CHINAPLAS 2019: BASF materials help bring groundbreaking BOSCH Intelligent Glove to the China market
- BOSCH Intelligent Glove (“BIG”) encapsulates sensors and circuit boards into the glove’s TPU material, bringing connectivity to China industries
- BASF materials and expertise help BOSCH speed up production of the BIG, to meet growing demand in China’s manufacturing sector
- BASF at CHINAPLAS 2019: Booth no. 11.2A41, China Import & Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou, PR China, May 21-24
Guangzhou, China – April 25, 2019 – BASF materials and expertise have helped BOSCH Automotive Products (Suzhou) Co Ltd. (“BOSCH”) to produce its groundbreaking BOSCH Intelligent Glove (BIG) faster and more efficiently, to meet growing demand in China’s manufacturing sector. The BIG, made with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) from BASF, is a milestone in connected manufacturing that provides connectivity and transparency for the workforce. It will be launched in China in the second half of 2019.
The BIG is particularly in demand in the manual and semi-automated manufacturing industries, such as the automotive industry.
“We have been working closely with BOSCH to simplify the value chain for the BIG, from materials procurement and processing technology to prototype development and mass production. The simplified business model helps reduce overall costs and time in the product development process,” said Tony Jones, Head of Business Management, Industrial Industry, Performance Materials Asia Pacific, BASF.
The collaboration between BASF and BOSCH includes design and development of the Elastollan® film-based processing technology which encapsulates the fragile sensor and flexible printed circuit board into the gloves, as well as creating a new business model which simplifies the product development process and speeds up the BIG’s time-to-market.
Elastollan’s excellent mechanical strength, as well as hydrolysis and chemical resistance, makes it a perfect material innovation for intelligent gloves, which come into contact with water, chemicals, and dust during the industrial manufacturing process. Owing to its durability and flexibility, Elastollan also provides long-term user comfort.
“Our collaboration with BOSCH is an example of our expertise and competence beyond material innovations, and as part of our ongoing pursuit to be more than just a material supplier to our customers. We enable product ideas with innovation – be it with high-performance material solutions, processes or business models,” said Andy Postlethwaite, Senior Vice President, Performance Materials Asia Pacific, BASF.
Equipped with highly sensitive sensors, the BIG is designed to map hand movements which greatly reduces workforce training times. Furthermore, it helps users learn the correct assembly steps and documents production steps. The data is sent via Bluetooth to a computer or smartphone, where it is compared to previously stored movement patterns.
For more information on BASF at CHINAPLAS 2019, please visit https://chinaplas-basf.com or follow BASF_in_Action on WeChat.
About BASF in Greater China
BASF has been a committed partner to Greater China since 1885. With larger production sites in Shanghai, Nanjing and Chongqing, BASF is a major foreign investor in the country’s chemical industry, and operates the Innovation Campus Shanghai, a global and regional research and development hub. BASF posted sales of over €7.3 billion in 2018 to customers in Greater China, and employed 9,317 people as of the end of that year. For further information, please visit www.basf.com/cn/en
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 122,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €63 billion in 2018. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.
