CONNECTOR PROCESSING MACHINE

A connector handling machine (100) includes a contact feeding mechanism (200) at a contact loading station (102), the contact feeding mechanism having an unwinder (210) configured to support a contact reel having a contact strip (62) and a feeding device (230) configured to feed contacts from the contact loading station to a contact stacking station. The connector processing machine includes a contact stacking module at a contact stacking station, the contact stacking module having a contact striker mechanism with a contact cutter configured to successively shear contacts from a contact strip, and a contact inserter mechanism with a contact pusher configured to push the contact strip to the contact striker mechanism. The contact pusher is configured to successively move the sheared contacts into a contact receiving nest where the contacts are stacked into a contact stack. The connector processing machine includes a contact manipulator configured to pick up the contact stack from the contact receiving nest and