HAZET, the manufacturer of quality tools and workshop equipment, presented innovative universal pliers with one-hand operation and comfort adjustment at the International Hardware Fair in Cologne.
Following the innovations of the quarter-inch Smart-Case with tool set-up function and the standard cases with universally fitting and modular foam inserts for a wide variety of tool sets (we have already reported on this), this is another industry benchmark from HAZET.
When BUSSE Design+Engineering received the briefing for the development of these new universal pliers, systematic analysis and concept work were first required. On the one hand, the classic pliers and, above all, their adjustability were literally "locked in" under patent law by other industry giants; on the other hand, there were a lot of normative specifications regarding opening widths and lever forces. After reviewing the existing property rights and intensively examining the usability and customer benefits when operating the pliers, the product development goals were clear:
The pliers had to be easy to adjust, but not by means of an actuating element on the pliers head, as is the case with all competitors, which means changing the grip and thus leaving the ergonomic hand position. No - the new pliers had to be adjustable without the operator having to change their grip position. For this purpose, BUSSE developed a spring-loaded actuating element on the pliers head, which is deflected to the handle position via a metallic lever element running flush with the forged part of the pliers handle. This innovative jog/step lever function not only enables convenient, but also intuitive, one-handed operation directly on the workpiece, even when the pliers legs are closed in the gripping position. Integrated anti-trap protection over the contour of the two pliers handles also prevents injuries.
The new universal pliers, also known colloquially as water pump pliers, can therefore be used safely - even in very confined spaces and work situations. The pliers also hold hexagonal and round pipes up to a diameter of 50 mm, making them one of the largest in their class.
As a trade fair highlight, the pliers were not only presented on the cover of the current new products brochure, but were also properly staged on the trade fair stand. An almost 4 meter high model of the pliers welcomed the enthusiastic visitors. The presentation was rounded off with an acrobatic show by a gymnastics duo, whose exercises were based solely on two universal pliers and their self-clamping on a round tube. This performance ensured that the new HAZET pliers were also talked about in many other halls.
