Innovations for productivity and safe working

Ladies and gentlemen,

Tradespeople have different needs from those of the DIY enthusiast. They have to deliver high quality in a very short time frame. Only in this way can they hold their own in the face of competition. Our aim is to provide professionals with tools that are safe to use and will increase productivity in their day-to-day work.

We continue to expand our range of products based on user needs. I would like to introduce you to four key aspects today. These are: High-performance cordless tools, intelligent products and services, system solutions for efficient work and accessories, which ensure every power tool to deliver optimum working results – whatever the brand.

A growing number of professionals are relying on cordless tools. The total market share of cordless tools when looking at professional power tools in industrialized markets was 66 percent in 2018. This trend will continue in coming years. Why? Cordless tools offer high mobility on construction sites without long set-up times – tradespeople can start work immediately. They are fast and flexible which leads to higher productivity. But only if the performance is also right.

We are entering a new dimension of performance with our cordless tools. For the first time, cordless tools from Bosch have become better than corded tools. But let me begin with a few words about the needs of our users. What do professionals want? They want cordless tools with the power of a corded tool. They want compact, light tools with a long runtime. And this is exactly what we are offering with our new professional 18 V system. I am proud to present you with a new generation of cordless tools today. A generation, which fully utilizes the potential of our ProCore18V high-performance batteries with 8.0 and 12.0 Ah. Our flagship tools with 18 V: Biturbo.

A new dimension of performance: Biturbo tools

Our Biturbo tools ‒ three angle grinders, three saws and two rotary hammers ‒ are more powerful than all previous cordless tools from Bosch and offer professionals the equivalent power of a 1,000 to 1,800 watts corded tool. These new Biturbo tools combine our best motor ‒ a brushless, high-performance motor developed by Bosch ‒ and our best battery, the ProCore18V with 8.0 and 12.0 Ah. The result: Cordless tools that are now even better than corded tools.

Let me give you three examples: Our new cordless GKS 18V-68 GC Professional hand-held circular saw is a good 15 percent faster and, with the 8.0 Ah battery, is even 225 grams lighter than the corded 1,800 watts tool. The saw also impresses with five percent more cutting depth, which now lies at 68 millimeters. We also provide professionals with added value through functions such as an interactive display and connectivity: For example, they can individually regulate the speed or extend the runtime by up to 30 percent with the “Eco Mode”.

The second example is our GBH 18V-45 C Professional SDS-max hammer, the most lightweight cordless rotary hammer in its class. With 12.5 joules, it offers the same impact performance as the 1,500 W GBH 8-45 DV Professional, but is 695 grams lighter when used in combination with the ProCore18V 8.0 Ah battery. That might sound trivial, but you will feel every last gram when you are working with an eight-kilo class tool. The Biturbo hammer offers “Kick-Back Control”, has connectivity functions and now features a user interface. You can use the interactive display to adjust the tool to meet your needs. Furthermore, you can easily view the tool status including the charging state and the temperature at any time. The result: Interruption-free working.

Our third example is the Biturbo GWS/GWX 18V-15 SC Professional angle grinder. It offers a 20 percent higher material removal rate, cuts 11 percent quicker and its grip circumference is 40 millimeters slimmer than the corded GWS 13 Professional, which is the closest match for the Biturbo angle grinder in terms of equipment and application. Other plus points include its “KickBack Control”, user interface and connectivity making work more convenient.

This year we are introducing a total of eight Biturbo tools: Three angle grinders, three saws and two rotary hammers. Further tools are set to follow – prepare to be amazed!

The fastest and world’s first connected charger for 18 V

We have responded to the need for fast battery charging: The GAL 18V-160 C Professional is the fastest and world’s first connected charger for 18 V batteries. It provides 16 amperes of charging current, charging the 4.0 Ah ProCore18V battery to 50 percent in just nine minutes, for example – up to twice as fast as comparable competitors. Our contribution to productivity!

We want to make work easier for tradespeople. Which is why we are making our latest battery technology much more readily accessible for our users and offering it as part of a new Click & Go concept. In future, all cordless tools in the 18 V system will be available to buy on their own, without a battery or charger. They can be combined with various starter sets, which contain a battery and charger. Furthermore, we also have starter sets for the key tool types, such as screwdrivers and angle grinders, as well as combi sets with up to five different tool types at an attractive price.

At this point, let me briefly summarize the advantages of the Bosch battery technology: Thanks to Biturbo and ProCore18V batteries, our cordless tools offer more power than ever before. They are also characterized by low weight, the shortest charging time in comparison to competitor models and additional functions such as a user interface and connectivity. It is about much more than just cordless work ‒ we are helping professionals to be more productive.

Increased productivity thanks to intelligent products and services

You will have noticed that I already touched upon the topic of intelligent products and services several times when talking about our Biturbo tools. We are convinced that connectivity functions can increase the productivity of a company as well as each individual tradesperson. We already offer a broad range of connected tools – from angle grinders to remote-controlled combi lasers. Thanks to our innovations, our range will extend to some 40 professional tools this year, including many world’s firsts. We are convinced that our solutions offer added value thanks to connectivity. Our goal is to connect all of Bosch’s power tools in coming years in order to fulfill our users’ needs even better.

Our measuring tools are a prominent example of connected tools with added value. They make day-to-day work easier for professionals – from documentation and planning through to maintenance and diagnostics. Another benefit is that the tools can be remote-controlled via the app – saving tradespeople effort and time.

Creating measurements fast and efficiently with the new Measuring App

That is not all our apps can do. Take our new Measuring App, for example. This helps professionals and DIY enthusiasts to record measurements more easily, document them more clearly, process data faster and, in doing so, save time, money and hassle. We developed the app based on users’ needs. It supports all laser measures with connectivity from Bosch, including tools for professionals and measuring devices for DIY enthusiasts. What sets this apart from previous measuring apps is how all the required data has been bundled on a single screen: You can arrange floor plans, sketches, measured values, images, notes and comments as easily as you would on an actual sheet of paper and you can move them about. You can expand the digital worksheet as you wish and organize all the collected information to suit your needs. The app helps you to remember everything ‒ all the required data is combined in a single app, with no need to collect data from different sources such as notes and camera. This results in less time recording measurement, a better overview and maximum flexibility.

World’s first revolutionizes work with professional angle grinders

We want to make work easier for tradespeople. System solutions are a key element here ‒ complete systems made up of a power tool and accessories. Changing accessories is and remains a hassle for tradespeople: It takes up a great deal of time and slows down progress. We champion making life as easy as possible for professionals. And we have achieved this many times: We have already set a number of milestones in quick-change systems, with the SDS plus and SDS max for rotary hammers, the T-shaft for jigsaws and the Starlock for multi-cutters in cooperation with Fein. Now we have turned our attention to the angle grinder: The tool holder on angle grinders had not been touched for 80 years – now we have revolutionized it with X-Lock.

X-Lock now allows you to change the accessory in five seconds ‒ up to five times faster ‒ and much more easily. Parts that can get lost, such as tensioning nuts, flanges and keys, are now a thing of the past. All you need to do is Position the wheel in the X-Lock mount, click it in – and you are good to go! To change a disc, simply unlock it using the lever and remove it. Easy, quick and reliable. And that’s not all: X-Lock always fits, even on the oldest angle grinders. There are twelve small X-Lock angle grinders to choose from: Eight corded models from 900 to 1,900 watts and four cordless models with 18 V batteries and common disc diameters of 115 and 125 millimeters. With more than 130 X-Lock accessories, we are offering tradespeople a complete range right from the start. It covers all applications of metal-, stone-, and concrete-processing trades, fitters and tilers.

Our X-Lock system is currently proving its worth in the construction of the almost 500-meter-long and 85-meter-high bridge across the Fils valley, the third-tallest railroad bridge in Germany. This is part of the Stuttgart-Ulm rail construction project. 160 tons of reinforcement bars need to be laid as quickly as possible so that the concrete can be poured. The reinforcement work is very tricky. If the positions are not correct, the iron has to be shortened with angle grinders. This is where our X-Lock system comes into play: The required accessories can always be changed quickly, easily and reliably – entirely without tools, and even while wearing gloves.

We are focusing on strong partners to achieve rapid market penetration of X-Lock: We already won more than ten partners for our X-Lock system. And we are in talks with other manufacturers. Our aim is to create a new standard which makes work easier for professionals and increases their productivity.

Stephan Hölzl will now present our innovations in the field of accessories.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The accessories business is a supporting pillar and a key growth segment for us. Why are we so successful? We offer accessories that enable every tool to deliver optimum results – regardless of the brand. Our latest innovations in this area are solutions for efficient drilling and sawing.

We have responded to the desire for easy drilling in reinforced concrete with our new SDS max-8X hammer drill. It offers a full tungsten carbide head with four cutters. In a moment, I will explain in detail what the advantages are.

Let's first take a look at the market requirements: More and more buildings are being constructed of reinforced concrete, particularly in the public sector. In just 15 years, these have grown by 10 percent and now make up almost 60 percent of non-residential buildings. During the same period, the impact energy of our rotary hammers rose from 9.3 to 12.5 joules. This means that tradespeople and rotary hammers must fulfill ever increasing requirements.

SDS max-8x: Durable and robust for drilling in reinforced concrete

Our answer and solution is the SDS max-8x. It is the only four-cutter hammer drill bit with full tungsten carbide head on the market offering a diameter of up to 28 millimeters – common models offer maximum 16 millimeters. And that’s not all: Our hammer drill bit is exceptionally durable and robust. The SDS max-8x can tackle over 20 holes in reinforced concrete ‒ using a 340 millimeter-long drill bit with 20 millimeter diameter. That is up to three times as many holes as comparable competitor models. The SDS max-8x is also highly robust thanks to our unique diffusion welding technology (IDS). This ensures an extremely strong and durable bond between the carbide head and the spiral, which is also exceptionally resistant to heat: Unlike common drill bits, the Bosch SDS-plus-8X hammer drill bit remains unaffected by high temperatures of more than 400 degrees which can potentially occur when drilling in reinforced concrete.

I already mentioned that our SDS max-8X is the only four-cutter hammer drill bit with full tungsten carbide head on the market offering a diameter of up to 28 millimeters – common models offer maximum 16 millimeters. An additional advantage of the SDS max-8X drill is the special design of the four-cutter full tungsten carbide head: In contrast to common hammer drills, it does not have inclined cutting edges but, instead, comes with flat 180-degree cutting edges. This geometry allows for maximum transfer of impact energy, which in turn translates into higher drilling efficiency. SDS-max-8X drills also have an extremely sharp, pyramid-shaped centering tip, which facilitates clean drilling.

The SDS max-8X is currently proving its worth in railway construction work in the university town of Halle (Saale). As part of a major multi-stage project, the tram is being upgraded to a city railway system. The team is working while the tracks are in use. Every three to five minutes, a tram drives through the construction site. This means that they have a very narrow time frame for each operation. Everything has to be carried out correctly yet quickly. Our SDS max-8X is providing optimum support to the team, ensuring they can work quickly and safely.

“Expert for” circular saw blades specially for cordless saws

The accessories play a key role in the efficiency levels at the construction site. For example, the right saw blade can speed up progress in mobile use. And this is exactly what our “Expert for” circular saw blades do. We developed these specially for cordless saws: With these carbide blades, professionals can complete up to twice as many cuts with a single battery charge than with conventional carbide blades. They offer maximum efficiency in mobile use, are durable and versatile.

Let me explore the topic of efficiency in more depth: Our “Expert for” blades for cordless tools have the same lifetime as those for corded tools, however the kerfs are up to 30 percent thinner, depending on the material and saw type. Combined with an optimized tooth geometry, the saw blades cut through materials with greater ease and enable up to twice as many cuts with a single battery charge.

What is more, our laser-cut “Expert for” blades are exceptionally durable thanks to their special coating and carbide technology produced in-house. Our “ProteQtion” coating prevents the saw blades from corroding and reduces friction to improve the cutting performance. The circular saw blades for wood, laminated panels and aluminum also feature teeth made of “MicroteQ” carbide. This means they consist of extra-hard, durable metal grains that Bosch manufactures itself. The grain size of the carbide is important for the sharpness and wear resistance of the cutting edge, which is why we use fine to very fine grain sizes to give our circular saw blades high cut quality and a long lifetime.

With our “Expert for Stainless Steel”, we also offer a circular saw blade specially developed for the requirements of stainless steel: It has “ResisteQ” carbide teeth, which are made from extra-hard, particularly heat-resistant and low-wear metal grains, to increase the saw blade’s lifetime. For use on fiber cement panels, we offer the “Expert for Fiber Cement” circular saw blade. Due to the abrasive properties of this material, polycrystalline diamonds (PCD), which are even harder than carbide and make the saw blade particularly durable, are used to manufacture the teeth.

A wide range of accessories for all common cordless circular saws is thus available to tradespeople, covering almost every application – whether it be woodworking, metalworking or special applications.

Bosch innovations for productivity and safe working

Now that I am drawing my speech to a close, let me sum up the most important points for you once again:

• We are entering new dimensions of performance with our cordless tools – our cordless tools are stronger than ever before and better than corded tools.
• We are making day-to-day work easier for professionals and increasing their productivity – through connected power tools and services, for example.
• We are raising the bar and setting new standards to fulfill our users’ needs even better ‒ such as with our accessory-change systems.
• We offer accessories that enable every power tool to deliver optimum results – in our own system or regardless of the brand. That is added value for users.

Thank you for your attention.