For hardware retailers and fastener distributors seeking greater contractor and DIY sales, today’s most advanced stud finder technology is designed to essentially eliminate the false positives that have proliferated in recent years. Accurately locating studs within walls is crucial to cut safely and efficiently into drywall, mount fixtures, and reroute wiring, plumbing, or HVACR ductwork during installation or remodeling.
The challenge for retailers and distributors is that contractors such as electricians, plumbers, and HVACR technicians as well as DIYers have long utilized stud finders based on unrefined capacitive technology. While this original technology can indicate the location of wood stud framing, it may also discover metal, plastic, wiring, and other objects in walls and indicate them as studs. The potential for “false positive” indications is further increased by brands with constantly active, hypersensitive “deep scanning” models. The result is that traditional stud finders may chirp or flash LED lights to indicate something was sensed, but it is not clear what that is.
Now, newer and more refined technology is being introduced to the popular stud finder category, and it promises to redefine the standards for stud finder performance at a mass market price that will spur retailer and distributor sales.
With the new market solution now available, retailers and fastener distributors can sell contractors and DIYers advanced, second-generation stud finders from Zircon Corporation. The stud finders utilize multiple sensors and sophisticated signal processing to help filter out false positives, minimizing the risk of misidentifying objects as studs.
The company’s latest innovation is the Wood Stud SuperScan® advanced stud finder with Target Control® technology and FILTERz™ cancellation. By analyzing the complex data streams from multiple sensors and controlling the result using sophisticated intelligence, the stud finder can find wood studs and filter out metallic objects such as plumbing, conduit, straps, brackets, screws, protector plates, or ductwork behind the wall. The technology also alerts users to the presence of other low density, non-metallic targets like plastic pipe and PEX tubing.
DeepScan® mode locates the center of wood studs and metal up to 1½ inches (38 mm) deep behind walls. A MetalliWarning® indicator will display when metal is detected.
To minimize the risk of cutting into dangerous electrical wires, the device also provides WireWarning® detection, which indicates the presence of live, unshielded AC electricity.
The stud finder has a new and improved user interface which provides an intuitive “go/no go” indication in response to what is being sensed. A new haptic vibration and a patented SpotLite® pointer shines an arrow-shaped beam on the wall, to clearly indicate the target’s location.
By providing the solution to the longstanding problem of proliferating false positives, retailers and distributors can bring contractors and DIYers in the door and boost their sales. The ability of tradesmen and home improvement enthusiasts to determine quickly and more accurately what may be behind the wall before cutting into it will substantially increase their productivity and safety while generating referrals.
For more information, call Zircon Corporation at (408) 963-4550, e-mail: [email protected], or visit www.zircon.com.