Techniques, systems, and articles are described for preparing electrical cables for connections to a power grid. In one example, a system includes a handheld cable preparation device configured to cut one or more layers of an electrical cable and a computing device configured to control the cable preparation device to cut the one or more layers of the electrical cable.

A cable-jacket removal tool is described. The tool includes cutting unit that provides a cutting cylinder that carries a blade and a die. The blade is adjustable to provide a desired depth of cut into the cable jacket. The die is interchangeable and selectable based on a diameter or gage of cable to be stripped. A drive unit that is adapted to be driven by a common, handheld, battery operated drill is also provided. The drive unit rotates the cutting cylinder and the blade carried thereby about the circumference of the cable. The drill is coupled to the drive unit such that the axis of rotation of the drill and the cutting cylinder are substantially parallel and an operator can easily apply a force on the tool via the drill in a direction substantially parallel to those axes of rotation.

A stripping device for rapid midpoint stripping of an outer cladding layer of a cable includes a handle, a cutter disposed on the handle, a pressing assembly, and a scraper assembly. The pressing assembly includes a first bracket and a pressing part. The first bracket is disposed on the handle. The pressing part is slidably arranged on the first bracket and opposite to the cutter. The scraper assembly includes a second bracket disposed on the handle and a scraper disposed on the second bracket. The stripping device has advantages of simple operation, high stripping efficiency, and good safety.

Techniques, systems and articles are described for preparing electrical cables for connections to a power grid. In one example, a cable-preparation system includes a tool-head mount configured to couple to a cutting-tool head, wherein the cutting-tool head is configured to receive a first portion of an electrical cable and comprises a plurality of rollers and at least one rotatable cutting tool configured to cut at least one layer of the electrical cable; a cable clamp configured to retain a second portion of the electrical cable; and a guide rail extending from the tool-head mount to the cable clamp parallel to a longitudinal axis of the electrical cable, wherein the guide rail guides an axial movement of the cutting-tool head along the electrical cable as the cutting-tool head cuts the one or more layers of the electrical cable.

A wire stripper operable to strip insulation from a wire, the wire stripper including a battery, a handle portion including a receptacle that receives the battery along a battery insertion axis, a motor, the motor located in the handle portion, the motor including a motor shaft that rotates about a driveline axis. The wire stripper further includes a rotary head coupled to the motor for rotation about a wire insertion axis that is perpendicular to the driveline axis. The rotary head defines a central aperture and the wire insertion axis extends through the central aperture. A blade is coupled to the rotary head for rotation with the rotary head about the wire insertion axis. The blade extends into the central aperture to cut the insulation of the wire passing through the central aperture along the wire insertion axis as the blade rotates about the wire insertion axis.

A power tool includes a cutting unit configured to perform a cutting action, and a cutting action input unit configured to turn the cutting action on and off. The cutting action input unit is configured to, when the cutting action input unit is turned on, cause the cutting unit to move in a direction of an end position of the cutting action, and when the cutting action input unit is turned off, cause the cutting unit to stop moving in a case where the cutting action has not ended at a time when the cutting action input unit is turned off, and move in a direction of a standby position at which the cutting unit was located prior to a start of the cutting action in a case where the cutting action has ended at the time when the cutting action input unit is turned off.

A cable-jacket removal tool is described. The tool includes cutting unit that provides a cutting cylinder that carries a blade and a die. The blade is adjustable to provide a desired depth of cut into the cable jacket. The die is interchangeable and selectable based on a diameter or gage of cable to be stripped. A drive unit that is adapted to be driven by a common, handheld, battery operated drill is also provided. The drive unit rotates the cutting cylinder and the blade carried thereby about the circumference of the cable. The drill is coupled to the drive unit such that the axis of rotation of the drill and the cutting cylinder are substantially parallel and an operator can easily apply a force on the tool via the drill in a direction substantially parallel to those axes of rotation.

Techniques, systems and articles are described for preparing electrical cables for connections to a power grid. In one example, a cable-cross-section-measurement tool includes a housing defining a cavity, wherein the housing is configured to position an end-face of an electrical cable within the cavity; a camera disclosed within the cavity of the housing, wherein the camera is configured to capture an image of the end-face of the electrical cable; and a telecentric lens optically coupled to the camera, wherein the telecentric lens comprises a non-angular field of view configured to reduce, in the image, distortion from parallax associated with at least one portion of the end-face of the electrical cable that is oriented at an oblique angle relative to an optical axis of the telecentric lens.

A cable-jacket removal tool is described. The tool includes cutting unit that provides a cutting cylinder that carries a blade and a die. The blade is adjustable to provide a desired depth of cut into the cable jacket. The die is interchangeable and selectable based on a diameter or gage of cable to be stripped. A drive unit that is adapted to be driven by a common, handheld, battery operated drill is also provided. The drive unit rotates the cutting cylinder and the blade carried thereby about the circumference of the cable. The drill is coupled to the drive unit such that the axis of rotation of the drill and the cutting cylinder are substantially parallel and an operator can easily apply a force on the tool via the drill in a direction substantially parallel to those axes of rotation.

One embodiment is directed to a tool to cut and strip a radiating coaxial cable. The tool comprises first and second jaws, a linkage that couples the first jaw to the second jaw, a cutting blade, and a stripping blade. The tool is configured to position at least a portion of the cutting blade to cut and sever the cable at a first point along the cable when the tool is rotated around the cable while the first jaw and the second jaw are closed around the cable. The tool is configured to position at least a portion of the stripping blade to cut the jacket of the cable, without severing the cable, at a second point along the cable when the tool is rotated around the cable while the first jaw and the second jaw are closed around the cable. Other embodiments are disclosed.