Milwaukee Tool

Grenada, Miss. — Milwaukee Tool is excited to announce construction on their newest facility in Mississippi. Located in Grenada County, Mississippi, Milwaukee’s latest expansion will accommodate the company’s growing power tool accessories and power tool business, and will also serve as a centralized repair facility. The new location will create more than 800 new jobs, and is planned to open in mid-2023.

“We’re thrilled to, once again, expand our footprint in the state of Mississippi, where we’ve been able to recruit some of the best talent in the country,” said Steve Richman, Milwaukee Tool Group President. “Our success is the result of our talented people and the culture we’ve created; it is unparalleled in the industry. We are committed to investing in new talent, and the right opportunities to continue meeting the needs of our distributor and user partners with the speed and agility that defines who we are as a company.”

Milwaukee® is investing more than $60 million into advanced technology and manufacturing equipment at their new 563,000-square-foot Grenada location. The facility will house critical accessory manufacturing capabilities, and will join the company’s other service hub in Greenwood, IN, as one of Milwaukee Tool’s main axis points for service operations.

Milwaukee Tool, which employs more than 10,000 people in the U.S., has continually expanded their footprint domestically and globally as their company experiences incredible double-digit growth. In Mississippi, the company has invested more than $209 million in domestic expansion projects over the last 5 years and employs 4,400 people.

More About Milwaukee’s Growth & U.S. Investments

Milwaukee Tool is a global company with manufacturing, distribution, and operations presences across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The company has designed, engineered, and manufactured products in the United States for nearly 100 years.

In the last year, Milwaukee® has invested $216 million in domestic expansion projects. In addition to this new Grenada location, the company’s other domestic presences include Greenwood, Olive Branch, Clinton, and Jackson, MS, as well as in Brookfield, Menomonee Falls, Milwaukee, West Bend, Mukwonago, and Sun Prairie, Wis., Cookeville, Tenn., Chicago, Ill., and Greenwood, Ind.

Speed and accuracy are the name of the game when it comes to a successful piping installation and a thriving business. Whether you’re installing potable plumbing or hydronic piping, the faster and more precise the job, the more time and money you potentially have to work on other projects.

While there are hundreds of tips and tricks out there to make your installs faster, easier, and more effective, I’m going to concentrate on the following three methods almost any plumbing or mechanical contractor can use to bring greater productivity to projects.

Flexible PEX pipe with bend supports

If you’ve never heard of PEX, it’s an acronym for crosslinked polyethylene. It’s a flexible, durable plastic piping product that provides numerous benefits over rigid CPVC or metallic systems, including faster installs, zero corrosion, and freeze-damage resistance.

Many residential contractors are already using PEX (considering it’s the most installed piping system for new-home construction over copper and CPVC combined). However, PEX is still a relative newcomer in the commercial industry.

The biggest benefit of PEX is its flexibility, which allows you to simply bend the pipe with each change in direction. With a tight bend radius of six times the pipe’s diameter, you can practically make 90-degree bends without the need for a fitting.

For times when you do have a tight bend that needs to stay in a particular place, PEX manufacturers offer bend supports. For those of you that prefer to watch rather than read, here’s a video that explains bend supports in detail.

These helpful products are available for ⅜”, ½”, ⅝”, ¾”, or 1″ PEX pipe. They hold the bend in place at the proper angle and take a fraction of the time compared to making a 90-degree elbow.

Most contractors agree that using flexible PEX with bend supports can eliminate most fittings in smaller-diameter pipe sizes 1″ and down, saving up to half the install time of a rigid piping system.

Expansion tools

When it comes time to make a connection with PEX pipe, the professionals’ choice is PEX expansion. Note that expansion connections are only designed for PEX-a pipe. If you’re using PEX-b or PEX-c pipe, you’ll need to use a different fitting type as PEX-b and PEX-c pipes aren’t made to expand like PEX-a pipe, and they will experience microcracking during expansion.

Expansion connections require one simple tool that expands the pipe and an expansion ring before inserting a fitting. As the pipe and ring shrink back down around the fitting, it creates a solid, strong seal that can withstand up to 1,000 pounds of radial force. It’s quick and easy to do and simple to learn, so it’s highly beneficial with the skilled-labor shortage that’s challenging the trades. Here’s a quick, 20-second video on how to make a connection.

Now, to make installs even faster, expansion tools have advanced to make connections even quicker. For up to 1″ connections, the Milwaukee^® M12 FUEL™ ProPEX^® Expander with RAPID SEAL™ Heads is the fastest tool yet — with up to 65% faster sealing times compared to previous models.

For larger-diameter pipe connections, the new Milwaukee M18 FUEL™ ProPEX Expander with ONE-KEY™ is taking commercial installs to a new level by offering 3X faster 2″ connections. To watch how much faster, check out this video from Milwaukee Tool.

Prefab

Finally, let’s talk about prefabrication. This is becoming a big trend for national residential builders or large commercial projects that have a lot of repeatability on the project. By prefabbing certain sections of a project, it can shave days, weeks, or even months off a timeline, depending on how big the project.

Prefabricating piping assemblies in a controlled factory environment not only adds more efficiencies, it also provides an additional benefit of greater accuracy. By doing a job repeatedly, it hones the skill and gives installers greater confidence in their work.

Plus, having rows and rows of prefabbed piping assemblies in a shop environment makes it a lot easier to perform quality checks. Instead of walking for miles on a job site, a supervisor can save significant time simply walking a shop floor.

And here’s another area where flexible, durable PEX provides additional benefits. Transporting prefabbed PEX piping assemblies is much easier than transporting rigid assemblies that can crack or break. Because PEX is super flexible, it can withstand the rigors of being transported to a job site without worry.

So, there you have it…just a few ideas to keep in mind the next time you have a project with a tight deadline, and you’re squeezed on time and skilled labor. Every little bit helps when it comes to adding productivity to projects. If you have other ideas, I’d love to hear them. Feel free to email me at kim.bliss@uponor.com.

Kim Bliss is the technical and marketing content manager at Uponor. She can be reached at kim.bliss@uponor.com.

RLS LLC, manufacturer of the Rapid Locking System line of flame-free press-to-connect fittings for HVAC and refrigeration systems, announces that Milwaukee® Tool, in partnership with RLS, has introduced RLS-compatible jaws for use with its popular M18™ FORCE LOGIC™ Press Tools.

Available in sizes from 1/4″ – 1-3/8″, these new RLS ACR Press Jaws will allow M18 tool users to take advantage of the time-saving and safety benefits of flame-free RLS press connections for HVAC/R, without needing to invest in a new press tool. These are the industry’s first jaws approved to press RLS fittings using 32 kN (kilonewton) tools.

In addition, the new Milwaukee jaws are also compatible with a wide range of other 32 kN tools on the market, including those from manufacturers such as RIDGID, Klauke, Viega, Dewalt, NovoPress and Rothenberger. Contractors who already own any of these tools will only need to purchase the Milwaukee jaws to begin installing RLS fittings.

Milwaukee’s RLS-compatible jaws will be sold exclusively through Milwaukee distributors. Contact Milwaukee or visit milwaukeetool.com for details. For more information on RLS press fittings, and a complete RLS Tool & Jaw Compatibility Matrix, visit rapidlockingsystem.com.

About RLS Fittings

RLS press fittings connect in 10 seconds using a battery-powered tool and jaws, replacing the time-consuming process of manually brazing HVAC/R joints. The fittings result in faster, more consistent connections that reduce total installed costs, while also increasing jobsite safety by eliminating the use of an open flame. More than 10 million RLS fittings have been successfully installed since their introduction in 2015

Milwaukee Tool, the leading jobsite lighting provider in the industry, adds to their Personal Lighting family of products once again with two new flashlight solutions. The expansion includes two new rechargeable lights equipped with high-definition light output – the USB Rechargeable 1100L Twist Focus Flashlight and the USB Rechargeable 800L Compact Flashlight – both utilizing Milwaukee’s REDLITHIUM™ USB* 3.0AH Battery for upgraded performance.

USB Rechargeable 1100L Twist Focus Flashlight

Providing 1,100 Lumen light output with precise beam control, the USB Rechargeable 1100L Twist Focus Flashlight leverages LED technology to deliver 1100L of TRUEVIEW™ High Definition Output** up to 175-meters (574 feet) away. For full control of the beam size and intensity, the flashlight feature precision twist focusing, allowing users to switch from spot all the way up to flood to search, trace, or inspect more efficiently. Optimized for one-click operation, the flashlight is complete with a multi-functional power button offering that houses a fuel gauge, mode selection, and mode memory intelligence. The flashlight features low, medium, and high modes for up to 14 hours of runtime. Built to withstand harsh jobsite conditions, the flashlight can withstand drops up to 4M and is IP67 rated for protection from dust and water.

Specifications

• Modes: Low, Medium, High
• Lumens:
  • Low: 100
  • Medium: 600
  • High: 1100
• Run-time:
  • Low: 14 Hours
  • Medium: 4.5 Hours
  • High: 1.75 Hours
• Ingress Rating: IP67
• Weight w/ Battery: 0.41lbs

Includes: USB Rechargeable 1100L Twist Focus Flashlight, REDLITHIUM™ USB 3.0AH Battery, and Removeable Clip

USB Rechargeable 800L Compact Flashlight

Delivering uncompromised power in a portable, pocket-size, the USB Rechargeable 800L Compact Flashlight delivers 800L of TRUEVIEW™ High Definition Output up to 150-meters (492 feet) away. Complete with a bulls-eye beam, the Compact Flashlight combines the accuracy and intensity of a spotlight with the widespread coverage of a flood light. Optimized for pocket-portability, the compact size allows users to easily take lighting onto any jobsite. The flashlight features low and high modes for up to 13 hours of runtime. For durability, the flashlight is IP67 rated and rated for drops up to 4M.

Specifications

• Modes: Low, High
• Lumens:
  • Low: 100
  • High: 800
• Run-time:
  • Low: 11 Hours
  • High: 2.5 Hours
• Ingress Rating: IP67
• Weight w/ Battery: 0.36lbs

Includes: USB Rechargeable 800L Compact Flashlight, REDLITHIUM™ USB 3.0AH Battery, and Removeable Clip

These new flashlights join Milwaukee’s fast-growing Personal Lighting offering. All Milwaukee Personal Lighting is covered by a Limited Lifetime Warranty. Focused on the user and investing in game-changing technology, Milwaukee will continue to design and develop lighting solutions with the ability to adapt, perform and survive the demands of professional use.

*REDLITHIUM™ USB provides users rechargeable convenience and performance where maintaining a compact size is critical, and eliminates the downtime associated with other rechargeable solutions due to slow charge speed or integrated batteries. Capable of being charged either in the product or in a separate charger, and with a 3X faster charge time, users can get back to work more quickly. REDLITHIUM™ USB eliminates the dependency on disposable batteries in applications that require extended use.

**TRUEVIEW™ Technology utilizes the most advanced LED technology and optical designs to deliver a consistent beam, optimized color temperature, and true representation of colors and detail leading to a more productive work area.