Sta-Kon RAS18-8FLX HEAT-SHR LKG FORK TERM, 22-18, No8,

The RAS18-8FLX accepts 22 to 18 AWG stranded copper conductor. That is the small control and signal wire range, so it is the wrong terminal for 16 AWG and larger - step up to the next barrel size for those. The red insulation is the standard color code for the 22-18 range, which makes it easy to sort on a bench with mixed terminals.

It is sized for a No. 8 stud or screw. The fork (spade) tongue slides in under a loosened No. 8 terminal screw without removing it, which is why it gets used on terminal blocks, relay bases, and control panel strips where pulling the screw all the way out is a nuisance.

The insulation sleeve on this Sta-Kon terminal is a heat shrink barrel rather than plain vinyl. After you crimp, you hit it with a heat gun and the sleeve shrinks down onto the wire jacket, sealing the crimp against moisture and giving strain relief at the point where the conductor exits. That is why it is specified for marine, outdoor, wash-down, and vibration-prone equipment instead of a standard nylon-insulated fork.

A locking fork has tangs turned up at the tips of the tongue. Once the screw is torqued down, those tangs bite and resist the terminal backing out under vibration. A plain spade can walk out from under a loosened screw. If the equipment vibrates - motor controls, HVAC units, mobile equipment - the locking style is the one to use. If you want a connection that cannot come off at all without removing the screw, use a ring terminal instead.

The RAS18-8FLX is rated 600 V, so it covers standard 120V, 208V, 277V, and 480V control and power circuit work within its 22-18 AWG conductor range. The voltage rating is a function of the insulation sleeve, so do not cut the sleeve back to make it fit a tight terminal block.

Crimp it with an insulated-terminal crimper matched to the red 22-18 AWG color code nest - the same die position you would use for any red barrel. The difference is the second step: heat shrink terminals need a heat gun afterward to shrink and seal the sleeve. A lighter or torch scorches the adhesive liner and is not the right tool.

No. The barrel is copper, so it is intended for copper conductors only. Aluminum needs a terminal rated AL or AL9CU with the appropriate inhibitor compound. Putting copper-only hardware on aluminum sets up a galvanic connection that loosens and heats over time.

The manufacturer part number is RAS18-8FLX from Sta-Kon. Reading the code: R is the red 22-18 AWG range, 8 is the No. 8 stud size, and the FLX suffix marks it as the locking fork with the heat shrink sleeve. Quote that full number - the non-shrink and non-locking versions of the same stud size carry different suffixes.

Country of origin is the United States. That matters on federally funded work and any job carrying a domestic-content requirement in the specification.