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EN60204 and twin ferrules

Dave in the shed

Hi All,

EN60204 states: "The connection of two or more conductors to one terminal is permitted only in those cases where the terminal is designed for that purpose." Does anybody know whether this prohibits the use of standard twin ferrules (where two wires are crimped into a single ferrule) or whether the assembly of two wires and a ferrule is somehow considered to be a single conductor in the eyes of the standard?

Twin ferrules seem to be commonly used in machine building, often with claims of compliance with 60204. I was expecting to find some easily accessible guidance/knowledge/definitions regarding this situation but my web trawl hasn't found much.

Any wisdom will be gratefully received. Thanks.

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  • 0

    Yes Jam of course it is, the size is for two wires, although these may be of differing sizes, but is generally the overall cross section. As the only terminal connection is to a single piece of copper (the ferrule) I cannot see how anyone could claim this is somehow TWO, conductors! I could of course join the two conductors to a single one away from the terminal with perhaps a solder sleeve, but this is clearly daft. Many "standards" have this kind of ambiguity, that is why BS7671 has quite a lot of definitions at the front, attempting to make it as clear as possible, and to reduce (nearly works) interpretation.

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  • 0

    Yes Jam of course it is, the size is for two wires, although these may be of differing sizes, but is generally the overall cross section. As the only terminal connection is to a single piece of copper (the ferrule) I cannot see how anyone could claim this is somehow TWO, conductors! I could of course join the two conductors to a single one away from the terminal with perhaps a solder sleeve, but this is clearly daft. Many "standards" have this kind of ambiguity, that is why BS7671 has quite a lot of definitions at the front, attempting to make it as clear as possible, and to reduce (nearly works) interpretation.

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  • 0 in reply to David Stone
    David Stone said:
    As the only terminal connection is to a single piece of copper (the ferrule) I cannot see how anyone could claim this is somehow TWO, conductors!

    I think I agree with your basic idea here - but I think it depends what you decide the conductor we are talking about is. If we are saying that terminals are for termination of conductors of wiring, then clearly we have two conductors (of wiring).

    Once the termination is made, for example, the conductor of the wiring and the conductive parts of the terminal, and whatever conductive parts continue on the other side of that terminal, are clearly now only a single conductor, which illustrates the fact we must be talking about different conductors to start with.

    So, yes, what goes into that side of the terminal, with a twin ferrule, is a single conductor, but the ferrule clearly has two conductors entering it. The ferrule is not a connector, and hence when made off, there are clearly two conductors going into the terminal.

    But that doesn't make you wrong, it makes the situation difficult to interpret.

    Sadly, the IEV definitions of terminal and conductor don't help.

    I think we might be getting to the point of asking whether the standard in question is ambiguous in this respect?

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