A female blade terminal assembly including a female blade terminal having a cage structure adapted to receive a male blade terminal and a shroud of seamless tubular cross sectional configuration adapted to fit over the cage structure in surrounding relation to the beam portions of the cage structure. The female blade terminal is formed from a single piece of conductive sheet material of a given thickness and the beam portions have a thickness less than the given thickness. The cage portion further includes front and rear annular collar portions of the given thickness with the reduced thickness beam portions extending between the annular collar portions. The shroud precludes outward splaying of the cage structure in response to insertion of the male blade terminal, limits the outward deflection of the beam portions to preclude plastic deformation of the beam portions, and precludes the entry of contaminants into the electrical interface between the beam portions and the male blade terminal. A method of forming the female blade terminal assembly is also disclosed.
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