ELECTROTEHNIC, ELECTRONIC, AUTOMATIC, 60 (2012), nr.

49

Monitoring and control of composite insulators crimping

process using the acoustic emissions technique
Adrian VINTILA
Abstract
The end fittings of the composite line insulators are crimped onto the glass reinforced polymer (GRP) rod with a
hydraulic press.The bonding between the GRP rod and the metal end fitting in the insulators is strongly
dependent on the magnitude of compression applied during crimping and the friction coefficient between the
fitting and the rod. The composite insulators producers use the acoustic emissions technique for monitoring the
crimping process of the end fittings. But this method of AE monitoring indicates only if the cracks are occurred.
A new method for crimping composite electrical insulators, using the acoustic emission (AE) technique to set
the crimping pressure is presented. The new method achieved the crimping process in the three steps too, but
the pressure value and the holding time are established by two definite AE thresholds. In the first step the
pressure increases up to the first AE threshold. In the second step the pressure is held until the second AE
threshold becomes active. In the third step the pressure is discharged. This method was successfully tested for
crimping composite insulators with reversed crimping conditions. The results from the tests clearly demonstrate
that the rods are pulled-out without fracture or cracks because the stress is not exceeded and the quality of the
crimping process is ensured by applying the optimum crimping pressure.
Keywords: composite electrical insulator, crimping process, acoustic emission technique

1. Introduction
A composite insulator consists of glass
reinforced polymer (GRP) rod, two metal end
fittings attached to the rod during assembly
and a series of electrically insulating rubber
sheds (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Composite insulator

The insulator assembly must be able to

withstand tensile force as per particular
specification of insulator [4].
The primary function of the end fittings is
to provide a mechanical link and to transfer
loads from the high voltage conductor to the
GRP-rod (at the line end), and from the GRP
rod to the tower (at the tower end).
Modern GRP demonstrate a number of

Adrian VINTIL, Eng.: ICMET-Craiova, Bd. Decebal 118A

(Calea Bucuresti, 144), RO-200746 Craiova, Romania,
adrian_vintila@icmet.ro

advantages compared to conventional

materials. Due to reliability, low cost and
reproductibility, compression type joints
become state-of-art in composite insulators
technology. The bonding between the GRP
rod and the metal end fitting in the insulators
is strongly dependent on the magnitude of
compression applied during crimping and the
friction coefficient between the fitting and the
rod. The excessive crimping deformation
may result in fracture of the core. The cracks
might gradually grow in service due to
complex mechanical (static and cyclic) stress
as well as the chemical and electrical
environment associated with high voltage
applications.
Humidity
and
corona
discharges could have a severe effect on the
in-service performance of over crimped
composite insulators.
The combined effect of the mechanical,
electrical and environmental stress can
cause brittle fracture failures of high voltage
composite suspension insulators in-service
[1]. On the other hand, low crimping
deformation will provide a too weak joint.
The mechanical strength of a composite
insulator with crimped end-fittings can be
determined by pulling the GRP rod out of the
end-fittings.
A hydraulic press is used to drive the die
set in the radial direction, towards the end

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ELECTROTEHNIC, ELECTRONIC, AUTOMATIC, 60 (2012), nr. 2

fitting. The standard crimping process is

achieved in three steps. In the first step, the
crimping pressure increasesup to set value.
In the second step, the pressure is held at
this value until the set holding time is
finished. In the third step the pressure is
discharged.
The insulator strength will depend on the
amount of compression applied during
manufacturing, the frictional properties of the
rod/fitting interface and the geometry of the
fitting. There are three important factors
related to the fitting geometry which strongly
influence the insulator strength.
The first factor is the length of the fitting.
Obviously, long fittings provide higher
insulator strength than short ones.
The second important factor is the size of
a gap between the internal surface of the
fitting and the rod surface before crimping is
applied.
The third factor is the internal surface of
the fitting. Smooth surfaces will require
larger compression deformations applied to
the fitting and the rod surface in comparison
with rough surfaces (for example threaded
surfaces) for the same strength properties of
the insulators.
The other factor which also can have a
significant affect on the insulator strength is
the material of the fitting. Since the
mechanical bonding between the GRP rod
and fitting in crimped composite insulators is
achieved due to the plastic deformation of
the fitting material during crimping, the effect
of plasticity of the fitting on the insulator
strength could be significant. Different
elasto-plastic properties of the fitting
materials can noticeably influence the
internal stress distributions in the GRP rod
and thus the insulator strength for the same
amount of compression applied to the fitting.
Two main factors [3] affect the crimping
process, for the same forming load and for
the same joint. These are material properties
and tolerances of the components.
The composite insulators producers use
the acoustic emissions technology for
monitoring the crimping process of the end
fittings. An acoustic emission may be definite
as a transient elastic wave by the rapid
release of energy within a material. With AE
equipment we can listento the sounds of
fiber glass breaking and cracks growing.
This method of AE monitoring indicates only
if the cracks occurred.

2. Crimping condition and insulator

failure
The insulators were crimped [2] with the
following four crimping conditions : standard
stress condition, constant
high stress
condition, high stress condition and reversed
stress condition.
Three insulators, from each group were
tested to establish relationships between the
type of compression profile and the type of
insulator failure (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Mechanical test results

The insulators with the standard stress

conditions failed by the insulator rod simply
being pulling out of the end-fitting. No visible
damage to the rod was observed. However,
traces of white powder inside the fitting and
on the rod surface inside the fittings were
detected.
The failure of the insulators crimped with
the high stress conditions was characterized
by a large crack in the rod inside the fittings,
with considerable splitting in the rod.
The reversed stress crimping was also
characterized by cracks in the rod well down
in the end grip. However, the cracks were
smaller and much more splitting and pull-out
was observed.
The constant high stress conditions gave
by far the most splitting and pullout of the
four samples.
The mechanical tests result obtained from
the pull-out tests clearly show that the
failure process of insulators is strongly
dependent on the crimping process.
The insulators with the standard stress
condition of crimping failed by pull-out. The
other crimping conditions resulted in the

ELECTROTEHNIC, ELECTRONIC, AUTOMATIC, 60 (2012), nr. 2

mechanical failure of the rods. Very little

scatter has been observed in the loads at
failure for all the insulators investigated It
was also shown that the failures by pull-out
or by rod fracture occurred almost at the
same load level.

51

set by software and determines the sudden

release of the crimping pressure. The
pressure decrease below the value pi
finalizes the data acquisition.
In Figure 4, two samples for proprer
crimping process are illustrated.

3. Method for crimping using acoustic

emission and pressure monitoring
I - Zone of linear increase of the crimping
pressure, from pi value up to pv value
(Figure 3).

Figure 3. Acoustic emissions signature for crimping

process

The pressure pi, value set by software,

represents the pressure initiating the data
acquisition. The pressure pv, value set by
software, represents the pressure from
which the acoustic emissions are validated.
The removal of acoustic emissions within the
pressure interval pi-pv is necessary because
they have high values at the initial contact
between fittings and rod. The acoustic
emissions are also determined by the local
crushing caused by rod unevenness and
fittings roughness and do not affect the
crimping quality.
II - Zone of linear increase of the crimping
pressure from pv value up to pc value, with
the same slope as in zone I. The pc pressure
represents the crimping pressure and is
determined by the reaching of AE1 value by
the acoustic emissions.The threshold value
AE1 is set by software and determines the
stopping of the crimping pressure increase
and maintaining it constant.
III - Zone for compressing the fittings and
rod at the constant crimping pressure pc until
reaching the second level of acoustic
emissions AE2. The threshold value AE2 is

Figure 4. Acoustic emissions for proper crimping

process

4. Equipment for crimping composite

insulators
The acoustic sensor mounted on the die
of the crimping press (Figure 5, Figure 6)
detects acoustic emissions appearing in the
crimping process of the fittings on the rod of
the composite insulator.

Figure 5. Equipment for crimping composite

insulators

ELECTROTEHNIC, ELECTRONIC, AUTOMATIC, 60 (2012), nr. 2

52

Figure 6. Acoustic sensor placement

The electrical signal is filtered and

amplified. The equipment for acoustic
emission monitoring and for crimping
pressure control (Figure 6) receives the AE
signal and an electric signal of pressure from
the hydraulic installation of the crimping
press by means of pressure transducer.

Figure 7. Monitoring equipment

The equipment comunicates with the

computer on which the software is installed.
The monitoring equipment also limits the
crimping pressure achieved by the hydraulic
installation.
5. Experimental results
To examine the methode for crimping
composite electrical insulators, six insulators
with reversed stress conditions were tested
up to pull-out (over Specified Mechanical
Load).
All of these insulators with SML 120 kN
failure by rod pull-out.
The maximum load was between 158 and
160 kN.
No damage to the rod was found, except
traces of white powder indicating that the
crimping method did not create any damage.
No transverse surface cracks in the GRP
rod was found.
6. Conclusions
The method for crimping the fitting on the
composite insulator rod using acoustic
emission and crimping pressure monitoring
provides:

- Insulators free from any intralaminar

damage due to optimal crimping of the
fittings on the insulator rod;
- The rods are pulled-out without
fracture or cracks because the stress is
not exceeded;
- Metallic end-fittings with different
hardnesses can be used because the
system automatically controls the
crimping pressure depending on
acoustic emissions;
- Crimpings when the differences in the
diameters of the rod and end-fittigs are
within the allowed tolerance field.

6. Acknowledgment
This work was financially supported by the
National Authority for Scientific Research (ANCS)
of Romania, under the scientific Programme
Nucleu, project Monitoring of the glass
reinforced polymer rod and metal end fitting
crimping process for polymer insulators Code
PN 06 02 02 10 / 2007.
7. References
[1] KUMOSA M., HAN Y., KUMOSA L.,
"Analyses of Composite Insulators with
Crimped End-Fittings: Part I - Non Linear
Finite Element Computation, in Composites
Science & Technology, Vol. 62, No. 9, pp.11911207, 2002
[2] KUMOSA M., ARMENTROUT D., KUMOSA
L., HAN Y., CARPENTER S.H., "Analyses of
Composite Insulators with Crimped EndFittings: Part I - Suitable crimping conditions,
in Composites Science & Technology, Vol.
62, No. 9, pp.1209-1221, 2002
[3] BENEVOLENSKI O. I., KRLLICS G., "FE
Analysys of the Control Methods Used in
Crimping of Joints with Polymer Composite
Cores", in Periodica Polytechnica Ser. Mech.
eng. Vol. 45, No. 2, PP.135155, 2001
[4] Prenleloup A., Gmr T., Botis J., Papailiou K.
O., "Acoustic emission study and strength
analysis of crimped steel-composite joints
under traction", available online 6 June 2005
at www.sciencedirect.com

8. Biography
Adrian VINTIL was born in
Craiova (Romania), on September 6,
1961. He graduated the University of
Craiova - the Faculty of Mechanics
(Romania) in 1986. He is Head of
Research Development Laboratory
for Electromechanical Equipment at Research,
Development and Testing National Institute for
Electrical
Engineering

ICMET
Craiova
(Romania). His research interests concern:
vibratory equipment, machinery, systems and
testing equipments.