Page 44 - IEC Insights Jul-Aug19

FEATURE

UL Listed to UL 486 A/B. A UL-compliant RFID, SENSOR, CLOUD AND the Apple App Store and Google Play
connection is achieved with a single BLUETOOTH TECHNOLOGY free of charge, the mobile application
crimp on long- and short-barrel lugs and provides full control to the designated
splices (aluminum lugs terminating copper Radio-frequency identification (RFID) person or people and can track user
conductors require two crimps), unlike technology enables digital data encoded output and generate reports. It uses
older systems that may require multiple in radio waves to be recorded via a Bluetooth technology to connect
crimps to achieve the same result. scanner. When used with Color-Keyed with the Smart Tool+ crimper.
RFID lugs, the Smart Tool+ crimper can
The electronic technology includes retrieve the same information via a scan The application also authenticates users
storage of digital data about the crimp’s that is available when using standard based on roles defined on the server side
pressure and indentation level, as well as Color-Keyed lugs, with the additional and sets up the job for an installer from
lug size and if the crimp was a success capture of the lug’s serial number. an available list, which can be configured
or failure. Additional information may be The Smart Tool+ crimper also can be on the server side. To expedite the start
entered manually, including the bolt- of an installer’s job, the application can
tightening torque at final connection and set up to register where groups of allow offline work without authentication.
crimps are located. This enables each
a digital photograph of the connection, Using the cloud, the application also
with the information stored in association crimp in each enclosure on a floor, for enables installers to upload crimp
example, to be automatically reported
with a particular crimp data record. data sets and inspectors to download
with accuracy along with its location. them, append the data if needed and
This function proves to be quicker,
USING TECHNOLOGY FOR more efficient and more thorough upload inspected crimp data sets.
EFFICIENCY AND SAFETY than recording data manually. Other functions include data transfer from
This array of data collection of crucial Sensor technology enables the Smart the Smart Tool+ crimper based on the
electrical connections is particularly number of crimps, most recent crimps and
useful for electrical systems in hospitals, Tool+ crimper to provide an automatic crimps from that day, as well as delete
quality check for the correct compression
data centers and military installations crimp data from the list. The units of
where these connections are increasingly of a properly fitted crimp. The sensor’s measure also can be switched between
signal will indicate a proper crimp by
specified for quality assurance and quality metric and imperial measurements.
control. The recording of pressure and illuminating a green light. Data about
the crimp quality and other associated
indentation-level data also enables the CONCLUSION
crimp to be verified and inspected. information also are recorded in the tool’s
data storage. If the crimp compression Applying current technology, such as
In addition to sites that require specified is not correct, the sensor’s signal digital data storage, including cloud
quality assurance and quality control will illuminate a red light and record storage, as well as RFID technology,
data, the retention of crimping data the failed crimp in the database. sensors, Bluetooth connectivity and
is useful in determining the cause of Bluetooth connectivity is also a feature of mobile device applications, fosters greater
electrical failure, thermal runaway installation efficiency and user safety.
and fire that can lead to costly recalls. the Smart Tool+ crimper, enabling data to The Smart Tool+ crimper is an example
be downloaded to any Bluetooth-enabled
Examples include a recall of heating and of integrating these technologies to
cooling units that caught fire because of computing device. The data also can be ease crimping, ensure the integrity of
uploaded from the Bluetooth-enabled
inadequate crimping force from using the connection, improve efficiency and
the wrong machinery. In another case, device to the cloud for secure storage. ensure safety, while reducing costs.
dishwashers were recalled because of
an overheating power cord, which also MOBILE DEVICE APPLICATION George Robertson is product marketing
was due to improper crimping. Use of The Smart Tool+ crimper uses a custom, manager for conductivity and grounding
electronic technology can facilitate the cross-platform mobile application at ABB Installation Products, based in
detection of these crimping errors while (compatible with iOS 11.0 or later and Memphis, Tennessee. He holds a Bachelor
alerting installers to correct errors before Android 6.0 or later). Data are easily of Applied Science in mechanical
the product is released to the market. retrieved from any mobile device by engineering from the University of
logging into the account. Available from Memphis and is a member of IEEE.

42 Insights Magazine | July/August 2019 | www.ieci.org