Method of manufacturing an electrical contact assembly

A method of crimping electrical contacts on electrically conductive wires comprising the steps of:

• placing an electrical contact assembly of a unitary sheet of electrically conductive material into a crimping die wherein the electrical contact assembly has a plurality of formed, laterally spaced and aligned elongate closed seam tubular elements attached to a carrier via respective tabs with a carrier strip defining a grouping of the plurality of formed, laterally spaced and aligned elongate closed seam tubular elements by scored creases in the carrier parallel with the elongate closed seam tubular elements;
• inserting wires into each of the plurality of formed, laterally spaced and aligned elongate closed seam tubular elements in the electrical contact assembly;
• applying pressure to the electrical contact assembly to produce bulk material deformation on a substantial portion of each of the plurality of formed, laterally spaced and aligned elongate closed seam tubular elements to crimp the plurality of elongate closed seam tubular elements onto the plurality of wires as a plurality of electrical contacts;
• placing the plurality of electrical contacts of the electrical contact assembly on electrical contacts pads on a substrate corresponding to the positions of the plurality of electrical contacts on the electrical contact assembly;
• soldering the plurality of electrical contacts of the electrical contact assembly to the electrical contact pads on the substrate;
• and separating the carrier strip from the plurality of electrical contacts at the scored creases in the tabs.