Right on track Bosch Packaging Technology

RIGHT ON TRACK

Bosch Packaging Technology is one of the leading suppliers in the field of processing and packaging technology. Abigail Saltmarsh looks at recent developments.

IT has been a good year for Bosch Packaging Technology, according to Friedbert Klefenz, president of the company. Speaking at Achema in Frankfurt he said finances were strong, orders had peaked and the product portfolio was still expanding – now it was time to focus on global presence.

“In short, we have been – and still are – right on track,” he said. “Once again in 2012, you can look forward to some exciting news and developments. Internationalisation and diversification are the cornerstones of our strategy.”

Complete solutions

Based in Waiblingen, Germany, Bosch Packaging Technology develops and produces complete solutions for the pharmaceutical, food and confectionery industries. Today it has a presence in more than 15 countries worldwide and boasts a comprehensive service portfolio.

The company is a division of the Bosch Group, a leading global supplier of technology and services. Operating in the areas of automotive, industrial technology and consumer goods, the Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and some 350 subsidiaries and regional companies in approximately 60 countries.

The original company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861 to 1942) as a workshop for precision mechanics and electrical engineering. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries.

Working together

At Achema 2012, Bosch Packaging Technology and Sartorius Stedim Biotech (SSB) announced a long-term global partnership agreement. SSB is a leading international supplier of equipment and services for the development, quality assurance and production processes of the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry.

The agreement between Bosch and SSB covers the mutual design and development of single-use filling solutions to be used on aseptic filling equipment from Bosch for final fill-and-finish operations of liquid pharmaceuticals. SSB will provide Bosch with pre-configured single-use filling transfer sets, consisting of bags, filters, tubing and connectors. Bosch will combine these sets with its aseptic filling and barrier isolation technology to form new systems for aseptic filling, and exclusively market, distribute and service these new filling systems under the Bosch brand.

Plug and play

With the new product line PreVAS (pre-validated, pre-assembled, pre-sterilised), Bosch will supply its customers with highly costeffective plug and play tools, which provide additional flexibility for aseptic filling operations backed by comprehensive validation packages, said Joachim Brenner, responsible worldwide for the Bosch Pharma Liquid portfolio and general manager at the Crailsheim plant.

“By integrating SSB’s single-use technologies into our aseptic filling systems, we are expanding our product and service

Neuenhauser-Vorwald

Neuenhauser-Vorwald is a leading manufacturer of expansion units. If Vorwald holds a leading global position today it is the result of the installation of our machines for their specific applications.

Neuenhauser-Vorwald has developed the widest range of products in its sector, suitable for all types of winding and rewinding applications. These include pneumatic and mechanical expansion shafts, expansion couplings, expansion chucks and adapters, friction and knife shafts, shaft handling and safety chucks.

A worldwide distrution system and international connections ensure that Neuenhauser-Vorwarld can focus on meeting all its clients’ needs. Its customer base consists of OEM customers and also end-users.

Neuenhauser-Vorwald is a strong brand name in Europe for diverse winding applications in the packaging, print, foil, paper and aluminium industries. Several innovative products have, in recent years, been specially developed together with OEM customers.

portfolio in the area of fill-and-finish unit operations by an important component. With our joint expertise, we intend to develop configurable and customised single-use filling solutions and to provide strong validation and technical support.”

Increased sales

Mr Klefenz said Bosch Packaging Technology had seen sales of €791 million – up from €717 million in 2010 – in 2011. This increase of about 10 percent was significantly higher than the market average.

“We mastered the crisis and emerged with strong momentum. With internationalisation as one of the mainstays, our strategy proved successful. In 2011, we generated some 90 per cent of our sales outside Germany.

“We managed to compensate for the crisis-induced declines in Europe and North America with our operations in Latin America and especially in Asia. Following a crisis year, our financial performance in 2010 already showed signs of real growth.”

Continued growth

Having increased levels of employees, the division was now aiming for a strong order intake. He hopes to see order books peak at more than €900 million in 2012.

“And this is where our second strategic mainstay points to a stable trend – diversification!” he added. “Bosch packaging machines are used in a wide variety of industries. The pharmaceutical industry accounts for 45 per cent of our total business. This sector is even stronger than the food industry and is known for being less prone to economic fluctuations.

“All available data indicates continued growth on a global scale. This makes us even more convinced that the high volume of orders points to a stable trend. The first four months of this year confirm that, and for 2012 we can expect an increase in sales by 12 per cent.”

Dynamic development

Mr Klefenz continued: “As we gradually expand our product portfolio, we are building our global presence in line with our strategy. According to studies, long-term growth in pharmaceuticals spending is expected to increase from US$856 billion in 2010 to an estimated $1.1 trillion by 2015.

“We expect a very dynamic development in Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Latin America and Africa – especially in generics, which will significantly gain importance due to expiring patents of well-known blockbuster products. As a result of this development, the European market, which up until recently accounted for about half of our revenues, now makes up only 43 per cent of our sales.

Nevertheless, like the giant market in the USA, Europe will remain extremely important in the future. Bosch Packaging Technology maintains close proximity to customers across all regions.”

Supporting the professionals

He also said that the division could benefit from the rapid development of emerging economies but would only succeed on a long-term basis if it was still there for its customers with support, maintenance and service, after the machines were sold.

And he added: “Our presence builds the entire network of our global resources and expertise. This includes cross-cultural knowhow. We primarily work with local employees and learn from them as much as they learn from us.

“We have turned this valuable experience into a principle. New trainees with bachelor’s or master’s degrees have at least one assignment outside of Europe. This is our way of raising awareness and understanding for other cultures and markets.

“‘Invented for life’ is the slogan of the entire Bosch group. In the pharmaceutical sector this represents a special obligation that we fulfil with high quality products and services that ensure accurate dosing, excellent hygiene standards and therefore support the daily work of medical professionals.” n