Drilling Robots Cut Data Center Build Time From 9 Weeks to 9 Days

Building a data center used to mean nine grueling weeks of workers drilling thousands of holes into concrete floors, but robots are now doing the same work in nine days.

DEWALT and August Robotics have teamed up to create an autonomous drilling system that's revolutionizing how we build the massive data centers powering our digital lives. The robot, mounted with an industrial DEWALT drill, pulls plans directly from building blueprints and drills each hole with pinpoint accuracy.

The results speak for themselves. In just six months, 12 robots have drilled 108,000 holes with 99.97% accuracy, generating 21,000 hours of freed-up labor capacity for construction teams.

The technology builds on August Robotics' Lionel robot, which launched in 2019 for floor marking. That platform has already marked more than 300 million square feet of floor space across exhibition centers and industrial sites.

Data centers present a unique challenge because server racks must be bolted securely to concrete floors. This requires drilling thousands of precisely placed holes, work that's physically demanding and time-consuming when done manually.

The robot navigates around obstacles on construction sites, approaching blocked areas from different angles to complete its work. It measures each mark independently, ensuring errors never accumulate across thousands of drilling points.

Beyond speed, the system delivers real financial benefits. DEWALT reports the cost per hole has dropped from more than $60 to around $20, making projects more affordable without sacrificing quality.

The Ripple Effect

Workers are celebrating too. The automation handles the repetitive, physically taxing drilling work, reducing fatigue and injury risks on job sites.

Skilled workers and apprentices can now focus on higher-value tasks that require human expertise and problem-solving. Construction companies report better job satisfaction as team members tackle more meaningful work.

The robots work from the same CAD files architects already create, making setup straightforward. Contractors don't need specialized training to deploy the system on their sites.

DEWALT plans to launch the drilling robots commercially by mid-2026. The company showcased the technology at the World of Concrete Trade Show in Las Vegas, where it generated significant interest from contractors.

Both companies are now building out sales strategies to get fleets of these robots working on construction sites nationwide.

The breakthrough shows how automation can enhance rather than replace human workers, creating safer, faster, and more efficient construction while preserving jobs that matter.