Hansen is Generic for Cold-Fit Farm Irrigation Couplings
Friday 30 January 2015, 9:27AM
By Manufacturers Success Connection
702 views
In New Zealand rural life when someone calls for a Hansen, everyone knows exactly what they mean. The farm pipe fitting is New Zealand's only generic manufactured industrial product. The threaded joints from Hansen made the use of plastic pipe on dairy farms practical and cost-effective.
Like many companies founded in the 1950s, the firm started in a garage. In this case the one belonging to Bert and Dawn Hansen. The duo made brass plumbing couplings. When in the 1970s plastics were approved for rural application, the Hansens were ready.
Their technology break through was to introduce into the plastic threaded couplings a strong degree of tolerance that accommodated varying pressures of wrench strength applied by dairy farmers. Prior to the Hansen idiot-proofing innovation plastic joints lost their threads simply through over enthusiastic torque pressure at the spanner or wrench end.
Still family controlled, the company has expanded into North America, and it continues to introduce farm irrigation cold fitting standards.