A professional plumber’s tool for fast and reliable piping installs
The Auspex Plumbing Crimper is a professional tool designed by Cobalt for hot water piping installations.
The rising cost of copper has seen a phenomenal growth in the use of polyethylene hot-water piping within the building industry across both domestic and commercial projects. The flexible plastic pipes are connected using a large range of brass and copper connectors. In new homes, plumbers typically use the Auspex Tool to create several hundred joints (crimps) within a standard household system.
Crimping speed and reliability are vitally important to plumbers installing these piping systems as one failure can lead to a very expensive repair bill.
Cobalt developed a unique ratchet mechanism enabling a crimp to be made without opening the jaws wide. This allows plumbers to crimp connectors within in tight spaces (like roof-spaces or under floors).
DESIGN ACHIEVEMENTS
- Ratchet arm to allow use in tight spaces
- Internal ratchet & adjustment mechanisms to keep outside clean & simple
- Simplified adjustment
- Moulded, thick-section handle for easy/comfortable grip, gauge retention & weight reduction
COMMERCIAL IMPACT
- Increased system/consumable sales through availability of a superior tool
- Product is unique to Auspex in local market
- Ability to protect intellectual property through design registration
COBALT TASKS
- Industrial Design
- Ratchet Mechanics
- Product Engineering
- Prototyping
- Pilot production
- Tooling management
- Steve Martinuzzo
- David Lockwood
- Rob Clifton
A more user friendly, innovative design solution
The new Crimper is a major refinement over Auspex’s original crimping tool and features a number of innovative features. To avoid the skeletal aesthetic of most scissor-action tools, much of the engineering-design effort was focused on integrating the adjustment and ratcheting mechanisms within the tool’s body.
As a precision instrument, the Auspex Crimper holds tolerances of 25 microns (or 0.025mm) to reliably crimp the piping system together.
Although the mechanical action produces over 2 tonnes of force, the action is positive and ergonomic for all-day use. The Crimper features a unique ratcheted-arm to access awkward areas, an integrated gauge to check crimp accuracy and rugged construction to survive the roughest treatment a tradesman can deliver.
