When it comes to braking safety, Bosch can draw on more than 95 years market experience and close working relationships with vehicle manufacturers to enable the company to offer one of the most comprehensive braking ranges that always delivers on quality and performance. However, one important area where Bosch really excels is in new product innovation and ongoing improvement.
Bosch is driven by innovation and is constantly striving for technical advancements that improve the safety, performance, comfort and durability of its braking systems and components. This is a long term and continuous process that includes research and development, prototyping and testing.
This means that unlike most products in the aftermarket, products from Bosch are not just copies of OE components, but are actual OE components often originated and developed by Bosch for car makers.
Bosch conducts research and development in its own laboratories in Germany, developing the next generation of brake systems. This includes extensive work on specialist braking systems to meet the requirements of electric and hybrid vehicles.
Once the R&D team has developed a new component it is then subjected to the most extreme testing possible to ensure it meets and exceeds market requirements. For many companies this just means laboratory testing to ensure product conformity, but Bosch takes new product testing to a whole new level.
Not only are components tested in the most extreme laboratory tests, but they are extensively tested in outdoor testing grounds to go far beyond real-life conditions.
For example:
- At Boxberg in Germany, Bosch has a test facility that covers 230 acres. Here there are a wide range of test tracks that allow Bosch engineers to replicate just about any road environment. This includes a 3 km high speed oval which surrounds the test track complex.
- For winter testing Bosch has a facility at Vaitoudden in Sweden. This allows Bosch products to be tested in extreme winter conditions at the facility that includes several test tracks, laboratories and workshops.
- Spread over 295 acres, the Juvincourt proving ground in France offers a 4.2 km circuit as well as 26 different test tracks. The facility meets the very highest standards and is certified by the FFSA (French motorsport association).
It is also important to point out that with Bosch testing is far from limited to product development. The testing team continues to track and test products during their product lifecycle so that the findings can be used to continuously improve braking components and systems throughout their lifetime. This ensures that aftermarket customers always have access to the very latest innovations.
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