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Klauke Launches EK120/42 SL Battery-Powered Hydraulic Crimping Tool
Thanks to the completely redesigned crimping head featuring innovative Klauke LiteCore technology, the head is 25 per cent lighter than its predecessor.
www.klauke.com
Electrical utility contractors, substation installers, and industrial panel builders frequently face severe mechanical fatigue when terminating heavy-gauge power conductors in constrained spaces. Heavy hydraulic crimping heads shift the center of gravity away from the operator's grip, making continuous overhead or horizontal terminations strenuous and increasing the risk of misaligned crimp profiles. Additionally, field tools deployed across switchgear yards, cable trenches, and utility trenches are constantly exposed to dust, moisture, and rough mechanical impacts that degrade unsealed hydraulic and electronic components. Unmonitored hydraulic pressure variations further risk incomplete terminal compression, potentially causing loose electrical terminations, localized overheating, and destructive thermal runaways in high-current distribution equipment. Mitigating these operational hazards requires ergonomic tool geometries that minimize head mass, robust environmental sealing, and integrated pressure monitoring to verify joint integrity at the point of installation.
Redesigned LiteCore Head and Ergonomic Optimization
To address physical strain and balance limitations during repetitive heavy-duty electrical terminations, Klauke developed the EK120/42 SL battery-powered hydraulic crimping tool. The core mechanical upgrade centers on a redesigned crimping head incorporating proprietary LiteCore technology.
By re-engineering the structural head layout, the LiteCore architecture reduces the crimping head weight by 25 percent compared to its predecessor, shifting the overall center of gravity closer to the grip. This optimized balance allows operators to perform continuous one-handed crimping operations with noticeably reduced wrist strain and improved precision, even within tightly packed electrical enclosures and cable trays. Alongside mass reduction, mechanical enhancements to the drive train and hydraulic seals extend the operating service life of the tool by 33 percent.
Environmental Protection and Integrated Quality Assurance
The EK120/42 SL is engineered for harsh outdoor construction and industrial yard environments, featuring a corrosion-resistant coating applied to metal components and an exterior housing certified to an IP55 ingress protection rating. This enclosure rating shields the internal hydraulic valves, motor assemblies, and electronic control circuits against low-pressure water jets and heavy dust infiltration on active job sites.
To guarantee joint compliance and prevent incomplete compressions, the tool incorporates Klauke Smart Features:
- Pressure Verification: The integrated CrimpCheck pressure sensor monitors internal hydraulic pressure in real time, confirming that each crimping cycle achieves the requisite target tonnage before retracting.
- Retraction Management: An integrated automatic and manual retraction stop system (ARS and MRS+) controls ram repositioning, speeding up cycle times during repetitive multi-crimp sequences on the same cable lug.
- Visual Feedback: An onboard OLED display provides real-time tool telemetry, displaying battery charge level, service maintenance intervals, and cycle pass or fail indications directly to the operator.
- Wireless Connectivity: Built-in wireless communication links to the free Klauke Link mobile application, allowing site managers to export auditable crimping logs, track service intervals, and customize operational tool settings.
- Flexible Power Supply: The tool platform supports interchangeable battery interfaces, offering out-of-the-box compatibility with standard 18-volt battery systems from both Bosch and Makita.
Additional Context
This section details technical specifications and competitive benchmarking not included in the original product announcement.
In industrial power distribution and medium-voltage cable preparation, electrical terminations are evaluated against standards such as IEC 61238-1 (governing compression and mechanical connectors for power cables) and DIN 46235 for copper compression lugs. The 120-kilonewton class of hydraulic crimpers, characterized by a 42-millimeter jaw opening stroke, is designed to accommodate standard DIN cross sections ranging from 16 square millimeters up to 400 square millimeters for copper conductors, as well as aluminum cable sizes up to 300 square millimeters. Generating this compression tonnage requires a two-stage hydraulic pump mechanism: an initial high-flow, low-pressure stage for rapid ram advance to capture the lug, automatically shifting into a high-pressure power stage once mechanical resistance is detected to complete the hexagonal or indent crimp profile.
Within the utility and electrical contractor tooling landscape, the Klauke EK120/42 SL benchmarks against established heavy-duty battery crimpers such as the Milwaukee M18 FORCE LOGIC 12-ton crimper, DeWalt DCE300, and Greenlee ECCX series. While traditional 12-ton tools often carry an overall weight exceeding seven kilograms with an unbalanced forward-leaning C-head that necessitates two-handed operation, reducing head mass through optimized alloy structural geometries rebalances the tool along the handle axis. Furthermore, while legacy pneumatic and manual hydraulic systems lack auditable data tracking, integrating an internal piezoresistive pressure transducer linked via Bluetooth to digital logging applications enables contractor fleets to generate documented compliance records verifying that every terminal on switchboards and busbars received verified crimping force prior to energization.
Edited by Romila DSilva, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.
This section details technical specifications and competitive benchmarking not included in the original product announcement.
In industrial power distribution and medium-voltage cable preparation, electrical terminations are evaluated against standards such as IEC 61238-1 (governing compression and mechanical connectors for power cables) and DIN 46235 for copper compression lugs. The 120-kilonewton class of hydraulic crimpers, characterized by a 42-millimeter jaw opening stroke, is designed to accommodate standard DIN cross sections ranging from 16 square millimeters up to 400 square millimeters for copper conductors, as well as aluminum cable sizes up to 300 square millimeters. Generating this compression tonnage requires a two-stage hydraulic pump mechanism: an initial high-flow, low-pressure stage for rapid ram advance to capture the lug, automatically shifting into a high-pressure power stage once mechanical resistance is detected to complete the hexagonal or indent crimp profile.
Within the utility and electrical contractor tooling landscape, the Klauke EK120/42 SL benchmarks against established heavy-duty battery crimpers such as the Milwaukee M18 FORCE LOGIC 12-ton crimper, DeWalt DCE300, and Greenlee ECCX series. While traditional 12-ton tools often carry an overall weight exceeding seven kilograms with an unbalanced forward-leaning C-head that necessitates two-handed operation, reducing head mass through optimized alloy structural geometries rebalances the tool along the handle axis. Furthermore, while legacy pneumatic and manual hydraulic systems lack auditable data tracking, integrating an internal piezoresistive pressure transducer linked via Bluetooth to digital logging applications enables contractor fleets to generate documented compliance records verifying that every terminal on switchboards and busbars received verified crimping force prior to energization.
Edited by Romila DSilva, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.
