Southwire has extended its line of labor-saving tools and equipment for the jobsite with its new Tensionmeter. According to Tim Bardin, the company’s general manager, contractor equipment, the new smart Tensionmeter was developed with the help of electrical contractors in the field and Southwire employees with an electrical contracting background.
The Tensiometer helps electrical contractors obtain rope tension, pulling speed, pull distance and sidewall pressure data via a wireless connection, allowing them to save pulling data to onboard memory, create reports and send information immediately. Using wireless technology, pulling data can be streamed directly to computers, smart phones and tablets for viewing in graph format, thus enabling contractors to analyze data in real-time, either on the unit display or the contractor’s wireless device. The new Southwire Smart Tensiometer will also enable contractors to use pull data to generate reports that include automatic date and time stamps.
The Tensiometer’s display unit and load sensing unit pair wirelessly and automatically. The load sensing unit has been designed to easily attach to any MAXIS cable puller in less than a minute through the use of hitch pins, and the unit is calibrated up to 10,000 pounds with most pulling rope sizes. Using the display unit’s features, contractors can name each pull, input the parameters of the pull, enter rope size and set the tension limit. In addition, the display unit will flash an alert if the maximum tension is about to be exceeded.
“Southwire understands today’s jobsite and the art and science of feeder wire installation. That’s why we have packed the Smart Tensiometer with jobsite-friendly features,” said Bardin in a press release. “We’re all about understanding the pain points of the electrical contractor. This understanding helps us deliver products that aim to improve jobsite safety and productivity, ultimately making the contractors’ jobs easier.”
