Offshore staff
WELLINGTON, Colorado -- American Power Tool Co. of Wellington, Colorado has developed and patented a new portable computer-controlled power tool, designed to streamline installation of instrument grade fittings. The new product – Aeroswage, provides accurate assembly combined with instant documentation of high quality gaugeable fittings in seconds, according to the company. Uniting a precision drive train with an automatic electronic micrometer, the integrated fitting body capture feature grasps and holds the fitting body for one-handed installation of two ferrule fittings.
Aeroswage delivers accuracy and repeatability by continuously monitoring the complete swaging process, the company says. The tool's on-board micrometer measures nut to body gap and closure rates thousands of times per second during the assembly process to establish a precise final nut to body gap. Simultaneously, Aeroswage compares the installation in progress to numerous checkpoints within the tool's comprehensive database. This ensures a reliable, repeatable swage, meeting factory recommended installation requirements for each fitting installed.
Aeroswage automatically pinpoints and detects missing and inverted ferrules or cross threaded nuts. This eliminates the subjectivity of determining the hand tight starting position, manual marking of witness locations and 1 ¼ turns of manual hand wrenching of the fitting hex nut. Aeroswage virtually eliminates the potential for tube blow outs and leaks associated with incomplete hand wrenching procedures, the company says.
All data compiled concerning each swage installation is easily downloaded to a computer through the tools' onboard USB port for archiving and future reference. Valuable Quality Assurance data provides verification of the accuracy of each fitting's assembly; saving time and money by minimizing rework, according to the company.
03/18/2008
