Accurately Record Cable Cuts With Aufmaster and HELUKABEL
HELUKABEL now offers the Aufmaster, a measurement tool that will digitize and track cable consumption in the office, warehouse, or on the job site.
Electrical Installations
Multi-conductor cables and wires are all stored on drums or spools in panel building shops and maintenance rooms. Electricians un-spool and cut off sections of these cables to connect and repair electrical components. This process can result in a large amount of waste and uncertainty when determining how much cable has been used and how much is remaining.
Recently, HELUKABEL announced the distribution of the Aufmaster, a digital cable measuring device that will report how much cable was removed from a spool and how much remains on the spool.
The Aufmaster device and connection illustration. Image used courtesy of HELUKABEL
The Aufmaster Device
The Aufmaster is a small, battery-operated device that mounts directly on a spool of cable, with the beginning of the cable (at the center of the spool) attached to the Aufmaster. Once turned on, the Aufmaster will connect to the Aufmaster app and determine how much cable is currently attached to the device to be used as a starting reference point.
When a section is cut from the spool, the app will report how much cable was cut and how much remains on the spool. The app can also transmit data to an Aufmaster Plus account where multiple spools can be managed. Each spool can then be inventoried and tracked in real-time, allowing for a more accurate representation and replenishment of current supplies.
The app can also be used to document material usage for specific projects. Labels can be added to cable usage and a customer signoff feature allows for document confirmation.
The Aufomaster device and the app, which tracks the usage and remaining wire length. Image used courtesy of Aufmaster
The Aufmaster cloud application allows managers and inventory staff to monitor job site inventory as well as product consumption all in real-time.
The Aufmaster works with conductor cross sections of 0.25 to 16.00 mm2 (approx 23 to 5 AWG) and cables of at least 2 conductors with lengths of 10 to 1500 m (approx 30 to 5000 ft). The battery in the Aufmaster is reported to last at least 2 weeks of constant use, and each Aufmaster is IP54-rated. A five-segment LED indicator is used to show the remaining battery life and a single LED indicates connection status.
Determining Cable Length On The Job Site
It doesn’t matter if you are installing automation equipment or factory lights when using large amounts of cable each foot of that cable needs to be billed to the job. Determining how much cable is used while working on a job site can be challenging.
While there are mechanical measuring devices in common use already, somebody still must track and record each foot of each cable being used, associate the usage to a project and location, and send the reports back to the office. This process results in lost paperwork, rough estimates, and unreported consumption.
With the Aufmaster, each spool and each cut are measured automatically and documented - in real-time and without paperwork. Project managers, buyers, and anybody with access can monitor the consumption of cables and how much is left on the job site to ensure efficient completion of the job with minimized loss from waste and poor recording.
