ENG 115                    Recommendation                                                     1

 

 

Date:               November 5, 2000

To:                   Bill Miller, President and the Board of Directors of New River Valley Sheltered Workshop.

From:              Bill Jones/Supervisor

Subject:          Recommended purchase and use of cordless drills.

 

 

Recently, Bill Miller met with me regarding the extensive use of extension cords through out the shop area to run the hand drills which are necessary for the manufacture of the Workshop’s products. Given the fact that most of our employees have some form of mental or physical handicap, Bill asked me to find a way to improve the safety of the work area without the loss of any production capabilities and without interfering with the integrity of the Workshop’s system.

 

            Based on Bill’s request I have prepared this recommendation report for the purchase  of cordless drills for use throughout the shop. After discussing the cordless drills with several local contractors and using various models supplied to me as demos from The Home Depot, I have narrowed my choices to two: Black & Decker 12V Firestorm Model FS1201K-2 (Figure 1) and DeWalt 12v drill/driver Model DW953K-2 (Figure 2). Each drill has been evaluated using the following criteria, in descending order of importance:

 

1.      Safety

2.      Cost

3.      Ease of use

 

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

 

I believe that the use of cordless drills, which would remove the extension cords from the area completely.  They  would provide not only an additional factor of safety but also a reduction in the maintenance and replacement of extension cords. It is my recommendation that the Board of Directors approve the request for the purchase of twelve (12) DeWalt Model DW953K-2 3/8 cordless drills for use in the production area.

 

 I believe this model has the best overall feel, balance and is ergonomically designed to reduce fatigue when used. After extensive negotiations with the manager of The Home Depot, they have agreed to provide the DeWalt model at the lower cost of the Black & Decker model. This is significant because each DeWalt drill comes with a battery charger. All elements of the criteria have been met.

 

The remainder of the report compares the two drills based on the above criteria.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ENG 115                    Recommendation                                                                 2

 

CRITERIA

 

 

Safety

 

Both drills operate on a 12Volt rechargeable battery. This eliminates the possibility of electrical shock due to frayed or broken extension cords. These batteries are sealed and can easily be put into the charger. They are designed to go into the charger only one way. This reduces the possibility of improperly charging and thereby damaging the battery. Both are made from high impact plastic designed to withstand repetitive drops and dings.

           

Conclusion.  Either drill would be safe to use in out production area.

 

 

Cost

 

Due to negotiations stated earlier the cost of each drill kit is $98.95. The significant item here would be the additional cost of the charger for the Black & Decker models. That cost would be an additional $19.95 per drill if you purchased a charger for each drill.

 

            Although we currently only use ten drills during normal operations, the two addition drills would provide back up and the capacity to increase our production if required.

           

Conclusion.   Both drills are well suited for use in our environment. The additional of the battery charger for the Black & Decker model would increase the cost of replacement but still be within a reasonable price range.

 

 

 

Ease of Use

 

 

Both drills operate basically the same way. Both are variable speed and can change spindle rotation direction with the flip of a switch. A note here: This switch is out of the way of the hand and not likely to be engaged during operation. The keyless chuck will eliminate the constant hunting for a chuck key when a new drill bit is required.  Each battery has the capacity to power the drill for one day under normal use. This leaves ample time to fully recharge the extra battery. The DeWalt drill has a longer grip and is easier to hold.  The DeWalt is a few ounces heavier but the weight is not noticed due to the balance of the drill. The main item is torque:

 

·        DeWalt DW953K-2 has 190 in./lbs.

 

·        Black & Decker FS1201K-2 has 115 in./lbs.

 

Conclusion.   Although either drill would work, the additional torque and balance of the Dewalt model would make it the drill of choice. These drills will remove trip hazards and electrical shock hazards in the shop area, plus increase productivity.

 

ENG 115        Recommendation                                                                                                     3

 

 

 

Figure 1

 

 

Figure 2.