According to ASSEMBLY magazine’s annual Capital Equipment Spending Survey, half of all U.S. assembly plants will purchase electric or pneumatic fastening tools in 2020.

Sometimes, when a product has been around for many years, the best way to gain market share in a crowded field is to completely rethink the design.

Construction equipment, farm tractors and other off-highway machines need more than just diesel engines, big tires and metal tracks to operate. They require hydraulic mechanisms to steer, raise booms, open buckets or tilt blades.

If we are to build a better world, politicians tell us, power must be placed in the right hands. This statement will draw no protest from assemblers. After all, these skilled workers require state-of-the-art power tools to build long-lasting quality products on a daily basis.

The ASSEMBLY Show hosts some 38 suppliers of screwdrivers, nutrunners, screw feeders, torque-reaction arms, rivet guns and other fastening products.

Electric tools have been available for more than a decade. However, until recently, many manufacturers were reluctant to invest in the technology because DC electric screwdrivers and nutrunners traditionally were more expensive than air-powered alternatives.

A growing number of manufacturers are moving from air tools to electric tools and from corded electric tools to cordless tools.

SINDELFINGEN, Germany—Daimler is equipping its assembly plant here with the Ubisense real-time location system. Daimler is using the RFID system to track the progress of each vehicle as it is assembled. The system is also being used to track and configure DC electric fastening tools at the plant.