Photo Courtesy of DeWalt
Technology continues to change every industry in the 21st century and the construction industry is no different. Many tools became cordless in the mid-90s and early 2000s with hardly any tracking technology. If someone left with a tool or batteries…chances were you probably weren’t going to see them again.
Theft has been an issue for many jobsites and can really hamper the profit margin of any business. In construction, many jobsites can’t be monitored 24/7, so sometimes construction companies had to press their luck and hope for the best.
Times are different now and toolmaking manufacturers are taking measures to make tracking a battery much easier. Tool giant DeWalt has taken notice and has created a smart app that not only monitors a battery’s progress, but prevents theft as well.
DeWalt recently released the DCB203BT and DCB204BT batteries that have Bluetooth connectivity…allowing DeWalt’s smart app Tool Connect to monitor the charge, diagnostic and location of the connected batteries.
The app also provides custom warnings or notifications in case something happens to the battery. Tool Connect monitors the battery’s charge, its temperature and whether it is in range of your BlueTooth device. You can set the range through your app and it’s an easy way to keep track of where they’re at and whether a battery needs to be charged or not. Other custom alerts include:
- If a battery goes out of Bluetooth range
- Disables a battery if it goes out of Bluetooth range
- Alerts when a battery is running low
- Alerts if a battery is running at a high temperature
- Alerts if a battery is fully charged
The app is pretty flexible and gives the user a lot of control. You don’t have to relentlessly look at the battery charger to see if your batteries are still good to go. The app can also deter theft. If you want to lend your battery for a specific reason, there is also a lend button function that lets the battery loose from the smartphone app. The cool thing about this is you can set how long the battery will last before it shuts down. Bet you get that battery back sooner rather later! And that also means people are less likely to walk off with your stuff if it doesn’t work.
Photo Courtesy of DeWalt
Technology continues to change and improve efficiency and you can bet that more tools will have some sort smart app ability…cutting down on missing tools and getting the most out of them. Tool Connect is available in iOS and Android devices.
Be sure to check out Gary’s interview and demonstration with the Bluetooth batteries on Toolbarn’s YouTube Channel!
You can purchase the DCB204BT batteries from Toolbarn here.
You can download the DeWalt Tool Connect App for Android here.
You can download the DeWalt Tool Connect App for iOS here.
