As power tool specialist DeWalt continues to loosen the chains of corded construction, a new set of videos lets viewers peek inside the jobsite of the future. Hassan Butt investigates

Lucent sparks fly from a 54V XR FlexVolt grinder in an oasis of forklifts, hardhats and swaying cranes. Frenetic vistas permeate turbulent landscapes where metal structures are galvanised by jolts of electricity. The city of London runs on a similar currency; there is no mothballing. Modern construction is built on high voltage, and for almost three decades, it’s been cordless. Powering that development has been DeWalt, whose products continue to be landmarks in the construction industry, balancing safety and innovation.

A new set of videos entitled ‘Jobsite of the Future’ showcase DeWalt’s new XR FlexVolt range, accompanied by an 18/54V battery, the first of its kind, designed to be interchangeable between a collection of new power tools. Compromising power within its cordless collection has been a longstanding pothole in the road to efficiency, but DeWalt, led by parent company Stanley Black & Decker, has taken new steps in safety. Darren Barber, DeWalt’s marketing director for UK & Ireland, says, “DeWalt’s XR FlexVolt range of tools are not just extremely powerful – they will also provide more than a full day’s runtime on single charge for most users. The potential for this technology is limitless; for each and every trade.”

With its roots anchored in a rich tradition of US industrial manufacturing, Raymond DeWalt, born and raised a Pennsylvanian, was credited for his breakthrough invention of the radial arm saw, thus solidifying the DeWalt name as a key player in the power tool industry. After being bought out by the American Machine & Foundry Co., Inc. in 1949, DeWalt was sold in 1960 to the then Black & Decker Corporation. In 1992, DeWalt began its production of cordless technology, kickstarting an industry trend that would soon be mirrored by the entire fold of competitors including Bosch, Caterpillar and Makita.

Translating this to video, ‘Jobsite of the Future’ depicts the construction site as a capricious organism, a fusion of varying disciplines, from electricians to steelworkers. London-based digital-agency, Your Favourite Story (YFS), highlighted the diversity of the construction site and produced a new website to accompany the project. Located in the Nine Elms developments on London’s south bank, the videos begin with the site manager’s experience with tools. “Using battery powered tools is really helpful, especially when a fixer needs to go in one area, lay down all his cables, get all set up, start working, dismantle everything, move to the next plot, redo all that – he might waste 15 minutes of his time doing a 10-minute job,” he says.

Alternating through an array of power tools, including grinders, drills and saws, as well as their alignment with trades such as plumbing, roofing, steelwork, carpentry and electrics, viewers are given free rein to navigate DeWalt’s portrayal of a safer, more dynamic jobsite. Darren Groucutt, creative director at YFS, says, “We sourced people working in the field, rather than getting actors, so that tradesmen who are actually going to buy the tools can see what they’re actually doing. We were loose with our script, asking specific questions like, ‘How is this [tool] going to change your day at work?’ That way we could see which tools go with each trade. However, we did get some crossover, the steelworker uses the bigger drill and the electrician does too, which meant that we had to strike a nice balance in the videos.”

Striking that balance comes from a process DeWalt has carried through its 92-year history; a working relationship with tradesmen. Groucutt says, “DeWalt had been working at the construction site already, they often give their tools to workers to test out. The roofer for example, is sent tools to test, and he’ll respond with how they can be improved.” As viewers are invited into the world of construction through fluorescent liveries, each trade is illuminated using DeWalt’s products, a metaphor for multiplicity.

The films highlight the tool’s individuality first. A snapshot follows, ossifying the crucial moment of action; a hammer drill penetrating a steel beam, a saw’s jagged slices through a metal slate, stripped away to reveal its inner workings. Groucutt says, “DeWalt notoriously does these infographics explaining the product, so I wanted to bring that in so it’s in-shot while the tool is being used. That way, we can break the tool down into brief bullet points. It provides instant, deeper dives without having to click further. But there was still something missing, and I remembered the main DeWalt art direction was an x-ray, human extension, a kind of exoskeleton, so I decided to x-ray the hand as well.”

The films also focus on the product’s 6.0Ah capacity. The XR FlexVolt’s runtime is amplified to produce the same effects as its corded cohorts, perhaps best displayed through the seamless transitions of two electricians, who alternate between drills and saws as their teamwork is materialised in metal fittings at great heights. Yet, as cordless construction takes its most complete form since its inception, the films capture the reach of its capacity in each individual case. Highlighting interchangeability is not easily done, and in the ‘Jobsite of the Future,’ authenticity remains untarnished by the vast strides of innovation.

Stanley Black & Decker’s forward thinking is further punctuated by recent efforts to propel the DeWalt brand into a new realm of progressive construction, after its major production migration offshore in 2002, acquisitions such as German power tool company ELU and long-time rival Porter-Cable have, over the years, added to the arsenal of DeWalt’s product capabilities. Yet with widespread technological developments in the last three decades, DeWalt’s target customer has rarely needed to change. As the ‘Jobsite of the Future’ takes on age-old ideals of safety and efficiency in the workplace, DeWalt champions the message with bolder colours, newer constructions and most importantly, better tools.

Barber says, “A roofer will traditionally prefer to use cordless technology when working at height to provide freedom of movement and avoid trailing cables, but is forced to carry a corded circular saw to allow the capacity to trim hip joints. The new range not only offers a high capacity circular saw to cut larger timbers, but the battery is also interchangeable with the table saw and mitre saw – allowing true cordless flexibility for his entire tool kit. The battery is also interchangeable with his existing 18V tools. This is cordless power as never before, and the jobsite will never be the same again.”

This year sees DeWalt embark upon its first generation of connected products, including Bluetooth enabled batteries, speakers, adaptors and a construction-friendly smartphone. Yet the question of whether the brand can continue to balance its trailblazing technology in a field that continues to reflect a progressive, swollen landscape of vertical cities, vanity projects and global economic growth can only be determined by the toughness of its ongoing innovation.