The Li-ion 18v 1/2" Super-Torque Impact Wrench being showcased by ACDelco at the 2013 AAPEX show is the result of years of development and a vision of creating an impact that is more versatile than ever. Professional Tool and Equipment News was able catch up with Troy Wobschall, director of sales and marketing for AC Delco, to get the inside scoop on this new tool.
What gave you the idea to start developing the ARI12060 1/2" impact?
Our vision was to enable technicians to be able to use larger cordless impacts for more uses, with even greater tightening accuracy. The technology in the impact gives users more variety than the norm. They can set it so they do not strip out a bolt when tightening, for example, at the five different settings, or set it at the sixth setting, the maximum, and use its maximum tightening torque. No company has delivered an impact that offers this technology that is accurate to date.
What advantages does it have over comparable tools?
It's all about the tool's clutch settings. Specifically, due to their design they offer a great deal of accuracy that enables the user to be more exact when tightening bolts requiring less tightening torque. This reduces the chance of stripping them out by a fair amount.
How long did it take to develop?
Two years.
How do you think the tool will make a big "impact" in auto repair?
We believe the adaptation of technology in impacts is the future, rather than just brute force. We offer brute force and technology. Like any new concept, it will take time to be accepted but we are already seeing people quickly getting on board and looking for the next tool to be given this technology.
Why are you debuting the tool at AAPEX?
We did a soft release of this tool last year, therefore it has been on the market for some time but 2013 is the main year. When we did a soft launch we had to re-launch it due to changing the clutch settings after receiving feedback from technicians requesting the settings be more suitable for their environment. We are always improving our equipment to make it more reliable and versatile.
We love feedback from our core user and readily implement changes based on their opinions, the tool has had nothing but absolute fantastic reviews since. We have also made available an extended anvil version, which is brand new for AAPEX.
