Q: What makes this product innovative?

A: The patented Drive Exchange System (DXS) allows users to change the anvil or attachment on the fly, providing more versatility, eliminating the need for adapters or extensions (which reduce performance), and enabling quick replacement of worn anvils with zero downtime.

— Sean Fitzgibbons, Director of Product Management

A: The Ingersoll Rand 2236 Pneumatic Impact Wrench is the first-ever impact tool with a removable anvil. The 2236 is built upon a long legacy of Ingersoll Rand products, providing quality and durability to customers while meeting their needs.

— Senior Program Leader

A: The DXS (Drive Exchange System) gives technicians the flexibility to quickly change output anvils, allowing for different drive sizes (3/8", 1/2", 3/4") or lengths (extensions) ranging from standard short up to 10". With conventional tools, technicians would need to switch between multiple tools or rely on adapters. Purchasing multiple tools increases cost, while using adapters or extensions can reduce performance by as much as 15 percent.

In addition to increased versatility, DXS enables fast and easy anvil replacement when the square drive becomes worn. A worn square can decrease tool performance by up to 15 percent and shorten socket life. This issue was the leading warranty concern for its predecessor, the 2235TiMAX. Without DXS, replacing an anvil typically requires full disassembly and often forces technicians to send the tool out for service, resulting in costly downtime.

DXS also introduces the option to eliminate the traditional square drive anvil entirely when used with DXS direct drive sockets. These sockets offer improved access due to their shorter length and enhanced performance through direct drive engagement.

— Ryan Amend, Senior Product Engineer

A: The DXS system is designed for use across a wide range of product sizes and attachments. The DXS2 size is specifically suited for applications in the 3/8" to 3/4" drive range. It supports not only replaceable anvils and standard sockets, but also a broad variety of attachments required by technicians, repair facilities, and assembly operations. Current offerings include mag wheel sockets and hex drive attachments. In addition, ongoing customer engagement is used to identify emerging needs and guide future expansion of DXS-compatible attachments.

It is important to reinforce the origin of the DXS concept. The system was developed through direct observation of customer work environments, where frequent anvil wear and failure were identified as critical pain points. Over the past 10 to 20 years, advancements in impact tool technology have significantly increased available torque output. Modern 1/2" drive-class tools can exceed 1,000 ft-lbs of torque, which has led to increased anvil wear and breakage.

When an anvil fails, conventional repair methods often require sending the tool to a service center or waiting for mobile service support. This results in downtime that can extend from one to several weeks. Repair costs may also be significant, particularly when factoring in lost productivity.

The DXS solution addresses these issues by enabling rapid field replacement of the anvil. A relatively low-cost spare can be kept on hand, allowing users to quickly replace a damaged or worn anvil. In cases of square breakage or noticeable performance degradation, the anvil can be swapped in minutes, restoring the tool to near-original performance with little to no downtime.

This highlights two major advantages: service and repair efficiency and multiple attachments to address different application needs.

— Ed Eardley, Lead Designer/Engineering Systems Site Lead

Q: What was the inspiration behind creating this product?

A: We wanted to improve the functionality and performance of our very successful prior generation 2235QTiMAX Impact Wrench. In addition to the DXS system, the 2236 also offers:

• 200 ft-lbs more torque
• 2 oz lighter weight
• 1/4" shorter length

compared to the 2235QTiMAX.

—Sean Fitzgibbons, Director of Product Management

A: The inspiration behind the 2236 removable anvil was to enable end users to configure their tool to meet their needs. Ingersoll Rand offers an array of accessories for the DXS2 spline, including sockets (metric and imperial), deep and swivel sockets, extensions, and Torx bits, to name a few.

Experienced technicians understand that worn drive anvils can reduce torque output by up to 15 percent. The addition of adapters and extensions can also reduce performance by up to 15 percent. The DXS system delivers fully available product torque without losses. By utilizing the available accessories, users can optimize their tool without sacrificing torque performance.

— Senior Program Leader

A: At the start of the project, we engaged directly with customers to understand what they liked and disliked about the 1/2" impact tools they were currently using. One of the most common pain points identified was worn square drives, which led to power loss and increased socket damage.

— Ryan Amend, Senior Product Engineer

Q: How will this product improve the lives of technicians and shop owners?

A: There are three levels of benefits to the tool that we hear from customers:

• Immediate benefit: Increased performance allows users to complete fastening tasks more quickly and reliably. The smaller size and lighter weight improve control and reduce fatigue. Combined, this means better productivity and the potential to increase earnings by completing more jobs in a day.
• Medium-term benefit: Adopting the range of DXS accessories and attachments allows users to perform a wider range of tasks. Configuring the tool with standard or extended-length anvils ranging from 3/8” to 3/4" means that only one tool is needed for jobs that previously required multiple fastening tools.
• Long-term benefit: Whether using our tools or competitors’ tools, all anvils will eventually wear out over time. This can lead to reduced performance, poor socket fit, and an increased likelihood of breakage. With DXS, worn anvils can be replaced in seconds. This saves both downtime and the expense of sending a tool in for repair or purchasing a replacement. Reducing total cost of ownership is a critical factor for business owners.

— Sean Fitzgibbons, Director of Product Management
 
A:

• Recover power losses by replacing a worn or broken anvil in less than one minute
• Stay powerful by quickly changing to the appropriate size and length of anvil
• Keep working by replacing a broken or worn anvil yourself in under one minute instead of waiting a week for repair
• Configure the tool for the job at hand without increasing size or losing power

— Senior Program Leader

A: DXS adds the ability to swap the tool’s output drive, significantly increasing versatility. Previously, this required purchasing additional tools, which increased cost, or using adapters, which resulted in power loss.

— Ryan Amend, Senior Product Engineer

Q: What has been the feedback from technicians who’ve purchased this tool?

A: With hundreds of thousands of customers using our impact wrenches, we understood that we needed to make a significant design improvement to continue growing our business. Many customers prefer to stick with what works once they find a tool that meets their needs.

This product may seem novel on paper, and we initially heard some skepticism when it entered the market. However, once users try the tool, the feedback has been extremely positive. The increased performance and lighter weight are immediately noticeable. Over time, users come to appreciate the benefits of DXS.

— Sean Fitzgibbons, Director of Product Management

A: We have heard, ‘Wow, that #$#% is awesome,’ over and over again.

— Ryan Amend, Senior Product Engineer

Q: Anything else our readers should know?

A: Given the success of the Drive Exchange System, we will be launching new DXS air tools, DXS cordless tools, and DXS accessories before the end of the year. As the platform expands, we will continue providing more value to customers completing specialized applications in the automotive trades.

Furthermore, all DXS anvils and attachments are and will remain fully interchangeable across any DXS tool.

— Sean Fitzgibbons, Director of Product Management