Posted on 17th January 2018

DeWALT^® continues to shape the jobsite of the future with expansion of Tool Connect™ functionality, featuring intelligent inventory management and tool customisation

 

• DEWALT Tool Connect delivers advanced connectivity, enabling users to manage inventory via the updated Tool Connect web and mobile app
• Enhanced platform and app bring intelligent tool location, tracking and personalisation options
• New DEWALT 18V XR Hammer Drill, Drill Drivers and Impact Drivers offer full Tool Connect functionality and customisable settings
• Tool Connect Tag keeps track of any asset on-site
• Unique Tool Connect 18V XR Connector links user’s existing 18V XR power tools

 

With its unparalleled reputation for delivering breakthrough technology that is shaping the jobsite of the future, DeWALT^® has introduced a range of significant new advances in functionality within its innovative Tool Connect™ platform.

According to research carried out by DeWALT in the US, the equivalent of one full working day per week is wasted searching for tools or waiting for them on site, and approximately $8,500* per year is lost due to poor inventory management. Therefore, the development of pioneering connected technology such as Tool Connect, which provides intelligent inventory control, protection and monitoring, is being welcomed by site managers and individual users alike.

Building on the existing DeWALT Tool Connect Bluetooth^® functionality, which allows the tracking and management of Tool Connect compatible 18V XR batteries, a host of new tool location and customisation benefits has been introduced with this latest update.

Designed to provide comprehensive inventory management for the professional’s full range of tools, products can be linked, named, logged and monitored using the enhanced DeWALT Tool Connect app, accessible on iPhone or Android smartphones, or via the web platform.

For additional peace of mind, the user will receive an ‘asset leaving vicinity’ notification shortly after a tool goes out of range and is potentially leaving the jobsite area. The tool and battery can then be disabled, rendering it unusable until returned.

Further functionality includes the ability to add purchase dates, costs and manage service information, plus the option to lend tools to a specific user, view the last seen location of an asset or mark an item as lost or stolen, which can then be tracked through the Tool Connect app user network within a 30 metre radius.

At the end of each job, inventory can be accounted for using the ‘MY TOOLS’ function in the app, to guarantee that all units are identified. The ‘last seen’ location feature ensures that products can be traced more swiftly, should they be lost or left behind by mistake.

Delivering additional convenience for contractors managing a fleet of tools for a large team, tools can be linked to particular users, ensuring full visibility of each item’s location at all times. Contractors with existing tool inventories can import their legacy asset information and link them to Tags or Connectors for tracking. Furthermore, planned and completed maintenance can be recorded for every tool, and the app also enables owners to locate nearby service centres.

As part of the expansion of the Tool Connect platform, DeWALT has launched five 18V XR Tool Connect power tools incorporating full Tool Connect functionality and customisable settings. The series includes: DCD997 Premium Hammer Drill, DCD797 Hammer Drill, and the DCF888 Impact Driver.

With these new products, through the Tool Connect app, RPM and torque can be customised within each speed mode, allowing the user to program the tool to suit the material being drilled, while helping to prolong tool and accessory life. Furthermore, bespoke LED settings enable the tools to be set up with the brightness required for each job, as well as the length of time the light remains illuminated.

Three customisable Tool Connect modes allow the user to switch between different application settings quickly and easily, while a fourth ‘home’ setting guarantees that there is always a familiar base drilling method available.

The DeWALT Premium Hammer (DCD997)) incorporates a further advanced Tool Connect safety function: ‘bind up’ protection in drilling mode instantly recognises when the drill bit catches, for enhanced user protection.

Additional Tool Connect features include warning notifications if a tool is being driven too rigorously, and notification of remaining coin cell life.

Tool Connect 18V XR Tag

The discreet and practical Tool Connect tag can be attached to any asset using cable ties with the integrated tether holes, or secured with adhesive pads, to enable the tracking of tools, materials, keys and other equipment – in fact, anything on site. Designed to facilitate inventory management and easy monitoring, it provides out of range alerts and allows the user to allocate and log a name for each item within the Tool Connect app.

Tool Connect 18V XR Connector

Compatible with all DeWALT XR 18V power tools, the new 18V XR Connector allows the user to manage and link their entire 18V XR inventory, enabling them to assign a name to each item within the Tool Connect app. An industry first, this innovative device fixes securely to the product, providing a visible deterrent against potential theft and also ensures owners can identify any lost tools, quickly and efficiently. Furthermore, the Connector allows the user to enable or disable the tool attached to it, and delivers warning alerts when out of range.

Tool Connect app

Available for Apple iOS and Android phones, the updated DeWALT Tool Connect app is downloadable free from iTunes and Google Play.

DeWALT said, “With increasing developments in connected technology and digital innovations on the jobsite, professionals are benefitting from major enhancements in usability and safety, while at the same time improving efficiency, and significantly reducing downtime and costs. In addition to the existing advantages of Tool Connect tracking, protection and management, these advanced new features have pushed connectivity to the next level. Allowing users to take complete control of their kit, tools can be customised to suit their own preferences and specific applications, ensuring that work can be completed more effectively – ultimately delivering increased productivity for contractors and their customers.”

A three year warranty is available on registration for all Tool Connect power tools.

Find DeWALT on social media at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DEWALTUK/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dewalt_uk

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/dewalttv

About DeWALT

With more than 90 years’ experience in designing and manufacturing world-class solutions for the professional construction industry, DeWALT represents performance, innovation and reliability. Tools that carry the DeWALT brand are Guaranteed Tough: engineered to exceed the expectations of building contractors and professional tradesmen, even when tested in the most extreme construction environments. The DeWALT reputation for quality has been earned from the company’s commitment to providing best-in-class products that meet the highest levels of durability and end-user protection. DeWALT supplies complete application solutions for the modern construction environment, which include corded and cordless power tools, saw blades and power tool accessories, dust extraction attachments, anchors and fastenings, jobsite storage, lasers and instruments, generators, compressors and more. DeWALT also has one of the most extensive service and repair networks in the world. For more information, visit www.DeWALT.com

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