In August, representatives of the Nordic, British and Irish industry press came to Manchester, England, for Hilti's biggest product launch for the unveiling of the new battery platform, Nuron. Along with the new battery platform, 70 new battery powered machines equipped with the new technology where also launched. “The development work with Nuron began eight years ago and has partly been a maximum secret project within Hilti and partly involved powerful investments in new technology and equipment,” said Ewald A. Kaluscha, global head of marketing and senior vice president Powertools & Accessories at the Hilti Group.

The launch was held at the Manchester Centre in Manchester, England, with around 50 journalists and influencers attending, whilst a morning launch saw the products being introduced to a selected group of British customers. The Nuron concept had previously been presented internally in Europe during the spring of 2022. The Nuron battery platform and the 70 new products will be available on the global market at slightly different dates during the autumn of 2022, with the official launch taking place at the bauma show in October. The day in Manchester also included several short presentations and films about the new battery platform.

In the USA, Nuron was already launched at the World of Concrete in January this year. “The reason was that we wanted to see how the American market received the new battery platform,” says Marie Henrysson at Hilti in Sweden. “The reaction of the US market to the new platform and the new machines was overwhelming. The products became available in March of this year and since then orders have increased sharply and are still increasing in the US market. What is unique is that the American customers do not just buy single machines but entire tool concepts. Many of the American customers replace their entire machine programme and we take that as proof that Nuron left a lasting impression with its unique properties,” says Sebastiaan Groenhuijen who is head of marketing, Northern Europe.

New cordless platform with built in connectivity

The Nuron is a new cordless platform that radically simplifies work on construction sites, enhances tool park management, drives performance to much higher levels and improves operator health protection. Nuron is based on a single battery system that covers all relevant applications from light to heavy duty.

On construction sites, customers often face the problem of needing different energy sources for their tools. There are cordless platforms with different voltages for various applications, corded tools, and gas powered tools. That leads to searching for tools and the right batteries, bringing multiple chargers, running cords and mixing fuel. Hilti has set out to change this paradigm with Nuron.

“Operators want to work on a fully cordless construction site with a simple solution that provides them more flexibility and productivity without compromising on health and safety. With Nuron, we address these fundamental needs. We overcome the existing complexity and combine our strengths to data driven services, which simplify jobsites and reduces downtime. I am convinced that we offer a true value proposition with Nuron,” says Jahangir Doongaji, member of the Executive Board.

Two new products for concrete cutters and demolition pros

Amongst the products covered by PDi Magazine, the system is designed to work with the new battery driven power cutter Nuron DSH 600-22 and the Nuron TE 2000-22 cordless jackhammer. The Nuron DSH 600-22 is fitted with a 300mm diamond blade and provides the ability to cut where a gas saw's fumes simply aren't allowed for safety reasons. It's also a great fit for cutting rebar bundles, large metal pipes, and smaller concrete/asphalt cutting jobs. Best of all, the Hilti DSH 600-22 doesn't involve any sacrifice of performance.

There are three battery sizes in the Nuron series, with two of the largest Nuron batteries enabling work for a full 8h/day. The Nuron TE 2000-22 cordless jackhammer delivers the same demolition performance as the corded TE 2000 and larger jackhammers, but without all the extra bulk. Both new products are designed to make the job start faster and provide independence from the often unreliable mains power supply, with easy portability helping to eliminate common delays at the start of the workday.

The new jackhammer can demolish .5t of concrete per charge on one pair of Nuron B 22-255 batteries, or 1.5t by adding the optional large battery case. It provides virtually dust free demolition with up to 95% reduction of fine silica dust when used with a TE DRS-B dust removal system and compatible Hilti vacuum cleaner. The jackhammer provides manoeuvrability as it is said to be almost 10kg lighter and much slimmer than comparable battery powered jackhammers. The TE 2000-22 is ideal for medium scale and controlled demolition jobs where handling, tool control and mobility are most important in enhancing productivity.

All on one platform and higher performance

All batteries and chargers are interchangeable with all Nuron tools, which is key for optimising tools and reducing costs. The 22V cordless platform also enables heavy duty applications that were once restricted to corded, gas powered or higher voltage battery systems to be tackled. This is possible due to the completely redesigned battery interface which ensures significantly higher power transfer than corded mains, and thus higher performance. The reengineered Nuron batteries are more durable and include new, robust fiberglass reinforced housing and external shock absorbing bumpers which provide extra protection even in the toughest conditions. All the electronics are fully sealed to protect against moisture, dust and other jobsite contaminants.

Cloud connection

Nuron brings intelligence to the core of the platform as all tools generate data which are then stored on the batteries and sent securely to the cloud during every charge without any operator interaction. The data collected includes information such as tool usage, tool utilisation, charging location and battery health, ensuring operators are working with batteries in optimal conditions. This information can then be used to immediately alert individuals if action is needed or can be accessed when required and is available on mobile and desktop platforms via Hilti’s ‘ON!Track’ software. Together with other services, such as Hilti ‘Fleet Management’, tool data can be used to reduce downtime and optimise tool usage.

Enhanced health and safety

“Our strong focus on operator health and safety has reached a new level with Nuron. Customers can now benefit from new safety features and a much broader range of cordless tools that include our proven and leading safety technologies,” states Tassilo Deinzer, member of the Executive Board. He further explained that Hilti’s ‘Dust Removal System’ (DRS) and ‘Active Torque Control (ATC) are now available with all relevant tools. ‘Active Vibration Reduction’ (AVR), another key health protection and comfort feature, has been expanded to many more tools within the Nuron portfolio. Furthermore, in the redesign of all 70 tools launched in Manchester, ergonomics, weight and robustness have been optimised and made compatible with an approved tethering system to prevent tools falling when working at heights.

Hilti has also worked with construction professionals to develop two new technologies for increased safety with angle grinders. The ‘3D ATC’ system switches off the tool and activates the disc brake when there is sudden, uncontrolled movement in any direction. The same risk reducing function comes with the new ‘SensTech’ system, which sense when the operator’s hand is removed, e.g. when the tool is accidentally dropped.