Just the right place to take a closer look at two pairs of
pliers from Phoenix Contact. This is because the the fact that
Phoenix Contact has much more than just terminal blocks and
other well-known products in its range, but also manufactures
and sells its own tools, is often new even to experienced
professionals from industry and trade. The “Crimpfox Duo
10” and the “Wirefox 10” were therefore packed up and
handed over to the Bielefeld company for a 14-day endurance
test. For two weeks, the set of crimping and stripping pliers
accompanied installers and then were critically assessed.
On the construction site, everything is equal at the outset.
And against the top dogs of the tool industry, newcomers
traditionally have a hard time, especially in the trades.
In practice
A good two weeks later, Julius Stückemann clicks the rotating
die of the Crimpfox Duo 10 back and forth. The 28-year-old
future company boss, who will share his task with his brother
Heinrich, is also responsible for marketing at Stückemann.
But the smart young entrepreneur is also at home in the
workshop and on the construction site, as he demonstrates
at the apprentice workbench. He quickly snatches up a few
cables, sets the pliers in the right light, and then demonstrates
what his colleagues experienced “in the wild” with the elegant
Swedish pliers.
“Although the Wirefox 10 stripping pliers are not a
groundbreaking new invention, they impressed our employees
with their excellent handling and the convenient and rapid
stripping-length adjustment function. However, it is almost
too good to lie around in the dust and dirt inside a toolbag
waiting to be used – our technicians would expect problems
with the mechanics in the long run.
The Crimpfox is altogether different. It impressed everyone.
It quickly became clear to us that it would only be underutilized
when used on standard construction sites in new
buildings. But my colleagues had to work on new installations
in older plants several times. Wherever the wiring in a control
cabinet has to be changed from old to new, you often have
the problem that the old cables are very short. The swiveling
crimping die is a fantastic solution to this problem.”
However, Stückemann does have one line of criticism.
“Some of my colleagues would have liked the pliers to crimp
up to 16 mm 2 , but they only work up to a cable cross-section
of 10 mm 2 . This is sometimes not enough.” However, Julius
Stückemann and his colleagues did not want to return the
two pairs of pliers. “These are staying stay here!” Which is
probably the best compliment of all for the steel Swedes from
Älvdalen. (lo) •
phoenixcontact.com
“The swiveling trick
is genius, especially
when working in and
on old installations.”
Julius Stückemann,
ITS Stückemann
Smooth workflow thanks to good tools
– just how professionals like to work
30
UPDATE 5/20
The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine