Carrier Strip Vs Loose Piece Terminals: What To Specify Before Ordering

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Order the Format Your Assembly Actually Uses.

Two quotations can describe the same terminal shape while supplying it in very different ways. One may cover contacts still attached to a carrier; another may cover separated pieces. Before comparing prices, make sure you are comparing the same delivery condition.

First, Describe the Next Operation

Start with a practical question: what happens to the terminal immediately after the package is opened? Will an operator pick up individual pieces? Will a fixture locate a connected strip? Does an existing machine require a particular feeding arrangement?

Write down that next operation before asking for a supply format. A strip is not automatically compatible with a machine simply because the terminals are connected. Likewise, separated terminals do not become easy to handle merely because they fit the final housing.

Put Both Formats on the Same Enquiry Sheet

For a Strip, Capture Four Details

Terminal pitch: show the repeat distance and the features from which it is measured. Do not substitute the distance between carrier holes unless your drawing explicitly relates the two.

Carrier layout: show its width, hole pattern and attachment position. A close-up photograph of the contact end may omit the very features that your feed system uses.

Direction: identify the terminal orientation at the point of use. If reel delivery is required, provide an unambiguous sketch of the unwinding arrangement rather than relying only on terms such as left-hand or right-hand.

Cut-off condition: mark the intended separation point and define the finished edge. For example, TE Connectivity's SIAMEZE application specification treats carrier cut-off and burr allowance as drawing-specific requirements. Its numerical limits apply to that product system, not automatically to a custom SHANGERS terminal. Reference: TE application specification, section 3.9.

For Loose Pieces, Do Not Forget the Cut Edge

A loose-piece drawing should describe the part after separation. Check whether a small residual carrier tab matters to housing insertion, seating or clearance. If the supplied sample has already been trimmed or adjusted by hand, explain that difference rather than letting it become an undocumented production requirement.

Packaging deserves its own note. Tell the supplier which formed areas must remain protected and how the parts will be taken out of the pack. The objective is a delivery condition that your team can evaluate consistently, not a packaging style chosen from a photograph.

Compare the Complete Scope, Not Only the Unit Price

Ask each supplier to identify what the quotation includes: the connected or separated condition, any agreed cut-off work, the proposed pack and the sample format. Record open questions beside the price. A cheaper line item is not directly comparable if another quote includes an operation your team would otherwise have to perform.

For a changeover from an existing supplier, retain a labelled sample of the current strip or loose part. Record its drawing revision and the specific reason for the change. This gives the new supplier a clear comparison point without assuming that every visible feature is intentional.

A Compact Order-Preparation Checklist

• Finished terminal drawing and revision.
• Required supply condition: strip or loose piece.
• Pitch, carrier layout and orientation, where applicable.
• Separation location and acceptable finished edge.
• Handling or packaging interface to be reviewed.
• Sample quantity and the assembly trial you intend to perform.

SHANGERS can review your custom terminal enquiry with the supply condition clearly defined. Explore our stamped terminal range or send a strip drawing or representative sample enquiry.