Terminal crimping unit and terminal crimping method

A terminal crimping unit comprising:

• a measuring section configured to cut out in sequence a plurality of harness-use electric wires by repeating a measuring process including pulling out and cutting a required length of an electric wire;
• a conveying section configured to receive in sequence the harness-use electric wires from the measuring section, grab and convey at least one of electric wire end portions along a predetermined conveying route;
• a stripping section configured to perform, on the harness-use electric wires conveyed along the conveying route, a stripping process for removing tip coatings of the electric wire end portions to expose core wires;
• a crimping section located downstream of the stripping section on the conveying route, and configured to perform, on the harness-use electric wires conveyed through the stripping section, a crimping process for crimping connector terminals to the electric wire end portions of which core wires are exposed;
• a crimping confirmation section located downstream of the crimping section on the conveying route, and configured to perform, on the harness-use electric wires conveyed through the crimping section, a crimping confirmation process of photographing the electric wire end portions to which the connector terminals have been crimped, and determining whether predetermined crimping criteria are satisfied based on a photographed post-crimping image;
• a selective discarding section located downstream of the crimping confirmation section on the conveying route, and configured to perform, on the harness-use electric wires conveyed through the crimping confirmation section, a selective discarding process of discarding the harness-use electric wires that do not satisfy the crimping criteria;
• an electric wire setting section located downstream of the selective discarding section on the conveying route, and configured to perform, on the harness-use electric wires conveyed along the conveying route that satisfy the crimping criteria, an electric wire setting process of, by using a setting mechanism, removing, from the conveying route, the electric wire end portions to which the connector terminals have been crimped to transport the electric wire end portions to a predetermined electric wire holder so that the predetermined electric wire holder holds the electric wire end portions;
• and
• a holder moving section disposed in a position adjacent to the electric wire setting section, and configured to perform a holder moving process of moving, to a delivery position, the electric wire holder that has held the harness-use electric wires and that has undergone the electric wire setting process,
• wherein the electric wire holder is a rod-shaped member, and has a plurality of slits arranged in a row along a rod length direction into which the harness-use electric wires can be inserted,
• the electric wire holder is arranged in an upward orientation in which the plurality of slits face upward with respect to a gravity direction during the electric wire setting process, and
• the electric wire setting section causes the setting mechanism to access, from above in the gravity direction, the electric wire holder in the upward orientation to cause the electric wire holder to hold the harness-use electric wires, and
• the holder moving section tilts the electric wire holder in the upward orientation to a sideway orientation in which the plurality of slits face a horizontal direction, and then, slides the electric wire holder to the delivery position.