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NEW TOOLS IN THE MARKETPLACE
Crimping Tools Help Companies Keep Up With Aggressive Deadlines
Saving time on the completion of the new Wal-Mart facility in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania was of the utmost importance. Construction tasks, from sheet rock to lighting, needed to be completed swiftly (within a five-month time table) but carefully, and with the same quality for which Wal-Mart is known.
When LaCorte Companies Inc. was contracted to handle the electrical work for Wal-Mart's new 1.3 million square-foot regional distribution warehouse -- which included all of the inside electrical work, from switch gear, to power distribution, to all of the internal lighting -- there was a tremendous amount of crimping that needed to be done.
Using battery-powered crimping tools for the first time, Nick Cioffi, the LaCorte foreman superintendent on the job, found that he and his team were able to save about five seconds per crimp over standard hydraulic or mechanical crimpers. This may not sound particularly significant, yet over the course of the five months that his crew worked on the job, which included crimping for all the feeders, approximately 20 switch gear and some 50 panels, Cioffi estimates that, conservatively, he was able to save as much as a week's worth of labour. This is particularly noteworthy considering the aggressive five-month timetable that Wal-Mart had established for the project's completion (beginning in mid-September 2001 and completed by mid-February 2002).
It was a timetable that would have made lesser companies quiver, but one that LaCorte was determined to meet, for two reasons. First, LaCorte has grown to become the premier electrical construction firm in New York's Capital Region. Thus, LaCorte's reputation is on the line with every job it undertakes. What's more, the company already had a track record with Wal-Mart, having done a previous job for the chain in Johnstown, New York, so an important business relationship was on the line as well.
The tools of choice for Cioffi and his crew were the Batool series of battery actuated tool products from FCI-Burndy, a leading connector manufacturer and provider of OEM solutions to the industrial, energy, application tooling and automotive industries. Using two crimpers -- one running, one waiting fully charged -- ensured that there was no downtime on the project.
According to Cioffi, the timesaving that the Batool products helped his team achieve was only the tip of the iceberg.
"We've always used hydraulic crimpers," said Cioffi. "And after using the mechanical crimper, we couldn't believe how much easier the work was. The amount of labour involved in using hydraulic or even mechanical crimpers is substantial. Basically, the machine does the work for you, compressing the lug down on the wire and automatically releasing after being compressed. Ultimately, the compression lug is better because the mechanical crimper requires the operator to actually screw the lug down. What's more, you actually take a physical beating using the hydraulic crimpers. With the battery tool, your body takes less of a pounding."
The Burndy Batool series of battery actuated tool products can be operated with only one hand, making them the only true, one-handed, battery-powered crimping and cutting tools available in the world today.
The Burndy Batool series tools incorporate a constant power (no pulse) microhydraulic pump with true, industry standard 10,000-psi output for consistent compressions. Standard 14.4 V-DC battery voltage and rapid recharging, in 20 minutes, provide up to 1,000 recharge cycles per battery for longer working life. The head of the crimping tool is less bulky than the hydraulic tool, which makes it easier to move in and out of tight areas. Augmenting its maneuverability is the Batool's infinite, 360-degree head rotation, which allows for versatile tool head positioning. This is in contrast to the hoses that the operator must carry around with the hydraulic version.
"It's unbelievable just how flexible and maneuverable the Batool series tools are," said Rick Fortuin, Site project Superintendent. "This is critical, because in an entire facility like a warehouse, there are inevitably going to be certain areas that are extremely difficult to reach, no matter what tools you're using. The use of Batool series tools just makes it that much easier."
Not to be lost in the discussion of time savings and flexibility is the quality of the crimping that the Batool series allows. The crimping tool is used to put a lug on the wire through compression. The ramifications of substandard crimping can be significant. Without proper crimping, it is conceivable to experience short circuits, or even a catastrophe if the gear were to blow up. Crimping is tremendously important. Using too large a crimp can cause arcing in the circuit and, essentially, the electrical work will be substandard. The proper tools are necessary for high quality work.
"Clearly, the Batool series helped us to meet Wal-Mart's aggressive production schedule, which was one of their biggest concerns," said Cioffi. "When you throw in the quality of the crimp produced, as well as the ease of use, it's really a no-brainer." ET
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