April 25, 2019 — Guangzhou, China — BASF provides materials and expertise to Bosch Automotive Components (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. (Bosch for short) to help it improve the production efficiency of the revolutionary Bosch Smart Glove (BIG) to meet the needs of Made in China Growing market demand. Bosch Smart Gloves using BASF's Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) material is a landmark product in the field of connected manufacturing, which improves operational connectivity and transparency. The product will land in the Chinese market in the second half of 2019.
Bosch smart gloves help companies to streamline their processes and improve production efficiency, especially for manual manufacturing and semi-automated manufacturing such as the automotive industry.
Tony Jones, Industrial Leader, Asia Pacific, BASF Performance Materials, said: "From material procurement and processing technology to prototype development and mass production, we work closely with Bosch to streamline the Bosch Smart Glove value chain. The simplified business model helps Reduce the overall cost and time of the Bosch Smart Glove product development process. "
The cooperation between BASF and Bosch covers the design and development process of Elastollan® TPU film processing technology, creating a new business model that simplifies the development process of Bosch smart gloves and shortens the time to market. The technology encapsulates delicate sensors and flexible printed circuit boards into gloves.
Smart gloves require frequent contact with water, chemicals and dust during industrial production. BASF's Elastollan TPU material has excellent mechanical strength and water and chemical resistance, making it the perfect choice for innovative raw materials for smart gloves. The material's excellent durability and flexibility also provide users with long-term comfort.
Andy Postlethwaite, Global Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific, BASF Performance Materials, said: "This cooperation with Bosch demonstrates the company's professionalism and competitiveness outside the field of material innovation, and demonstrates the company's status as a raw material supplier. Relentless pursuit of positioning. We can provide our customers with innovative product ideas, such as high-performance material solutions, production processes or business models. "
Bosch smart gloves are equipped with high-sensitivity sensors, which can realize real-time simulation of hand movements and greatly reduce labor training time. In addition, the product helps users learn the correct assembly steps and records the production process. Product data can be transferred to a computer or smartphone via Bluetooth for comparison with stored action modes.