Cleveland, Ohio -- Promising to cut the time, drudgery (and labor cost) of plumbing with copper tubing, Superior Tool Company is introducing the UltraCut™cordless power tubing cutter. The product debuts AnyFuel ™ power technology, which makes it practical to create cordless versions of tools and appliances that have always been manual. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Superior has developed “a product that does for the job of cutting copper tubing what the power drill did for the bit and brace” according to Superior COO Chuck Mintz. “The UltraCut reinvents the category.” The product is available at all 1300 Lowe’s stores nationwide. The old-style tubing cutter has been the standard for three generations. The way the old cutters work is very tedious. It requires the user to adjust the cutting wheel onto the tubing and to make a series of revolutions with the tool around the tube while continually adjusting the cutter wheel to make a complete cut. Countless inventions, gadgets and gimmicks are on the market to overcome the awkwardness of this action, the need to unscrew the cutter to make the next cut and the inability of the classic tool to fit in tight spaces. The only way to reduce the cut time was to increase the force, making the tool harder to turn and creating a burr that needed to be removed before the tubing could be soldered in the fitting. The new UltraCut product changes all of that. The innovative AnyFuel power technology allows it to cut _” or _” copper tubing with minimal burr in three seconds, consistently. That means the last cut is just as powerful and fast as the first cut. “There is no need for adjustments between cuts… at the end of the cut, the tool stops automatically in position for the next cut,” says Mintz. Because the tool makes many revolutions around the pipe in those few seconds, it operates at a much lower force, leaving virtually no burr on the outside of the tubing. Another big advantage, according to Mintz, is the UltraCut is small enough to fit into tight quarters for hard-to-reach plumbing jobs. “Our new unit is much easier to use in tight spaces than manual cutters,” he notes. “In fact, it cuts in a tighter spot than our best selling ‘mini’ manual tool.” The handle design allows most people to reach into the rafters to make a cut without getting on a ladder. Lastly, the TruTrak™ head design centers the cutter on the tubing – so the tool does the work, not the user. AnyFuel Technology Makes the Difference “The ability to provide high power bursts on demand in a cordless tool or appliance was impractical before,” says Mintz. “We needed a high current burst, up front, to cut copper tubing and batteries alone did not meet our specifications.” AnyFuel uses ultracapacitors to provide unique characteristics that allow the use of many styles of battery in this application. Other applications of ultracapacitors include supplementing batteries in hybrid electric vehicles to allow quick transfers of energy for functions such as capturing regenerative braking energy. This version of the UltraCut uses NiMh (nickel-metal hydride) cells based on their improved performance over more common NiCd (nickel-cadmium) cells and the desire of professionals to use rechargeable tools. AnyFuel technology repeatedly provides high power, while reducing the number and size of battery cells required, increasing the number of cuts per charge and extending battery cell life.
