Panduit PN14-10F-C 14-18 AWG Fork Terminal

Panduit PN14-10F-C Pan-Term Locking Fork Terminal

The Panduit PN14-10F-C is a UL-listed locking fork terminal designed for 14-18 AWG wire on #10 screw studs. The insulated metal sleeve crimps onto both conductor and wire insulation, providing strain relief in vibration-prone installations—power distribution panels, UPS battery banks, access control boards, and outdoor equipment enclosures where mechanical stress loosens standard terminals. Blue nylon color-coding aids wire-gauge identification during multi-circuit installations, and the fork design allows connection and disconnection without removing the fastener entirely, reducing downtime during maintenance or circuit additions.

Key Features

• Locking tongue: Snap-fit design maintains contact pressure on the screw terminal, preventing walk-off in environments with continuous vibration or thermal cycling
• Insulated barrel crimp: Metal sleeve extends over wire insulation, anchoring the crimp point and distributing pull forces across a larger area than uninsulated terminals
• Serrated barrel interior: Teeth bite into stranded copper for maximum tensile strength and low-resistance contact across the full crimp zone
• Fork tongue: Side-entry design permits installation and removal without fully backing out the screw, critical for dense terminal blocks and energized-circuit work under lockout procedures
• Tin-plated finish: Zinc-coated copper resists corrosion in damp or coastal environments and maintains conductivity over the terminal's service life
• UL 587H and CSA LR31212 listed: Certified for commercial and industrial wiring applications per NEC Article 110 and CEC requirements

The PN14-10F-C's insulated-barrel construction addresses a common failure mode in control and power circuits: conductor pull-out under mechanical load. Standard uninsulated fork terminals crimp only the conductor strands; any pull force on the wire (cable tray sagging, equipment movement, accidental tugs during adjacent work) concentrates entirely on the crimp point. Panduit's insulated-sleeve design extends the crimp zone back onto the wire jacket, creating a mechanical anchor that transfers strain to the insulation rather than the conductor strands. This matters in outdoor camera power drops, overhead cable runs, and equipment racks subject to shipping vibration. The internal serrations—raised teeth molded into the barrel's inner surface—deform the copper strands during crimp, creating a gas-tight connection resistant to oxidation and fretting corrosion. Paired with the locking tongue's retention-spring action, the terminal maintains contact force even as thermal expansion cycles the screw terminal between 0°F and 160°F.

Deploy PN14-10F-C terminals in any application requiring quick-connect #10 studs with 14-18 AWG wire: power-supply output terminals, UPS battery-lug connections, access control panel field-device commons, and PoE switch ground bars. The fork opening (0.34 in internal clearance) fits #10-32 and #10-24 machine screws, M5 metric studs, and #10 grounding screws common in rack PDUs and equipment chassis. Installation requires a ratcheting crimp tool with insulated-terminal positioner (Panduit CT-1550 or equivalent); the tool compresses the barrel in a hex profile, folding the metal evenly around conductor and insulation without splitting the sleeve or under-crimping the strands. Color-coded blue per industry wire-gauge conventions (blue = 16-14 AWG, though this terminal stretches to 18 AWG), the terminal provides at-a-glance gauge verification during QA inspections or years-later troubleshooting.

UL-listed under file E52164 and CSA-certified per LR31212, the PN14-10F-C meets NEC 110.14 connection requirements and CEC 12-118 termination standards for commercial installations subject to electrical inspection. The nylon insulation carries a UL94-HB flammability rating, acceptable for enclosed equipment and non-plenum wiring applications. Packaged 100 terminals per bag with carton quantities of 500, this terminal suits medium and large projects—rack power distribution retrofits, multi-panel access control expansions, or camera-installation teams running dozens of power drops per day. The locking fork's snap-fit retention and insulated barrel's strain relief deliver field reliability without requiring specialty tools, adhesive-lined heat shrink, or secondary wire ties, reducing both install time and callback risk from vibration-loosened connections.