A ring terminal is a short metal tube with flat washer type ring attached. The tube or barrel end of the crimp is a hollow tube where the stranded wire is inserted and crimped. The contact or connection end is a flat ring with a central hole which connects to a stud or bolt. Ring terminals are insulated or non-insulated.

What does it do?

An electrical crimp is a solderless electrical connection. Ring terminals are used to connect wiring to screws and studs.

Where are they used?

Electrical panels
Terminal blocks
Wiring harnesses

Types of Ring Terminal

Crimp terminals are available in a wide variety of ring sizes and wire sizes. The CSA (cross sectional area) or AWG (American wire gauge) of the stranded wire is the most critical. The size of the stranded wire must be adequately matched to meet the amperage. The size of the ring is matched to the bolt or stud size, usually in a metric measurement.

Insulated Terminals

DIN 46237 colour coding is the most popular type of crimp terminal. Colour coding is used to denote a wire size:

Red 0.5 mm² to 1.5 mm
Yellow 2.5 mm² to 6 mm
Blue 1.5 mm² to 2.5 mm

Other colours are available.

Non-insulated

Non-insulated terminals are bigger terminals. Non-insulated terminals connect to bigger studs and bolts. Non-insulated ring terminals have the capacity to except larger stranded wire. More specialised tooling is required for these heavy-duty terminals.