Ingersoll Rand has begun releasing their next generation of cordless impact tools, beginning with the W7150, a ½ inch drive impact wrench that generates 780 ft-lbs of torque in reverse and 1,100 ft-lbs forward. The company’s new 20-volt platform uses a lithium-ion battery pack with an “intelligent battery management system” that controls power level and current flow based on switch position.
Nathan Schmid, Marketing Manager of Vehicle Services for Ingersoll Rand Industrial Technologies, told us the design goal was to match the performance of their 2135TiMAX series air impact wrench in a battery-powered tool. After two and a half years in development and an extended period of field testing, the W7150 is ready to prove itself in automotive, industrial and military applications. Design considerations included finding a grip material that will survive harsh industrial chemicals, developing a new switch to work with the battery management system, and figuring out how to survive a 6-foot drop (the battery releases upon impact to dissipate energy and preserve the latch). Schmid says meeting the power and performance goals, along with the longer battery life that comes naturally with higher voltage, has the potential to make the W7150 a game changer. Time will tell, but it wouldn’t be the first time this company created a tool against which all others are measured.
