Handheld Tool Recharge Improves Usability and Performance

An automotive and manufacturing tools provider needed to redesign a major handheld product due to obsolescence of critical electronic components. The redesign coincided with the company’s refocus on innovation to differentiate itself amid growing competition. The global company selected Boston Engineering to develop custom motion control software to advance its industrial fastening product.

To improve performance of the rechargeable tool, Boston Engineering developed a field oriented control design to replace the product’s existing motor control capabilities. Additional project requirements included:

• Improve usability:
  • Reduce product vibration significantly by providing a smoother motor motion at low and high speeds
  • Enable multiple pre-programed settings to simplify operation
• Increase precision:
  • Measure torque and angle targets to support a variety of applications
  • Improve precision by controlling motor speed and monitoring motor torque
• Enhance quality control by comparing individual employee performance against established manufacturing benchmarks. Employees can see their accuracy via the handheld tool’s LED display, and companies can also archive the quality data
• Integrate seamlessly with the client’s proprietary host control software