About Hydrajaws
Pioneering Safety with Innovative Testing Solutions for Over 35 Years
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Pioneering Safety with Innovative Testing Solutions for Over 35 Years
At Hydrajaws we develop, manufacture and sell a range of portable testers for testing the crucial holding force of anchors and fixings in construction materials. With our extensive knowledge and expertise, we are regularly approached to provide solutions for specific fixings testing requirements.
The Hydrajaws fixing tester comprises of a hydraulic cylinder contained within an aluminium body and connected to a turning handle. At the opposite end is an attachment for securing the fixing, while a dial type or digital pressure gauge gives a reading of the loading as it is progressively applied through the rotation of the handle. Several models are available including the popular medium-duty model with a maximum capacity of 25kN and the heavy-duty version of 145kN.
The testers are designed to suit the requirements of various testing procedures and standards including BS 8539:2012 and BS7883:2019. The Construction Fixings Association (CFA) endorses Hydrajaws as a supplier of industry-leading testing equipment.
Testers are in kit form complete with carrying case and all the necessary accessories including a load spreading bridge. The latter item is of special significance as it provides an unsupported area around the fixing, giving a true value of both the mechanical efficiency of the anchor itself and the strength of the concrete or masonry it is installed into. This is of special importance where old buildings are concerned.
Fixings that may be accommodated include stud projections, threaded inserts, eyebolts for safety harnesses, scaffold ring bolts, remedial wall ties, and other fixing systems for which a selection of adaptors are available.
We also provide an annual calibration service to ensure the gauges are kept accurate and working correctly to ensure confidence in testing results.
Hydrajaws products are built to last and built to cope with the job they were designed for. Breakdowns and malfunctions are rare so it is not unusual for a tester to come back to us for calibration after 20 years still working and still in use!
Any problems with a tester, or any testing problems, are looked into by our experienced technical team who will find a solution quickly to provide a satisfactory answer.
At Hydrajaws we are constantly looking into new technology and methods to improve and upgrade our products to improve usability and accuracy without compromising safety.
Our basic original testers, adaptors and bridges have all undergone improvements and changes to reflect the needs of the testing market. Even our more advanced Bluetooth digital gauge has been refined and enhanced, and is currently in its third generation.
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Hydrajaws Limited was established in 1960 based in Birmingham. The core business until the late 1980’s was the design and manufacture of workholding fixtures for the machine tool industry. Since then we have established ourselves as specialists in the development, manufacture and supply of fixings testing equipment.
Royston Morgan purchased the Company in 1988 but the initial idea for the portable tension tester was designed and manufactured in 1985. Since then the manufacture and sales of portable tension testers for anchors and fixings have become Hydrajaws main business.
With the continued growth in the use of fixings throughout the building and construction industry, where they offer a quick and convenient method of securing structures, components, scaffolding, safety harnesses, and other fittings, the need for a simple yet reliable means of establishing their strength and installation efficiency to the satisfaction of the Health and Safety Executive and local government building inspectors has become a vital necessity.
Through a contact within the fixing industry, Hydrajaws Limited recognised the need for a simpler method of carrying out on-site testing, preferably using a single handheld unit which would have none of the problems associated with testing in locations with difficult and restricted access. Using our design capabilities and hydraulic experience we began formulating our ideas for a truly portable tester, lightweight and fully self-contained, which could be used by any reasonable operator on site and carried around by visiting building inspectors.
When our first prototype was introduced to the market in 1985, the response from the fixing industry was immediate and quite soon we were working with fixing manufacturers, carrying out modifications and improvements to the original concept based on the suggestions made.
As a result, we were able to create a tester that would meet the precise requirements of the industry, taking into account installation efficiency and material strength as well as the design and mechanical strength of the anchor itself.
Over the years we have gained considerable experience in the field, and through the continued cooperation of the fixings industry, safety officers, and specialist installers, we have continued our work of development, increasing the capacity range and introducing a wide choice of adaptors and load spreading bridges or stools to match the wide variety of fixings in use and our widely differing applications. Special refinements have been added to the tester itself, such as a linear movement scale enabling the operator to measure more precisely the first movement of a fixing under the test loading.