Sep 10, 2019

Gripple designs cable joiner for fruit growers

A joining and suspension solutions manufacturer, Gripple, has launched a new agricultural innovation with the introduction of a new joiner, specifically designed for the U.S. fruit growers.

The Gripple GP90 has been in development for more than 12 months, according to a press release from Gripple. The device is being marketed as a better alternative to knots, U-bolts and ratchet strainers in the installation of overhead canopies.

It joins and tensions line wires to perpendicular boundary cables, creating overhead wires to support protective materials such as shade cloth, hail net and rain covers, direct support for fruit and also overhead grids.

GP90 clamps onto boundary cables, before the line wire is fed through the self-locking system and tensioned using a tensioning tool, according to the press release. Fitting takes seconds and uses a single-component system which is lighter and smaller than traditional U-bolts, turn buckles and ratchet strainers, offering significant savings in transportation costs, requires little training to fit, reducing the risk of injury and time working at height.

Gripple product manager Will Anderson said the company invested in the development of a new product becoming aware of a demand from the fruit growing market.

“GP90 simplifies and speeds up installation, reduces labor costs and provides a strong, reliable and re-tensionable solution which will last for decades,” he said in the release. Testing replicated the equivalent of 25 years of hail storms and corrosion, through methods such as cyclic load testing, instant load testing and salt spraying.

Gripple began making wire joining and tensioning devices for the agricultural industry in the late 1980s. It supplies ‘grip and pull’ technology from hubs in North America, Europe and India.

For more information, call Gripple at 630-406-0600 or visit www.gripple.com.