DEWALT® Unveils the World's First Downward Drilling, Fleet-Capable Robot to Accelerate Data Center Construction

Rhea-AI Summary

DEWALT (NYSE: SWK) and August Robotics launched the world's first downward drilling, fleet-capable robot to speed concrete drilling for data center construction. In an ongoing pilot with a leading hyperscaler, the robot drilled >90,000 holes with 99.97% accuracy, operated up to 10x faster than traditional methods, and delivered 80 weeks of schedule savings across 10 projects. The solution targets high-volume tasks such as server-rack stop and structural leg holes and is expected to be commercially available mid‑2026. The robot will be demoed at World of Concrete Jan 20–22, 2026.

Positive

• Drilled over 90,000 holes during pilot
• 99.97% drilling accuracy reported
• Up to 10x faster than traditional drilling methods
• Saved 80 weeks of construction time across 10 projects
• Commercial launch planned mid‑2026

Negative

• Pilot results derive from projects with a single leading hyperscaler, limiting customer diversity
• Commercial availability not until mid‑2026, delaying potential revenue recognition

News Market Reaction

-4.57%

1 alert

-4.57% News Effect

On the day this news was published, SWK declined 4.57%, reflecting a moderate negative market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Data centers in development: more than 400 Drilling speed: up to 10x faster Timeline reduction: 80 weeks saved +5 more

8 metrics

Data centers in development more than 400 Global data centers reportedly in development

Drilling speed up to 10x faster Robot drilling speed vs traditional methods

Timeline reduction 80 weeks saved Construction time saved across 10 data center projects

Projects completed 10 data center projects Pilot program with a leading hyperscaler

Drilling accuracy 99.97% Accuracy of location and depth across pilot drilling

Holes drilled over 90,000 holes Total holes drilled during the pilot program

Data center demand share nearly 80% Portion of data center demand attributed to hyperscalers

Industry capex forecast $7 trillion Estimated data center capital expenditure by 2030

Market Reality Check

Price: $83.73 Vol: Volume 1,562,020 is rough...

normal vol

$83.73 Last Close

Volume Volume 1,562,020 is roughly in line with the 1,587,740 20-day average. normal

Technical Shares trade above the 200-day MA, at 84.61 vs 70.1, indicating an established uptrend pre-news.

Peers on Argus

Peers show mixed, small moves (e.g., LECO +0.06%, SNA -0.36%), with no broad, al...

Peers show mixed, small moves (e.g., LECO +0.06%, SNA -0.36%), with no broad, aligned sector momentum and no peers in the real-time momentum list.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Jan 14 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Jan 14	CFO appointment	Positive	+1.1%	XCF Global appointed a seasoned CFO to support strategic priorities.
Jan 13	Product launches	Positive	+0.6%	DEWALT announced new POWERSHIFT and 20V MAX concrete-focused tools.
Dec 22	Business sale (buyer)	Neutral	+3.4%	Howmet agreed to acquire CAM from Stanley Black & Decker for cash.
Dec 22	Business divestiture	Positive	+3.4%	Stanley Black & Decker agreed to sell CAM for <b>$1.8B</b> cash to reduce debt.
Dec 18	Earnings timing	Neutral	-0.3%	Company set the date and details for Q4 and FY2025 earnings release.

Pattern Detected

Recent company and brand news, including portfolio reshaping and product launches, has generally coincided with positive price reactions, with no clear instances of the stock selling off on favorable announcements in the provided window.

Recent Company History

Over the last several weeks, Stanley Black & Decker-related news has centered on portfolio optimization, upcoming earnings, and DEWALT product innovation. The announced sale of Consolidated Aerospace Manufacturing for $1.8 billion, with proceeds directed to debt reduction, saw a +3.42% move. DEWALT’s concrete-focused product debuts and other updates also coincided with modest gains. Against this backdrop, today’s data-center-focused DEWALT robotics launch continues the theme of innovation and strategic repositioning toward higher-value solutions.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement showcases DEWALT’s move into autonomous robotics tailored to AI data center constr...

Analysis

This announcement showcases DEWALT’s move into autonomous robotics tailored to AI data center construction, citing up to 10x faster drilling, 80 weeks of cumulative schedule savings, and 99.97% accuracy over 90,000 holes. It follows recent portfolio and product news for Stanley Black & Decker, including the CAM divestiture. Investors may watch how quickly this mid-2026 commercial launch scales, its impact on margins, and management’s commentary in upcoming earnings.

Key Terms

autonomous drilling, fleet orchestration, hyperscalers

3 terms

autonomous drilling technical

"Powered by August Robotics' autonomous drilling and fleet orchestration platform"

Autonomous drilling is the use of sensors, software and automated controls to run drilling rigs with minimal human intervention, like a self-driving car for boring into the ground. It matters to investors because it can cut labor costs, reduce downtime and safety incidents, and increase drilling speed and consistency, which can improve productivity and lower the unit cost of extracting resources—factors that affect revenue and project returns.

fleet orchestration technical

"Powered by August Robotics' autonomous drilling and fleet orchestration platform"

Coordinating a group of assets — such as delivery trucks, taxis, drones, ships, or a fleet of computers — so they operate together efficiently and reliably. For investors, it matters because good orchestration cuts fuel and labor costs, improves uptime and service speed, and extends asset life, much like a conductor keeping an orchestra in sync to get the best performance from each musician.

hyperscalers technical

"with one of the world's largest and most influential tech companies, or "hyperscalers,""

Hyperscalers are large technology companies that operate massive computing networks and data centers to provide cloud services, data storage, and online infrastructure at an enormous scale. They are essential to the digital economy because they enable businesses and organizations to handle vast amounts of data and run complex applications efficiently. For investors, hyperscalers represent powerful engines of growth and innovation in the technology sector.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

• Amidst a rapid expansion of more than 400 data centers in development around the world¹, DEWALT, in collaboration with August Robotics, is pushing the boundaries of innovation to address evolving customer needs
• The robotic solution can drill at speeds up to 10x faster than traditional methods and has reduced construction timelines by 80 weeks across 10 data center projects for one of the largest technology companies, addressing the surging demand for AI computing infrastructure
• Powered by August Robotics' autonomous drilling and fleet orchestration platform, the robot achieved 99.97% drilling accuracy across 90,000+ holes throughout ongoing pilot program with a leading hyperscaler

TOWSON, Md. , Jan. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- DEWALT, a Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK) brand and relentless innovator for jobsite professionals, today announced in collaboration with leading international mobile robotics company August Robotics, the launch of the world's first downward drilling, fleet-capable robot to enable fast, safe, and efficient concrete drilling to accelerate data center construction.

As the race to meet global AI processing needs intensifies, the robot is currently being piloted and has completed 10 phases of data center construction with one of the world's largest and most influential tech companies, or "hyperscalers," helping to significantly boost construction output. Throughout the ongoing pilot program, the robotic solution can drill at speeds up to 10x faster than traditional methods and has reduced construction timelines by 80 weeks.

"Across the globe, hyperscalers, which account for nearly 80% of overall data center demand² are investing in infrastructure to power AI computing, with an estimated industry-wide capital expenditure of $7 trillion in data centers by 2030³," said Bill Beck, President, Tools & Outdoor, Stanley Black & Decker. "Our customers consistently emphasize that speed of construction is critical. The robotic drilling solution meets this need head-on through schedule acceleration, cost savings, near-perfect accuracy and enhanced jobsite safety. DEWALT's relentless pursuit of innovation to drive productivity is redefining how the world builds."

Highly impactful for data center construction, the robot drives cost-efficiency through fleet-capable, autonomous drilling that unlocks greater drilling capacity. As a crucial stage of the construction workflow, the robotic solution drills thousands of holes for installation of server rack stops and structural legs that support overhead mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.

Implementation of the robot has significantly expedited construction timelines with 80 weeks saved across 10 data center projects; radically decreased cost per hole; and delivered 99.97 percent accuracy of location and depth for over 90,000 holes.

The addition of the robot strengthens DEWALT's data center ecosystem encompassing PERFORM AND PROTECT™ tools and technology that mitigate vibration and dust and enhance user control, as well as DEWALT's industry-leading ICC anchoring solutions.

The robotic drilling solution is expected to be available commercially mid-year 2026 and will be demoed at the World of Concrete® Trade Show in Las Vegas from January 20-22.

To learn more about groundbreaking DEWALT innovation and industry-leading total solutions for jobsite professionals, visit www.DEWALT.com.

To learn more about August Robotics and its autonomous mobile robotics solutions for construction, visit www.augustrobotics.com.

¹https://www.wsj.com/business/data-centers-are-a-gold-rush-for-construction-workers-6e3c5ce0?mod=Searchresults&pos=1&page=1

²https://www.colliers.com/en/research/nrep-usdc-data-center-marketplace-2025

³https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/the-cost-of-compute-a-7-trillion-dollar-race-to-scale-data-centers

About DEWALT
DEWALT, a Stanley Black & Decker brand, is a leader in total jobsite solutions. For more than 100 years, DEWALT has been powering the future of construction with tools and technologies that have been designed, built and tested to help deliver safety and productivity on every jobsite. For more information, visit www.dewalt.com or follow DEWALT on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

About Stanley Black & Decker
Founded in 1843 and headquartered in the USA, Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK) is a worldwide leader in Tools and Outdoor, operating manufacturing facilities globally. The Company's approximately 48,000 employees produce innovative end-user inspired power tools, hand tools, storage, digital jobsite solutions, outdoor and lifestyle products, and engineered fasteners to support the world's builders, tradespeople and DIYers. The Company's world-class portfolio of trusted brands includes DEWALT^®, CRAFTSMAN^®, STANLEY^®, BLACK+DECKER^® and Cub Cadet^®. To learn more, visit www.stanleyblackanddecker.com or follow Stanley Black & Decker on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X. 

About August Robotics
August Robotics is a leading international mobile robotics company that builds robots to improve lives and boost productivity by automating dirty, dangerous and dull jobs. Founded in 2017, August Robotics has expanded worldwide and partners with market leaders to develop new robotic applications across industries including construction, commercial and industrial fit-outs, and exhibitions. For more information, visit www.augustrobotics.com, or follow August Robotics on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

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SOURCE DEWALT

FAQ

What did DEWALT announce on January 20, 2026 regarding robotics for data centers (SWK)?

DEWALT announced a downward drilling, fleet‑capable robot developed with August Robotics to accelerate concrete drilling for data center construction.

How accurate and fast is DEWALT's drilling robot in the pilot (SWK)?

In the pilot the robot achieved 99.97% accuracy across >90,000 holes and operated up to 10x faster than traditional methods.

What construction time savings did DEWALT report from the pilot (SWK)?

The company reported the robotic solution delivered 80 weeks of schedule savings across 10 data center projects.

When will DEWALT's fleet‑capable drilling robot be available commercially (SWK)?

The robotic drilling solution is expected to be commercially available mid‑2026.

Will DEWALT demonstrate the robot publicly and when (SWK)?

Yes — the robot will be demoed at the World of Concrete trade show in Las Vegas from January 20–22, 2026.