Crimp
Crimp turns up in 3 fields: nonwovens, shop slang, electronics. Here is what it means to the people in each one.
Crimp in nonwovens
The waviness built into staple fibers so they cling together during opening and carding.
Synthetic fibers leave spinning smooth and straight, so a stuffer box or heat treatment presses a zigzag or helical wave into them, counted in crimps per centimeter or per inch. Crimp gives a card web the cohesion to hold together and adds bulk and resilience to the finished fabric. Too little and the web falls apart at the doffer; too much and fibers tangle into neps.
"New lot has barely any crimp, the web keeps dropping off the doffer at full speed."
Crimp in shop slang
To join two pieces of metal by deforming one or both of them to hold the other.
A method of joining materials, usually wires to terminals or metal pipes to fittings, by mechanically deforming them with a specialized tool. The resulting joint relies on the physical pinch rather than solder or adhesives. It creates a secure electrical or fluid-tight connection when done with the correct die and pressure.
"Make sure you crimp those ring terminals tightly so they don't vibrate loose on the compressor."
Crimp in electronics
To mechanically deform a metal connector around a wire to create a secure electrical connection.
A method of joining a wire to a terminal by tightly compressing the metal barrel of the terminal around the stripped wire strands. When done with the correct die and pressure, it creates a gas-tight bond that prevents corrosion and resists mechanical vibration better than soldering. It is the standard method for terminating wires in aerospace, automotive, and industrial electronics.
"You need to crimp those pins with the ratcheting tool, not a pair of pliers, or they'll pull right out."