Orbit Industries, Inc. recently improved upon the design of its patented Height Adjustable Box Installation Template. The HABIT, first introduced in 2016, was recognized in the National Electrical Contractor Association (NECA) Showstopper Awards as one of the top products at the 2017 NECA Convention. After two years proving its durability on construction sites across the country, Orbit sought ways to increase the HABITs “lifespan” on especially tough jobs.
Kai Zhang, Orbit’s VP of Business Development, gathered field reports from HABIT end-users. Over time, Mr. Zhang noticed a pattern. “The HABIT’s height-adjustable magnetic platform [which holds metallic boxes and brackets] were getting damaged.” This “wear-and-tear” caused the magnets to lose coercivity, and after repeated abuse, demagnetize completely.
To improve the HABITs coercivity, Zhang and his team added more than twice the magnetic material than the previous version. This also gave the HABIT more “bite”, as it could hold more than twice the weight as before. A protective stainless steel plate over the magnets now help to absorb some of the shock caused by repeated metal-on-metal impact.
Like its earlier design, the improved Height Adjustable Box Installation Template is a reusable tool for electrical contractors. It aids in the consistent mounting of boxes or brackets at a uniform height. The HABITs magnetic platform adjusts from 0″ to 21″ off the floor (measured at box center). The platform is easily locked at the desired height, via wing nuts on the sides, to accommodate the installer’s bracket of choice.
A second HABIT can also be stacked on top of the first – without tools. The second HABITs magnetic platform can now be raised up to a height of 49″, measured at box center. The HABITs stackability offers many benefits. For instance, receptacles can be secured with the lower HABIT, while NEC-required “First Means of Support” is secured with the top HABIT.
The Height Adjustable Box Installation Template also benefits installers in four key areas. First, the HABIT is re-usable, and the more installers use the HABIT from one job to the next, the more they will save in time and exertion. Second, the HABIT eliminates the need for kick-in floorstand brackets, which (due to their irregular shape) can get expensive to ship and damage easily in transit. Third, no measuring is required, especially in floors that require consistent switch and receptacle heights. And finally, installers can maximize efficiency by using the HABIT in conjunction with Orbit stud brackets. By doing so, installers may confidently assign first year apprentices to layout and boxing-of-units — with minimal supervision.
The improved HABIT is designed for use with most Orbit stud-to-stud wall brackets, including the Simple Support Bracket family (SSB); Flat (FB) and Off-set (FMB) Fixed Mounting Brackets; Telescoping Support Bracket (TSB); and Adjustable Box Brackets (BHA-16 and BHA-24).
To request an in-house demonstration, pricing, or literature on the improved Height Adjustable Box Installation Template, please call 944-909-0695 or visit www.OrbitElectric.com
