high performance

Dewalt needed a high power brushless motor platform to maximize power and efficiency, which would provide better performance for the larger cordless tools such as circular saws, reciprocating saws and the high-torque impact wrench. This new motor would leverage some of the existing Dewalt brushless technologies but would be built for more powerful systems.

robust by design

One of the first things I did once the project was kicked off was a design sprint to establish preliminary architectures. As the brushless motor required input from various disciplines such as the electrical and firmware team (I/O, wiring, sensors) and product team (gearbox, enclosures, etc.) — I included all stakeholders early. By focusing our sprint to include ‘housed’ motor configurations, we arrived at a robust layout balancing airflow, number of parts and ability to easily drop-in to various tools.

The brushless motor needed to be durable enough to withstand some of the most demanding environments. As it would first launch with a high torque impact wrench, vibration was a big factor due to the mechanics of the driving mechanism. Through targeted prototyping efforts in Baltimore using soft-tooled plastics with representative materials, we were quickly able to subject these motors to rigorous testing and iterate as needed. I worked closely with manufacturing teams in the Stanley Black & Decker China factory to manage design verification build and test, in addition to supporting ramp-up volumes ahead of the tool launch.