Bosch’s 10 year pivot to industry 4.0

Diversified global manufacturer Bosch is celebrating 10 years of pioneering work in the area of industry 4.0, including a successful pivot of its own operations overseas and in Australia to embrace game-changing manufacturing technologies.

The company, which generated revenues of 700 million euros in industry 4.0 sales, has been systematically investing in its own factories with more than 120,000 machines and 250,000 devices across the group now featuring connectivity.

Leading the company’s push in Australia is Bosch Australia Manufacturing Solutions (BAMS) established six years ago as the company foresaw a transition out of automotive locally.

Engineers previously involved in automotive computing now work on factory automation, advanced manufacturing and industry 4.0 consulting, according to the president of Bosch Oceania, Gavin Smith.

Smith told @AuManufacturing news that its two local manufacturing businesses – the company produces power diodes for the global market while BAMS makes special purpose equipment and systems – were thriving, with business up nine per cent.

“In Australia with BAMS it is a little off the normal Bosch reservation – we are building and selling factory automation.

“We are selling components also.”

BAMS was considered something of a bold experiment inside Bosch as the company has not previously sold its manufacturing expertise outside the company.

It is now out-performing expectations and has been involved in a number of high profile automation projects since 2014.

BAMS has recently been enlisted to automate the high volume manufacturing of Covid-19 test devices for Brisbane-based digital diagnostics company Ellume, and to automate materials handling for CSL Behring at its manufacturing site in Melbourne.

Smith said: “With a growing portfolio of factory automation projects, BAMS is fast becoming the leading supplier of bespoke process automation solutions in Australia.”

Picture: Bosch

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