DEWALT has introduced DALE, an autonomous downward drilling robot developed with mobile robotics company August Robotics, for commercial use in data center construction. The Stanley Black & Decker-owned brand describes DALE as the first downward drilling robot designed to operate as part of a fleet. The system is intended to drill holes used for server rack stops and supports for mechanical, electrical and plumbing installations.
According to DEWALT, a year-long pilot involving 26 data center construction phases found that the robot drilled at speeds of up to 10 times those of traditional methods. The company said the system drilled more than 230,000 holes with 99.97% accuracy and reduced project schedules by a combined 190 weeks.
DALE is equipped with replaceable batteries and remote monitoring capabilities to support extended drilling operations. It also includes automatic dust extraction and an artificial intelligence-supported quality assurance system intended to prepare drilled areas for subsequent installation work.
The robot uses August Robotics’ autonomous platform and can be deployed in groups to increase drilling capacity. DEWALT is positioning the system alongside its existing construction tools and anchoring products for data center projects.
