectors and wiring harnesses usually have strain relief methods designed into them. I think that design feature gets widely overlooked in the DIY community.

Strain relief becomes even more important as you step down in wire size..... And even more so when you are soldering. Soldering is super strong and reliable but it also has a flaw if not coupled with proper strain relief..

Right behind the strong solder joint is an area of wire that's prone to fatigue and failure.. It doesn't matter if you're terminating to a connector, PCB board, or solder pad. They all carry the same flaw!

The solder will wick its way up the wire. The fatigue zone is where the solder ends and the flexible wire begins. If you move or bend that area you run the risk of breaking that connection which is why strain relief is super important..

It's one of those steps that will ensure quality and longevity of your projects.... Especially if it has moving parts or you plan to disassemble it frequently

Each situation is different but all of them are solved with relatively simple techniques...today I'm using about $0.04 worth of hot glue to ensure that this connector will never break...... Be sure you've done all your continuity test beforehand, hot glue is not permanent but if I have to get to one of these wires again you may as well make a new one :)

Cheers and have a great day,
Do It Whenever