Robert Bosch GmbH
Encyclopedia
Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational
engineering
and electronics
company headquartered in Gerlingen
, near Stuttgart
, Germany
. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components. The company was founded by Robert Bosch
in Stuttgart in 1886.
Bosch's core products are automotive components (including brake
s, controls, electrical drives, electronics, fuel systems, generators, starter motors and steering systems), industrial products (including drives and controls, packaging technology and solar panels) and consumer goods and building products (including household appliances
, power tool
s, security systems and thermotechnology).
Bosch has more than 350 subsidiaries across over 60 countries and its products are sold in around 150 countries. In 2010 it invested around €3.8 billion in research and development and applied for over 3,800 patents worldwide. In 2009 Bosch was the leader in terms of numbers of patents at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (GPTO) with 3,213 patents.
Robert Bosch GmbH is privately owned, and 92% of its share capital is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH. The Bosch logo represents a simple magneto
armature and casing, one of the company's first products.
companies. In addition to auto-component supply business, which brings in around 60% of its revenues, the company produces industrial machinery and hand tools. It also owns 50% of Bosch-Siemens Hausgeräte, the European appliance maker. Bosch's Blaupunkt
unit was a major manufacturer of vehicle audio equipment until March, 1st, 2009. The subsidiary Bosch Rexroth
produces hydraulic, electric, and pneumatic machinery for applications ranging from automotive to mining. Bosch has also purchased Telex Communications
, and has purchased 50% of Purolator Filters as a joint venture
with Mann+Hummel
.
Although most of the company's plants and employees are located in Germany (112,300 employees), Bosch is a truly worldwide company. In North America, Robert Bosch LLC (a wholly owned Bosch subsidiary) has corporate headquarters in Farmington Hills, MI; with factories and distribution facilities in Mt. Prospect, IL; Hoffman Estates, IL; Broadview, IL; Kentwood, MI; Waltham, MA; Clarksville, TN; Anderson, SC; Charleston, SC; South Bend, IN (to close 2011); and 11 other cities. The Research Technology Center is located in Palo Alto, CA near Stanford University
. There are also two corporate sites in Brazil and ten in Mexico where a central purchasing office for all divisions of Bosch Group is located in Broadview, IL. In North America, Bosch employs about 24,750 people in 80 locations, generating $8.8 billion in sales in 2006.
There are other wholly owned Bosch subsidiaries in:
and other countries. Bosch employs over 281,717 people in more than 50 countries, supplying a complex distribution network of new products and parts.
, an early ignition electrical source, which provided the spark to ignite the fuel in most of the earliest internal combustion engine
s. Bosch's corporate logo to this date depicts the armature from a magneto. Bosch was an early manufacturer of Anti-lock Braking System
(ABS), and as time passed, Bosch became a leader in such specialized fields as traction control system
s (TCS), the Electronic Stability Program
(ESP), body electronics (such as central locking, doors, windows and seats), and oxygen sensor
s, injector
s and fuel pump
s. Even in such humble technological areas as spark plug
s, wiper blades, engine cooling fan
s and other aftermarket parts
, Bosch has over $1 billion in annual sales.
Bosch is a leading player in car stereo systems and in-car navigation systems.
Robert Bosch GmbH is supplying hybrid diesel-electric technology to automakers, including PSA Peugeot 308
.
In June 2008 Bosch formed SB LiMotive
, a 50:50 joint company with Samsung SDI
. The company held ground breaking ceremony for a 28.000 m2 lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing plant in September 2009 and it is scheduled to start production for hybrid vehicles in 2011 and for electric vehicles in 2012 The plant will generate a 1.000 jobs in Ulsan
, Korea in addition to the 500 employees in Korea, Germany and the USA.
is a supplier of industrial technology. Through this division, Bosch supplies technologies for driving, controlling, and moving machines. These technologies serve Bosch's two core markets–factory automation and mobile hydraulics.
Bosch's packaging technology division plans, designs, manufactures and installs packaging lines for manufacturers of pharmaceutical, confectionery, food, and similar products. Bosch is one of the largest supplier of packaging technology.
Bosch caters to the areas of consumer goods and building technology with its power tool
, thermotechnology, and security systems, as well as with its household appliances
business within the BSH Bosch and Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH joint venture. In the US, power tools are provided by the Robert Bosch Tool Corporation based in Mt. Prospect, Illinois.
With its brands Bosch, Hawera, Skil
, Dremel
, RotoZip, Freud, Vermont American, and many more, Bosch is one of the largest manufacturer of portable power tools worldwide. Bosch manufactures power tools for the building trade, industry, and do-it-yourselfers (DIY-ers). In or around 1956, Dr. Hans Erich Slany
worked with Bosch to design one of the first plastic power tools. Prior to this time, power tools were metal castings that often conducted electrical sparks or current into the user as well as being very heavy. Today, possibly contributing to the sales success of Bosch, the power tools designed by TEAMS Design
have been winning awards worldwide for many years. Most recently, the 12" Dual-Bevel Glide Miter Saw won an EID Silver Award. The product range also includes accessories such as drill bit
s and saw blades, under its Vermont American brand, as well as gardening and water gardening products under its Gilmour, LR Nelson, and Sunterra brands.
Bosch is the largest European manufacturer of thermotechnology (heating units, etc.) with its subsidiary BBT Thermotechnik GmbH. It had revenues of €2.8 billion in 2006. Its brands include Bosch, Buderus, Junkers, Dakon, e.l.m leblanc S.A., Florida Heat Pump (FHP), Geminox, IVT, Nefit, Sieger, Vulcano and Worcester
.
BSH Bosch and Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH, in which Bosch and Siemens AG
each hold a 50% share, is one of the world's top three companies in the household appliances industry. In Germany and Western Europe
, BSH is the market leader. Its portfolio includes the principal brand names Bosch and Siemens, Gaggenau
, Neff, Thermador, Constructa, Viva, and ufesa brands, and further six regional brands. Bosch household appliances for the North American market are mainly manufactured at its factory near New Bern, NC. Its competitors include Viking Range
, Fulgor
, Sub-Zero Refrigerator
, Wolf Appliance (a division of Sub-Zero Refrigerator), Fagor
, Dacor
, and Miele
. The distribution of manufacturing workforce in household appliances is:
with 39,000 employees overall.
In 2002, Bosch acquired Philips
Communications and Security, Inc., adding a video surveillance portfolio, as well as sales channels, to its business.
In 2008, Bosch acquired Extreme CCTV, a rugged camera and IP camera manufacturer, to further expand their video surveillance portfolio.
As shown in the diagram (above), the Robert Bosch Stiftung
(Robert Bosch Foundation) holds 92% of the share
s (Beteiligung) of Robert Bosch GmbH, but no voting rights (Stimmrecht). The Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG (Robert Bosch Industrial Trust
KG
), with old members of the company management, agents of the Bosch family, and other eminent people from the industry (such as Jürgen Hambrecht, CEO of BASF
), have 93% of the votes (Stimmen), but no shares (0.01%). The remaining 8% of shares and 7% of voting-rights are held by the descendants of the company founder Robert Bosch (Familie Bosch).
For example, in 2004, the net profit was US$2.1 billion, but only US$78 million was distributed as dividends to shareholders. Of that figure, US$72 million was distributed to the charitable foundation, and the other US$6 million to Bosch family stockholders. The remaining 96% of the profits were invested back into the company. In its core automotive technology business, Bosch invests 9% of its revenue on research and development, nearly double the industry average of 4.7%.
Multinational corporation
A multi national corporation or enterprise , is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation...
engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
and electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
company headquartered in Gerlingen
Gerlingen
Gerlingen is a town in the district of Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 9 km west of Stuttgart, and 15 km southwest of Ludwigsburg, Gerlingen is home to BOSCH appliances....
, near Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components. The company was founded by Robert Bosch
Robert Bosch
Robert Bosch was a German industrialist, engineer and inventor, founder of Robert Bosch GmbH.-Biography:...
in Stuttgart in 1886.
Bosch's core products are automotive components (including brake
Brake
A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....
s, controls, electrical drives, electronics, fuel systems, generators, starter motors and steering systems), industrial products (including drives and controls, packaging technology and solar panels) and consumer goods and building products (including household appliances
Major appliance
A major appliance, or domestic appliance, is usually defined as a large machine which accomplishes some routine housekeeping task, which includes purposes such as cooking, or food preservation, whether in a household, institutional, commercial or industrial setting...
, power tool
Power tool
A power tool is a tool that is actuated by an additional power source and mechanism other than the solely manual labour used with hand tools. The most common types of power tools use electric motors. Internal combustion engines and compressed air are also commonly used...
s, security systems and thermotechnology).
Bosch has more than 350 subsidiaries across over 60 countries and its products are sold in around 150 countries. In 2010 it invested around €3.8 billion in research and development and applied for over 3,800 patents worldwide. In 2009 Bosch was the leader in terms of numbers of patents at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (GPTO) with 3,213 patents.
Robert Bosch GmbH is privately owned, and 92% of its share capital is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH. The Bosch logo represents a simple magneto
Magneto
A magneto is a type of electrical generator.Magneto may also refer to:* Magneto , permanent magnetic alternating current rotary generator* ignition magneto, magnetos on internal combustion engines...
armature and casing, one of the company's first products.
History
| 1886 | Opening of Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering in Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... on 15 November |
| 1887 | First low-voltage magneto Magneto (electrical) A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce alternating current.Magnetos adapted to produce pulses of high voltage are used in the ignition systems of some gasoline-powered internal combustion engines to provide power to the spark plugs... from Bosch for stationary petrol engine Petrol engine A petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels.... s |
| 1897 | First low-voltage magneto ignition for motor vehicle Motor vehicle A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid... internal combustion engine Internal combustion engine The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine... s |
| 1901 | First plant in Stuttgart |
| 1902 | First commercially viable high-voltage spark plug Spark plug A spark plug is an electrical device that fits into the cylinder head of some internal combustion engines and ignites compressed fuels such as aerosol, gasoline, ethanol, and liquefied petroleum gas by means of an electric spark.Spark plugs have an insulated central electrode which is connected by... |
| 1906 | Production of 100,000th magneto ignition |
| 1906 | Introduction of eight-hour working day |
| 1910 | Opening of plant in Stuttgart-Feuerbach |
| 1913 | Start of production of headlights |
| 1918 | American assets seized; later become American Bosch Magneto |
| 1926 | Start of production of windscreen wiper Windscreen wiper A windscreen wiper or windshield wiper is a device used to remove rain and debris from a windscreen or windshield. Almost all motor vehicles, including trains, aircraft and watercraft, are equipped with such wipers, which are usually a legal requirement.A wiper generally consists of an arm,... s |
| 1927 | First diesel fuel injection Fuel injection Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s.... pump |
| 1929 | First TV Set from Fernseh Fernseh The Fernseh AG television company was registered in Berlin on July 3, 1929 by John Logie Baird, Robert Bosch and other partners with an initial capital of 100,000 Reichsmark.... AG division |
| 1932 | Formation of Junkers & Co. |
| 1932 | First power drill Drill A drill or drill motor is a tool fitted with a cutting tool attachment or driving tool attachment, usually a drill bit or driver bit, used for drilling holes in various materials or fastening various materials together with the use of fasteners. The attachment is gripped by a chuck at one end of... from Bosch |
| 1932 | First Blaupunkt Blaupunkt GmbH is a German manufacturer of electronics equipment, noted for its home and car audio equipment. It was a 100% subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH until March 1st, 2009 when its Aftermarket and Accessories branch including the brand name were sold to Aurelius AG of Germany for an undisclosed... car audio |
| 1936 | First diesel fuel injection pump for passenger cars, such as the Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG... 260D |
| 1942 | Death of the company founder Robert Bosch Robert Bosch Robert Bosch was a German industrialist, engineer and inventor, founder of Robert Bosch GmbH.-Biography:... on 12 March |
| 1962 | Worcester Bosch Group Worcester Bosch Group Worcester, Bosch Group is a United Kingdom based domestic heating and hot water products manufacturer.... opens in England |
| 1964 | Robert Bosch Foundation |
| 1970 | Company headquarter moves to Gerlingen Gerlingen Gerlingen is a town in the district of Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 9 km west of Stuttgart, and 15 km southwest of Ludwigsburg, Gerlingen is home to BOSCH appliances.... |
| 1976 | First oxygen sensor Oxygen sensor An oxygen sensor, or lambda sensor, is an electronic device that measures the proportion of oxygen in the gas or liquid being analyzed. It was developed by the Robert Bosch GmbH company during the late 1960s under the supervision of Dr. Günter Bauman... s |
| 1982 | Company acquires photographic equipment division from Braun AG Braun (company) ' , formerly Braun AG, is a German consumer products company based in Kronberg, Germany.From 1984 until 2005, Braun was a wholly owned subsidiary of The Gillette Company, which had purchased a controlling interest in the company in 1967... |
| 1986 | Traction control system Traction control system A traction control system , also known as anti-slip regulation , is typically a secondary function of the anti-lock braking system on production motor vehicles, designed to prevent loss of traction of driven road wheels... (TCS) on the market |
| 1995 | Acquisition of Atco-Qualcast Ltd |
| 1995 | First Electronic Stability Control Electronic Stability Control Electronic stability control is a computerized technology that may potentially improve the safety of a vehicle's stability by detecting and minimizing skids. When ESC detects loss of steering control, it automatically applies the brakes to help "steer" the vehicle where the driver intends to go... - Electronic Stability Program (ESP) |
| 1997 | Common rail Common rail Common rail direct fuel injection is a modern variant of direct fuel injection system for petrol and diesel engines.On diesel engines, it features a high-pressure fuel rail feeding individual solenoid valves, as opposed to low-pressure fuel pump feeding unit injectors... diesel fuel injection |
| 2000 | DI-Motronic gasoline direct injection Gasoline direct injection In internal combustion engines, gasoline direct injection , also known as petrol direct injection or direct petrol injection, is a variant of fuel injection employed in modern two-stroke and four-stroke gasoline engines... system |
| 2000 | Acquisition of Rexroth Bosch Rexroth Bosch Rexroth is an engineering firm based in Lohr am Main in Germany. It is the result of a merger on 1 May 2001 between Mannesmann Rexroth AG and the Automation Technology Business Unit of Robert Bosch GmbH, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH. Rexroth in turn consisted of a... |
| 2003 | Acquisition of Buderus AG |
| 2003 | Digital car radio with MP3 drive and digital recorder (Blaupunkt Blaupunkt GmbH is a German manufacturer of electronics equipment, noted for its home and car audio equipment. It was a 100% subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH until March 1st, 2009 when its Aftermarket and Accessories branch including the brand name were sold to Aurelius AG of Germany for an undisclosed... ) |
| 2003 | The formation of the Robert Bosch Tool Corporation and acquisition of S-B Power Tool Corporation and Vermont American Corporation including the brand names for Bosch Power Tools, Skil Power Tools, Dremel Dremel Dremel is a brand of power tools known primarily for their rotary tools. The tools were originally developed by Albert J. Dremel, who founded the Dremel Company in 1932 in Racine, Wisconsin. In 1993, the company was purchased by Robert Bosch GmbH, and today it is a division of the Robert Bosch Tool... , Vermont-American, Primark brands, and Gilmours |
| 2004 | Third-generation common rail diesel injection for cars, with piezo injectors |
| 2004 | Bosch opens new Technology Center in Abstatt Heilbronn Heilbronn is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is completely surrounded by Heilbronn County and with approximately 123.000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state.... |
| 2006 | Bosch acquires Telex Communications Telex Communications Telex Communications, originally Telex Corporation, was a Burnsville, Minnesota-based manufacturer of hearing aids and audio equipment. Founded in 1936 as a maker of hearing aids, it entered the computer peripherals businesses in the 1960s. It became Telex Communications, a subsidiary of Telex Corp... , a maker of hearing aids, headsets and audio equipment, and partners with Daewoo Daewoo Daewoo or the Daewoo Group was a major South Korean chaebol . It was founded on 22 March 1967 as Daewoo Industrial and was dismantled by the Korean government in 1999... to build Bosch refrigerators in Mexico |
| 2007 | The Bosch Communications Systems business unit is created to manage the brands and products of former Telex Communications |
| 2007 | Bosch acquires Health Hero Network |
| 2008 | Tata Nano Tata Nano The Tata Nano is an inexpensive, rear-engined, four-passenger city car built by the Indian company Tata Motors and is aimed primarily at the Indian domestic market.... , the $2,500 People's Car powered by Bosch-designed engine is unveiled at Auto Expo in New Delhi. Bosch plans to acquire majority stake in Ersol Ersol Bosch Solar Energy AG is a German wafer and solar cell manufacturer, based in Erfurt, which specialises in silicon-based pholtovoltaic products. The company consists of the divisions Silicon, Wafers, Solar Cells and Modules. It has been listed on the German stock exchange since 30 September 2005... photovoltaics Photovoltaics Photovoltaics is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material... . |
| 2009 | Bosch acquires LR Nelson, a maker of lawn and garden products, including ponds, and merges the Gilmours and Nelson brands into Bosch - Garden and Watering. |
Subsidiaries and divisions
The Bosch Group comprises more than 320 subsidiarySubsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
companies. In addition to auto-component supply business, which brings in around 60% of its revenues, the company produces industrial machinery and hand tools. It also owns 50% of Bosch-Siemens Hausgeräte, the European appliance maker. Bosch's Blaupunkt
Blaupunkt
GmbH is a German manufacturer of electronics equipment, noted for its home and car audio equipment. It was a 100% subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH until March 1st, 2009 when its Aftermarket and Accessories branch including the brand name were sold to Aurelius AG of Germany for an undisclosed...
unit was a major manufacturer of vehicle audio equipment until March, 1st, 2009. The subsidiary Bosch Rexroth
Bosch Rexroth
Bosch Rexroth is an engineering firm based in Lohr am Main in Germany. It is the result of a merger on 1 May 2001 between Mannesmann Rexroth AG and the Automation Technology Business Unit of Robert Bosch GmbH, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH. Rexroth in turn consisted of a...
produces hydraulic, electric, and pneumatic machinery for applications ranging from automotive to mining. Bosch has also purchased Telex Communications
Telex Communications
Telex Communications, originally Telex Corporation, was a Burnsville, Minnesota-based manufacturer of hearing aids and audio equipment. Founded in 1936 as a maker of hearing aids, it entered the computer peripherals businesses in the 1960s. It became Telex Communications, a subsidiary of Telex Corp...
, and has purchased 50% of Purolator Filters as a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
with Mann+Hummel
Mann+Hummel
The MANN+HUMMEL Group was established in Ludwigsburg, in southwest Germany in 1941. The Stuttgart area is home to many important automotive companies. It is related in its head office location and products to-Function:...
.
Locations
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. There are also two corporate sites in Brazil and ten in Mexico where a central purchasing office for all divisions of Bosch Group is located in Broadview, IL. In North America, Bosch employs about 24,750 people in 80 locations, generating $8.8 billion in sales in 2006.
There are other wholly owned Bosch subsidiaries in:
and other countries. Bosch employs over 281,717 people in more than 50 countries, supplying a complex distribution network of new products and parts.
Automotive components
About 60% of Bosch's worldwide annual sales are produced in automotive technology. Bosch invented the first practical magnetoMagneto (electrical)
A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce alternating current.Magnetos adapted to produce pulses of high voltage are used in the ignition systems of some gasoline-powered internal combustion engines to provide power to the spark plugs...
, an early ignition electrical source, which provided the spark to ignite the fuel in most of the earliest internal combustion engine
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
s. Bosch's corporate logo to this date depicts the armature from a magneto. Bosch was an early manufacturer of Anti-lock Braking System
Anti-lock braking system
An anti-lock braking system is a safety system that allows the wheels on a motor vehicle to continue interacting tractively with the road surface as directed by driver steering inputs while braking, preventing the wheels from locking up and therefore avoiding skidding.An ABS generally offers...
(ABS), and as time passed, Bosch became a leader in such specialized fields as traction control system
Traction control system
A traction control system , also known as anti-slip regulation , is typically a secondary function of the anti-lock braking system on production motor vehicles, designed to prevent loss of traction of driven road wheels...
s (TCS), the Electronic Stability Program
Electronic stability control
Electronic stability control is a computerized technology that may potentially improve the safety of a vehicle's stability by detecting and minimizing skids. When ESC detects loss of steering control, it automatically applies the brakes to help "steer" the vehicle where the driver intends to go...
(ESP), body electronics (such as central locking, doors, windows and seats), and oxygen sensor
Sensor
A sensor is a device that measures a physical quantity and converts it into a signal which can be read by an observer or by an instrument. For example, a mercury-in-glass thermometer converts the measured temperature into expansion and contraction of a liquid which can be read on a calibrated...
s, injector
Injector
ʎ̩An injector, ejector, steam ejector, steam injector, eductor-jet pump or thermocompressor is a pump-like device that uses the Venturi effect of a converging-diverging nozzle to convert the pressure energy of a motive fluid to velocity energy which creates a low pressure zone that dɯaws in and...
s and fuel pump
Fuel pump
A fuel pump is a frequently essential component on a car or other internal combustion engined device. Many engines do not require any fuel pump at all, requiring only gravity to feed fuel from the fuel tank through a line or hose to the engine...
s. Even in such humble technological areas as spark plug
Spark plug
A spark plug is an electrical device that fits into the cylinder head of some internal combustion engines and ignites compressed fuels such as aerosol, gasoline, ethanol, and liquefied petroleum gas by means of an electric spark.Spark plugs have an insulated central electrode which is connected by...
s, wiper blades, engine cooling fan
Fan (mechanical)
A mechanical fan is a machine used to create flow within a fluid, typically a gas such as air.A fan consists of a rotating arrangement of vanes or blades which act on the air. Usually, it is contained within some form of housing or case. This may direct the airflow or increase safety by preventing...
s and other aftermarket parts
Aftermarket (automotive)
The automotive aftermarket is the secondary market of the automotive industry, concerned with the manufacturing, remanufacturing, distribution, retailing, and installation of all vehicle parts, chemicals, tools, equipment and accessories for light and heavy vehicles, after the sale of the...
, Bosch has over $1 billion in annual sales.
Bosch is a leading player in car stereo systems and in-car navigation systems.
Robert Bosch GmbH is supplying hybrid diesel-electric technology to automakers, including PSA Peugeot 308
Peugeot 308
The Peugeot 308 is a small family car produced by the French car manufacturer Peugeot. It was unveiled on June 5, 2007 and sales started from September 2007. Its development code was "Project T7", and is the first car of the X08 generation of Peugeot models. The 308 features a range of petrol and...
.
In June 2008 Bosch formed SB LiMotive
SB LiMotive
SB LiMotive is a 50:50 joint company of Bosch and Samsung SDI founded in June 2008. The joint venture develops and manufactures lithium-ion batteries for use in hybrid-, plug-in hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles.-Milestones:...
, a 50:50 joint company with Samsung SDI
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
. The company held ground breaking ceremony for a 28.000 m2 lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing plant in September 2009 and it is scheduled to start production for hybrid vehicles in 2011 and for electric vehicles in 2012 The plant will generate a 1.000 jobs in Ulsan
Ulsan
Ulsan , officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring Busan to the south and facing Gyeongju to the north and the Sea of Japan to the east.Ulsan is the...
, Korea in addition to the 500 employees in Korea, Germany and the USA.
Industrial technology
Bosch's subsidiary Bosch RexrothBosch Rexroth
Bosch Rexroth is an engineering firm based in Lohr am Main in Germany. It is the result of a merger on 1 May 2001 between Mannesmann Rexroth AG and the Automation Technology Business Unit of Robert Bosch GmbH, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH. Rexroth in turn consisted of a...
is a supplier of industrial technology. Through this division, Bosch supplies technologies for driving, controlling, and moving machines. These technologies serve Bosch's two core markets–factory automation and mobile hydraulics.
Bosch's packaging technology division plans, designs, manufactures and installs packaging lines for manufacturers of pharmaceutical, confectionery, food, and similar products. Bosch is one of the largest supplier of packaging technology.
Consumer goods and power tools
Power tool
A power tool is a tool that is actuated by an additional power source and mechanism other than the solely manual labour used with hand tools. The most common types of power tools use electric motors. Internal combustion engines and compressed air are also commonly used...
, thermotechnology, and security systems, as well as with its household appliances
Home appliance
Home appliances are electrical/mechanical machines which accomplish some household functions, such as cooking or cleaning. Home appliances can be classified into:*Major appliances, or White goods*Small appliances, or Brown goods...
business within the BSH Bosch and Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH joint venture. In the US, power tools are provided by the Robert Bosch Tool Corporation based in Mt. Prospect, Illinois.
With its brands Bosch, Hawera, Skil
Skil
Skil is a brand of power handtools produced by Robert Bosch GmbH. The line traces its heritage to the invention of the portable circular saw, marketed as a Skilsaw. The Model 77 which evolved from it set the industry standard for handheld worm-and-drive circular saws and remains in production...
, Dremel
Dremel
Dremel is a brand of power tools known primarily for their rotary tools. The tools were originally developed by Albert J. Dremel, who founded the Dremel Company in 1932 in Racine, Wisconsin. In 1993, the company was purchased by Robert Bosch GmbH, and today it is a division of the Robert Bosch Tool...
, RotoZip, Freud, Vermont American, and many more, Bosch is one of the largest manufacturer of portable power tools worldwide. Bosch manufactures power tools for the building trade, industry, and do-it-yourselfers (DIY-ers). In or around 1956, Dr. Hans Erich Slany
Hans Erich Slany
Hans Erich Slany is a German designer that is considered by many to have been the first industrial designer to design plastic housings for power tools. Slany is also thought of as one of the icons of design in Germany...
worked with Bosch to design one of the first plastic power tools. Prior to this time, power tools were metal castings that often conducted electrical sparks or current into the user as well as being very heavy. Today, possibly contributing to the sales success of Bosch, the power tools designed by TEAMS Design
TEAMS Design
TEAMS Design is a multinational industrial design firm headquartered in Germany founded in 1956 by industrial designer Hans Erich Slany. As of July, 2009, TEAMS has five design studios on three continents. They have been ranked second by the International Forum Design , or 14th in an international...
have been winning awards worldwide for many years. Most recently, the 12" Dual-Bevel Glide Miter Saw won an EID Silver Award. The product range also includes accessories such as drill bit
Drill bit
Drill bits are cutting tools used to create cylindrical holes. Bits are held in a tool called a drill, which rotates them and provides torque and axial force to create the hole. Specialized bits are also available for non-cylindrical-shaped holes....
s and saw blades, under its Vermont American brand, as well as gardening and water gardening products under its Gilmour, LR Nelson, and Sunterra brands.
Bosch is the largest European manufacturer of thermotechnology (heating units, etc.) with its subsidiary BBT Thermotechnik GmbH. It had revenues of €2.8 billion in 2006. Its brands include Bosch, Buderus, Junkers, Dakon, e.l.m leblanc S.A., Florida Heat Pump (FHP), Geminox, IVT, Nefit, Sieger, Vulcano and Worcester
Worcester Bosch Group
Worcester, Bosch Group is a United Kingdom based domestic heating and hot water products manufacturer....
.
BSH Bosch and Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH, in which Bosch and Siemens AG
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
each hold a 50% share, is one of the world's top three companies in the household appliances industry. In Germany and Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
, BSH is the market leader. Its portfolio includes the principal brand names Bosch and Siemens, Gaggenau
Gaggenau Hausgeräte GmbH
Gaggenau Hausgeräte GmbH is a German manufacturer of high-end home appliances. The company won at the 2008 IF Design Awards in every category in which it had nominations....
, Neff, Thermador, Constructa, Viva, and ufesa brands, and further six regional brands. Bosch household appliances for the North American market are mainly manufactured at its factory near New Bern, NC. Its competitors include Viking Range
Viking Range
Viking Range Corporation is a privately held company that manufactures ultra high-end professional kitchen appliances for home use. Viking originated the "professional" segment of kitchen appliances with its introduction of the first professional-grade range for home use in 1987...
, Fulgor
Fulgor
FULGOR is an Italian manufacturer of premium major appliances and ceramic glass grills. Fulgor's global headquarters are located in Gallarate, Italy; roughly 25 miles north of Milan in the heart of Italy's Lombardy Region...
, Sub-Zero Refrigerator
Sub-Zero Refrigerator
Sub-Zero Refrigerator is a brand of residential refrigeration and wine preservation products built in the USA. The company also manufactures kitchen appliances under the Wolf brand name.- History :...
, Wolf Appliance (a division of Sub-Zero Refrigerator), Fagor
Fagor
Fagor is a large domestic and commercial appliance manufacturer based in the Basque Country, Spain. It is run by the Mondragon Corporation and is one of the fastest growing businesses in European Union...
, Dacor
Dacor (scuba diving)
Dacor is a former USA manufacturer scuba diving gear. Dacor was one of the five original United States diving gear makers: U.S. Divers, Healthways, Voit, Dacor, and Swimaster. Dacor is now merged with Mares.- External links :...
, and Miele
Miele
Miele is a manufacturer of high-end domestic appliances, commercial equipment and fitted kitchens, based in Gütersloh, Germany. Miele has always been a family-owned and -run company, founded in 1899 by Carl Miele and Reinhard Zinkann.-History:...
. The distribution of manufacturing workforce in household appliances is:
- 36% in Germany
- 30% in Western Europe (excluding Germany, but including Turkey)
- 15% in Asia
- 10% in Eastern Europe
- 5% in North America
- 4% in Latin America
with 39,000 employees overall.
Security systems
In 2001, Bosch bought Detection Systems and Radionics, Inc., to build their business in the North American security and life safety products manufacturing/supply business. Through the Detection Systems acquisition, Bosch also obtained additional sales channels in Latin America, Asia-Pacific (including Australia), and Europe.In 2002, Bosch acquired Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
Communications and Security, Inc., adding a video surveillance portfolio, as well as sales channels, to its business.
In 2008, Bosch acquired Extreme CCTV, a rugged camera and IP camera manufacturer, to further expand their video surveillance portfolio.
Corporate affairs
Robert Bosch GmbH, including its wholly owned subsidiaries such as Robert Bosch LLC in North America, is unusual in that it is an extremely large, privately owned corporation that is almost entirely (92%) owned by a charitable foundation. Thus, while most of the profits are invested back into the corporation to build for the future and sustain growth, nearly all of the profits distributed to shareholders are devoted to humanitarian causes.Robert Bosch Stiftung
The Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH is one of the major German foundations associated with a private company. It holds 92% of the capital stock from Robert Bosch GmbH of 1.2 billion euros. Established in 1964, it represents the philanthropic and social endeavors of founder Robert Bosch .The purpose of...
(Robert Bosch Foundation) holds 92% of the share
Share (finance)
A joint stock company divides its capital into units of equal denomination. Each unit is called a share. These units are offered for sale to raise capital. This is termed as issuing shares. A person who buys share/shares of the company is called a shareholder, and by acquiring share or shares in...
s (Beteiligung) of Robert Bosch GmbH, but no voting rights (Stimmrecht). The Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG (Robert Bosch Industrial Trust
Trust company
A trust company is a corporation, especially a commercial bank, organized to perform the fiduciary of trusts and agencies. It is normally owned by one of three types of structures: an independent partnership, a bank, or a law firm, each of which specializes in being a trustee of various kinds of...
KG
Kommanditgesellschaft
A Kommanditgesellschaft is the German name for a limited partnership business entity and is used in German, Austrian and some other European legal systems....
), with old members of the company management, agents of the Bosch family, and other eminent people from the industry (such as Jürgen Hambrecht, CEO of BASF
BASF
BASF SE is the largest chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Germany. BASF originally stood for Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik . Today, the four letters are a registered trademark and the company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, and Zurich Stock...
), have 93% of the votes (Stimmen), but no shares (0.01%). The remaining 8% of shares and 7% of voting-rights are held by the descendants of the company founder Robert Bosch (Familie Bosch).
For example, in 2004, the net profit was US$2.1 billion, but only US$78 million was distributed as dividends to shareholders. Of that figure, US$72 million was distributed to the charitable foundation, and the other US$6 million to Bosch family stockholders. The remaining 96% of the profits were invested back into the company. In its core automotive technology business, Bosch invests 9% of its revenue on research and development, nearly double the industry average of 4.7%.
Accreditations
The corporate major products are ISO 9001 and 14001 accredited. In addition to that, their management is compliant with OHSAS 18001.External links
- Robert Bosch GmbH official website
- Profile at Yahoo! Finance: Bosch-YF-profile