Can you give an overview of Bosch Rexroth and the company’s core focus in the Chilean mining industry?

Bosch Rexroth is involved in all stages of mining operations, from extraction to crushing, from the belt conveyors to the port. Our competitive advantage is that our product lines are economical, precise, safe and energy efficient, which means that we save costs for our customers and maximizing productivity. We manufacture products and systems associated with the control and motion for industrial and mobile machines. We offer tailored solutions to equipment and machinery to the mining industry, complimented with a comprehensive spectrum of aftersales services and support, which includes repairs, spare parts, field services and product overhaul. We can provide a second life to machines by means our retrofitting projects capabilities.

What do clients in Chile demand most from Bosch Rexroth?

The main demand in the industry is the reduction of costs as companies want to be competitive in the market, and Chile’s cost of production is relatively high. The need for improving safety is also a big priority. Mining companies are increasingly looking to implement sustainable and environmentally friendly technologies. Costs reduction is not always easy to reach and we must be creative and innovative. Aligning with the new market trend industry 4.0, Bosch Rexroth is leading this area presenting solutions such as predictive maintenance, where the customers can have a better understanding of the health index of their machines avoiding unexpected downtime.

In 2019, what has been Bosch Rexroth’s most important product or service offered to the mining industry?

Our hydraulic specialized services on site have been extremely important to our business and it gives us a competitive advantage in the market. Secondly, our large hydraulic drives have been in great demand. We are working in close collaboration with big mining companies and engineering companies to power belt conveyors and feeders with our Hägglunds Drives solutions. The mining and materials handling industry has a keen focus on reliability, performance and productivity. This focus goes beyond machines to the drive systems that power them, such as these large hydraulic drives that are increasingly found on apron and belt feeders. Our aim for the future is to continue to provide new solutions to the market which will give our customers an edge over their competition.

How does the decline in ore grades affect the products that Bosch Rexroth designs for processing?

There is no doubt that reduction of ore grades affects the suppliers’ value chain. We are forced to produce more reliable, intelligent and cost efficient solutions. We have an example with mines in the north of Chile, which are starting to move towards underground and this new configuration represents also an opportunity for Bosch Rexroth. We are learning more about underground operations so that we can adapt our products and services to meet client requirements. As a leading manufacturer of future-proofed and individually configurable products and solutions, we are driving the next industrial revolution and the implementation of industry 4.0. We are also working on downsizing our oldest power units and we are making smaller size equipment with higher power densities.

What technologies does Bosch Rexroth have that can improve sustainability and lower energy usage for clients?

Bosch Rexroth has designed and built several electronic products, from motors, inverters, hydraulic fixed and variable pumps and travel gears to software and connected hydraulic solutions. We are combining our expertise in electrical industrial and mobile applications with the experience that Bosch has built up in the area of electromobility. The result is a broad portfolio of components for the electrification of stationary and mobile applications. Electrification is advancing to solve future challenges like emissions regulations and increasing efficiency. We are always working on ways in which our technologies can be safer, more sustainable and optimized.