and more a part of the lives of craftsmen on construction sites. What are the benefits of this connectivity?
The era is digital. Nothing escapes it, not even the tools on the building sites. Screwdrivers, bolts, gloves, helmets, tool boxes, tablets, more and more tools and materials used on construction sites are concerned, not connected sorry. An overview of some of these 2.0 tools and their usefulness.
Manage tools and traceability
Since March 2016, the American manufacturer, Milwaukee, has been offering the new range of One Key connected tools. Via a Bluetooth connection, the machines are connected to a free application without subscription. The latter includes several functions, starting with the management of the park. "The artisan identifies all his tools via the application, even those of other brands," explains Maxime a representative of the brand. The craftsman can also create a sheet for all the materials in his park such as booster lights, barnums, etc. The aim of these connected machines is of course to exploit the information available to them. The fact of connecting a tool "allows the craftsman to quickly list his equipment before leaving a construction site, for example", he explains. Another function: to locate its tools. "Thanks to a geolocation system installed in the machines, the craftsman can find them quickly." If a tool is reported lost in the application, the craftsman may know his last location and if he does not retrieve it immediately, he will receive an alert the next time he passes by.
Improve productivity
Do not waste time or even gain, it is one of the other advantages that manufacturers of connected tools highlight to seduce craftsmen. Legoueix, for example, specializes in the manufacture of a connected toolbox. Resembling a classic box, it includes about fifty related tools. All the elements of the box are equipped with an RFID chip which also allows them to find them quickly.
Bosch is also investing in the connectivity of its tools, via Bluetooth, with an application available on smartphones. The interconnection between the tool and the telephone "allows artisans to optimize their working procedures and exclude errors, thanks to the manual transmission of measured values, for example", explains Ralph Dammertz, Director of the professional tools department At Bosch Power Tools. Advantages: These solutions facilitate "management and archiving of measurement results by coupling to mobile devices" with, for example, laser rangefinders and thermal detectors, the company says.
