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N
emo Power Tools started out
as an engineering firm that
designed goods for people who
needed a specific product but didn’t
have the technical knowledge or
ability to design and build it
themselves. But when a military
client came to them and wanted an
underwater cordless drill, the company
decided it was something that deserved
a closer look.
“We thought it was a really cool
product so we decided to develop
it further,” says Nemo director of
business development Becky Fienberg.
The drills were custom designed and
built one at a time before small scale
production began in 2013. Nemo’s
first clients were in the pool and spa
industry, shortly followed by marine
researchers, but their client base soon
widened to include
everyone from commercial divers to
plumbers. Since then, the company
has developed several iterations of that
first product and it is now available
worldwide.
There are a whole lot of variables
to consider when designing and
developing a tool that’s capable of
operating under 50m of water. And with
both a general manager and a chief
executive with diverse engineering
backgrounds the company knew the
importance of using the right materials
and components.
“We’ve gone through I don’t even
know how many testings in a variety
of different places to make sure that
we have the best components. For
example, we now use mechanical
seals from the Italian company
EagleBurgmann who have been making
seals for around 50 years and really
know their stuff.
“Every single aspect of the tool
has to be waterproof and prevent the
ingress of water. If water can find its
way in, it will. So that’s how we have to
think when we are designing our tools,”
says Becky.
As the range of professions
interested the tool broadened, Nemo
decided it was time to branch out.
They developed a ‘pool and spa’ drill
that has the same power as the
‘divers’ edition but is only waterproof to
five metres so there’s no need for it to
be pressurised.
“We’ve made it simpler to use
and it’s also less expensive. That’s
because we thought there are a lot
of people who could benefit from
using a tool that’s waterproof but
who aren’t necessarily going to dive
deep with it: plumbers, electricians
and even general contractors who
happen to work in really muddy or wet
places who are interested in having a
waterproof tool,” says Becky.
As of 2016 Nemo will be expanding
its offering further, adding an angle
grinder, an impact wrench, an impact
driver and a hammer drill to its stable.
The company also has several new
developments in the pipeline including
a ‘special ops’ brushless drill that will
be waterproof to 100m.
Nemo Power Tools
www.nemopowertools.comMAKING A SPLASH
An American tool manufacturer
has been making waves with
their range of waterproof
power tools. Nemo’s Becky
Fienberg catches up with
Jacob
Harris
to explain.
Nemo’s first customers were in the pool and spa industry but their client base
soon widened to include everyone from commercial divers to plumbers.
TOOLS