How are companies making their power tools “smarter” with technology?
We live in a very innovative world today, and with the rising usage of smart phones, and using applications with those phones has opened a pandora’s box for innovators around the world. A big part of our normal lives can now be controlled with one device that sits in our pocket which is a smart phone. From changing our homes thermostat, to turning on and off your smart oven, technology is making things easier, and smarter for the rest of us. Power tool companies such as DeWalt, and Milwaukee have taken some of these innovations and applied them to the power tools we use today. We have done some extensive research and testing here at ToolCrunch to insure you understand what a smart power tool is and the features they may include.
Inductive Battery Charging
Wireless charging is the wave of the future, and companies have now implemented this smart technology into the batteries our power tools use. Before a user would have to disconnect the battery from the power tool itself, and then slide that into a charger. Taking away precious time away from the task at hand. Now, using technology, if you are needing to charge a battery, or just not currently using your power tool, you can place it down on this pad like device, that will start to charge that power tool at a rate of up to 10 amps. From the research we have gathered, the pad creates a magnetic field, that transfers energy into a copper style coil, that resonates the energy given off in a form of “magnetism” so it will slowly start to charge the battery with the amount of amps and volts it will produce. The battery simply remains on the tool, not allowing debris, dust, or dirt into the small areas that would compromise the contacts, which would not allow the proper flow of power to come into the tool and its motor in the first place. It has become a clean, and preferred way of charging because of the lack of effort involved to use it.
Bluetooth Batteries are another great example of how smart technology is helping us in our journey towards innovation. DeWalt and Milwaukee have bluetooth batteries that can connect to an iOS or Android smartphone, which will allow for different things involving the battery itself. You can monitor the charge levels, usage levels, and remotely deactivate the batteries entirely. They also feature a “lending” feature, that will allow you to keep track of where your batteries are located currently (and more than likely tools because of the need to use the batteries with them for the power tools to function) to help you keep track. This feature also helps let the owner know if no usage, too much usage is happening because you can view the temperature, and how much time is being used to power something. Let’s say you have a crew of workers who are not getting the jobs you assign them done on time. Before, you had no choice than to either take someones word for it, or catch them in the act of either using it, or not. Now, because of the bluetooth features on the bluetooth battery, you will know who is working and who isn’t. You can also see who is slacking on the help as well. Another amazing scenario that I personally had happen to me, was I let my friend borrow my DeWalt impact drill, because he needed to do a remodel, and it was on a Sunday, and the nearest store to purchase one was over 1 hour away. After a couple of weeks, I asked him if I could have it back, because I needed it. He proceeded to inform me, that he lost it and would have to “get me back” when he got his tax return, which was crap. We both knew he was trying to do the one thing friends should never do, lie and steal from each other. After explaining to him I had the DeWalt app on my phone, I could trace the tool using a map, he quickly found my tool. My best friend uses this technology as well to keep tabs on the locations his crew members work. To make sure they are where they are supposed to be.
DeWalt FlexVolt Technology it has become a goal for these power tool companies to try and be the absolute best, and go through many trials and lengths to prove it to their customers. DeWalt developed a battery called the FlexVolt, which gives the user of the tool using FlexVolt the ability to run their batteries in two types of modes. Series and parallel. When the battery is set to parallel, you will have (3) 5 cell’s come together, producing a very powerful 20v of power, and have 6.0 maH as well. Allowing your FlexVolt compatible tool to be just as powerful as its corded power tool cousin. The run time on these tools while using this battery technology is very long and does not grow weak slowly as the charge starts to dissipate. DeWalt has also used FlexVolt technology in their tools as well. Giving better more secure connections between the battery and the brushless motors, which produce a very large rating of power. This power is also exerted for longer periods of time, because of how efficient the motors run.
What is the future of smart power tools?
After speaking briefly with a representative of DeWalt and Milwaukee both, battery technology seems to be the very top priority. However, this does not count as just for the power, and how long that power can be delivered, but to give the battery a “smart” advantage when it comes to tracking the usage of the tool, the condition, maintaining inventory of all power tools for not just at home users, but for contractors as well. To bring down theft and increase recovery from their crew members as well. They also want to be able to power bigger and better motors that can run for longer periods of time. They will also have a very large advantage being only a few of the entire worlds power tool companies to develop such technology. This not only saves customers time but also money for the bottom line of their budgets and bottom lines.
In Conclusion to Smart Power Tools
Major tool companies have come a very long way, providing us with some of the greatest power tools of all time. But as technology improves, we advance, then we will start to see smarter ways of not only how power tools work, but how they are manufactured, giving us a constant advantage to our competitors to get the job done quicker, and with my professional style. From a contractor’s point of view, it will help them keep from losing money, as a result of theft. Which is a number one expensive loss all us contractors will face. Due to bad employees who either quit or become fired while they are in possession of our equipment. Luckily we can prove owner ship, and show the proper authorities who and where has the multiple hundreds of dollars worth of tools. You can compare that to using the “Find My iPhone” feature on Apple iPhones today.