User report – How e-screwdrivers facilitate the work of electricians.... There must be a way to make this faster and easier, thought Achim Rosenfelder from St. Georgen in the Black Forest region of Germany. ...
There must be a way to make this faster and easier, thought Achim Rosenfelder from St. Georgen in the Black Forest region of Germany. The self-employed master electrician for energy and building management was faced with the situation of having to invest many hours in tedious fastenings, sometimes amounting to hundreds of such tasks on a single day. Whether during distribution panel wiring, fitting of wall sockets or the repair of white goods – the typical fastening activities of electricians are simply very often very time consuming. Painful wrists in the evening due to the tedious tasks and extensive fastening work were practically pre-programmed. In light of full order books, regular customers who expect quick service and the high requirements of constantly evolving technologies, the days of electricians are filled to the brim. But where can one start to expedite these work steps? The owner of the family-run business and private collector of old to historic electrical devices has always been passionate about good tools and interested in new solutions on the market. This is why searching for a solution in this area came naturally to him...
However, for a long time Mr Rosenfelder had no alternative to the hand-held screwdriver for this type of fastenings. “Battery-powered screwdrivers who could handle the fastening faster and easier are not suitable simply due to their greater power transmission and lack of voltage protection. The risk of material damage would be far too high, screw connections usually require very sensitive and precise torque transmission that can only be accomplished by hand or with a torque tool. Housings or boxes are far too easily damaged, the screw connection can be faulty or fastened with the wrong torque. Every electrician can imagine the possible damage caused by connections that are too tight or too loose”.
Finally, he noticed a new fastening tool category a few years ago. An e-screwdriver for electricians should be designed precisely for these tasks. The concept is as follows – first the e-screwdriver turns the screw very fast but with gentle power transmission, then the material protection stop is activated when a specific torque value is reached. Finally, the screw can be tightened manually and very carefully. Voltage protection up to 1000 V AC is guaranteed, coupled with high flexibility thanks to a large number of interchangeable slimBits.
A concept that made the master electrician curious. Achim Rosenfelder decided to try and thoroughly test the new tool in every aspect. “In the beginning I was curious to see what true added value was provided by an e-screwdriver and if its purchase pays off. May it be too powerful for sensitive fastening or perhaps even too weak to fasten anything? How convenient is it in daily operation with a great number of application examples? How quickly does the battery drain, perhaps one resorts to the normal screwdriver in the end? How does it feel in terms of weight and size. There were a number of questions that I critically asked myself.”
Yet the test was favourable for the electrical tool. In combination with the voltage-protected interchangeable bits, the e-screwdriver quickly became part of the basic tools used by the specialist on a daily basis. Today, already the second, even more powerful and faster generation of the e-screwdriver is among his favourite tools. Mr Rosenfelder explained why: “Actually, the e-screwdriver starts the automatic fastening process with a mere small rotating movement of the fingers – several times faster than I would be able to do by hand. Prior to that, the slider on the handle can be used to set the material protection level to 0.4 or 1.0 Nm, depending on whether the fastening should be very gentle or rather more powerful. As soon as the fingers start the rotation movement a ring LED lights up. This is also often convenient for the shadow-free illumination of the position at which the fastening takes place. As soon as the e-screwdriver stops, I tighten the screw by hand – a great relief compared to the previous process... with the ratchet function this is also easier than with a normal screwdriver.”
Rosenfelder used the setting 1.0 Nm most frequently. “For my applications this setting is better suited than the weaker level. Only when it comes to very sensitive applications, for example on socket housings, I play it safe by using 0.4 Nm. But this depends very much on the respective application. Both levels guarantee controlled and secure fastening – which is ideally suited for me and my tasks.”
The electrical fastening support function can be additionally enhanced. For different required torque settings the e-screwdriver can simply function as a torque tool with the suitable torque adapter.
However, to put his positive evaluation in perspective, Mr Rosenfelder in conclusion pointed out something to consider: “Persons looking for a great amount of power from the e-screwdriver for very strong fastenings will not consider it to be the right tool”. It was not designed for that purpose for which there are other suitable solutions. However, electricians who frequently have fastening situations that do not require strong power transmission but in which time, control and sensitivity are key factors will find true and considerable relief in the electric fastening support.” This is why the innovative e-screwdriver has become a staple in the high-quality tool equipment of the master electrician.
As standard, the e-screwdriver is delivered with 2 batteries, a charger and two slimBits in an L Boxx. In conclusion, Mr Rosenfelder said:“In any situation where I can facilitate my work with good tools I do so – not only for the sake of myself and my health or because I am passionate about quality tools. My customers also appreciate this because time is money and quick technicians are more popular than slow ones...
For more information about e-screwdrivers for electricians, visit www.wiha.com/speede2
