The One-Key Revolution
WE CHECK OUT MILWAUKEE’S NEW ONEKEY APP — THE FIRST DIGITAL CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT SMARTPHONE APP FOR TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
In this day and age your smartphone is able to do just about any damn thing you wish. They have evolved into something more akin to an electronic Swiss army knife masquerading as a phone, than a device we use to make calls. In fact, for most, the percentage of time spent actually talking to someone versus using apps would be very small. In the workplace, and even at home in the shed, the phone is becoming more and more practical as new apps are developed. One of them is Milwaukee’s revolutionary One-Key app, which allows you to not only control tools through the cloud-based software, but also track and manage your inventory — a first for the industry. Through Bluetooth connectivity your OneKey– equipped tools connect to the app in real time, allowing you to customize the tool for your job, track it, and keep inventory up to date.
The guts of it
The One-Key technology is already available on selected tools in the range, including drills, impact guns, Sawzall, and the work light. Take, for instance, the Sawzall. Not sure what blade to use for your particular material? Just punch it into the app, and it will give you a recommendation. Not sure which rpm is best? The app will give you a recommendation, and then you can set the rpm through the app as one of your presets, or simply have the app adjust the tool to suit. It’s the same for the drill and impact guns. Like any of the smart tools, you can set up to four presets depending on the job, which is great for minimizing the risk of stripped hardware, over-torquing, or worse, under-torquing. Once you have these presets set up on the app, you can scroll through the four settings on the tool itself. This level of control will not only increase your job quality, it will also mean you save on consumables like drill bits and saw blades, as the correct speeds and torque are used. Milwaukee states that parts may last up to four times longer, even when your mate who is hard on your gear gets behind the trigger — yep, we all know one of those. The battery life is another factor improved via this control, and Milwaukee reports a 25 per cent longer run time.
Keeping your tools safe
Another feature is the tracking function, which tells you exactly where all your tools are at any one time. Any time you are within 30 metres of the tool, it connects to your phone and logs its location. So you can always see the last time you were within reach of your tool, and if you return to that job site to find it’s not there, simply jump onto the app, mark the tool as missing in your inventory, and then anyone with the app becomes part of your search party. As soon as anyone with that app comes within 30 metres of your tool, you are sent an alert with a location. The best bit is that the One-Key tech is built into the tool, not the battery, so it can be flat or not have a battery on it at all, and still send the signal.
Keeping track
A big part of the One-Key system is the integrated inventory system, likely to appeal more to those running companies with multiple workers rather than one-man bands, but it certainly has its benefits even for sole traders or back-yarders. It’ll keep track of maintenance schedules, usage for a tool, where any and all of your gear is in real time, and it works with any tools, not just Milwaukee. Like we said, this is a big thing for large companies with huge inventories and lots of multiple jobs on multiple sites — there simply has never been a total management system like it.
Where to get it?
The One-Key app is compatible with most Android and iOS smartphones, and can be downloaded for free from the Apple Store or Google Play. For more info, jump onto milwaukee.com/one-key.