What are Wire Strippers?

Meet the Connector Tool: Wire Strippers

A hand-held wire stripper should have a compact design that is sized to fit comfortably in a hand and has a small profile that can easily be stored and transported.

Wire strippers are tools used to remove the plastic insulation from the end of an electrical wire to expose the metal conductor underneath. They are often handheld tools, but they can also be semi-automated or fully automated machines.

When designing handheld wire strippers, several characteristics are important, including ease of use. “The tool should be ergonomic and have easy operation. It should be comfortable to work with all day, without requiring so much pressure on your hand,” said Laurin Krome, junior business development manager-workplace solutions, cabinet products division, Weidmuller USA. Krome explained that a tool with an uncomfortable grip or one that requires too much force can cause repetitive use injuries. A hand-held wire stripper should have a compact design that is sized to fit comfortably in a hand and has a small profile that can easily be stored and transported.

The stripax plus tool from Weidmuller USA can cut, strip, and crimp single wires in the cross-section range from AWG 20 to 14 (0.5 to 2.5 mm2).

Phoenix Contact stripping tools from the WIREFOX product range feature an ergonomic design and deliver excellent, precise results. The hardened blades with special geometries ensure maximum durability. The WIREFOX stripping tools can strip conductors and cables quickly, reliably, and cleanly. Appropriate tools are available for standard and special types of insulation.

“In general, we are looking for precision functionality. For example, the tool should eliminate wire damage, such as cut strands for stranded wire or scraping the plating of the conductor,” said Krome. This is accomplished with superior blades that are made of a special steel and a unique design to easily pierce through insulation, thus establishing a longer work life. In addition, once a blade set has reached its life expectancy, replacements should be made available. The replacement blade-sets should accommodate a wide wire range and type of insulation being removed, for example, THHN, MTW, and PVC.”

Wire strippers are used in production settings, such as for cabinet building, and also in the field. “Panel builders prepare hundreds of wires a day for large-scale production, while technicians in the field need something a little more portable and compact that they can take with them to do things like field installations, repairs, or maintenance work,” said Vilmos Dery, product specialist-workplace solutions, cabinet products division, Weidmuller USA. Continuous workflow is crucial in this type of high-volume environment. “Customers rely on consistency but also time efficiency. So, it’s got to be easy to use and fast.”

Ethernet Cable Stripping & Crimping Machine (Esm-10) from TE Connectivity

Weidmuller USA offers an array of equipment for fully automated and semi-automated wire processing.

Dery explained that they have semi-automated machines to do this work, which includes the capability to remove a defined length of insulation to match the crimped contact being attached within seconds. Nevertheless, panel builders often prefer hand tools for their flexibility. Hand tools offer some level of personalization by the user. “If something breaks down and wire preparation is needed, technicians feel comfortable using a manual stripping tool to support getting a system operational in a quick manner. Added functionality is incorporated to support subtle adjustments to strip various thickness of insulation and the tool profile for improved fit to the technician’s hands,” he said.

Krome expressed the importance of involving the workers who will be using the wire strippers in the purchasing decision. “We need the workers to test the tools because they are, in the end, the ones who need to work with them all day long.” Larger automated machines are more limited in that respect; however, depending on the application, they may be appropriate.

For those applications where large volumes of wires are being prepared, the Wire Processing Center from Weidmuller USA is a semi-automated system that combines multiple pieces of equipment to perform various functions under the control of software that imposes a consistent wire preparation process. This consists of stripping insulation off the wire, installing a contact, and finalizing preparation within 1-2 seconds.

Markets and Applications 

Datacom/Telecom, Automotive, Industrial, Aerospace, Medical

Networking, fiber optic, telephone systems; vehicle assembly and repair; wiring industrial machinery and control panels; aircraft systems; pacemakers and surgical instruments; electronic devices and components; residential wiring.

Schleuniger’s Cut & Strip Family E300 cuts and strips wire, tubing, ribbon, and multiconductor cable from 0.3 – 8.0 mm (0.012 – 0.31″) with cross-sections from 0.05 – 10 mm² (36 – 8 AWG).

Molex Hand Wire Stripping Tool for 34-8 AWG wire

Daniels Manufacturing wire stripper for 26 AWG to 16 AWG wire, available from Mouser Electronics.

Suppliers 

Weidmuller, Schleuniger, Phoenix Contact, Molex, TE Connectivity, Daniels Manufacturing (Mouser Electronics)

Like this article? Check out our other Meet the Connector and Connector Basics articles, our Connector & Cable Special Topics Market Page, and our 2025 Article Archives. 

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