Bosch “Wireless Charging System” for Professionals
Cordless Tools Will Now Always Be Ready to Use
Bosch is the world’s first supplier to enable the advantages of inductive energy transfer to be used with cordless tools. With the launch of its “Wireless Charging System,” Bosch is opening up a new dimension in charging technology and providing new ways to make working with cordless tools efficient, cost-saving and time-saving.
“We are convinced that we can be just as successful with this pioneering achievement as we were with the first integration of lithium-ion cells in a cordless screwdriver— a technology that was known prior to 2003 only from cellphones, but which 83 percent of all hand-held cordless power tools in Europe are now equipped with,” explains Henk Becker, member of the executive management of the Power Tools Division of Robert Bosch GmbH.
Bosch will kick off the “Wireless Charging System” in autumn 2014 by launching the GAL 1830 W Professional battery charger and the GBA 18 V 2.0 Ah MW-B Professional 18 volt lithium-ion battery onto the market. Bosch plans to add more system components as part of a long-term range expansion to the “Wireless Charging System.”
The Operating Principle of the “Wireless Charging System” from Bosch
The technology, which is used in other areas in devices such as charging stations for electric toothbrushes and recently also in cellphones, is based on contactless energy transfer. An alternating magnetic field is generated in the transmitter using a coil. The receiver also contains a coil which is penetrated by the alternating magnetic field. This induces a voltage and generates a current flow.
In the case of Bosch’s “Wireless Charging System,” this means that the charger emits a magnetic field which is received by the battery and transformed into charging current. However, the power transferred is more than 50 times greater than that used in ordinary electric toothbrushes (one watt), in order to reach the same charging times as those provided by conventional power tool battery chargers.
Advantages of the “Wireless Charging System” from Bosch
Professional tradespeople who use cordless tools are mobile, but always have to schedule time and remember to charge the energy source. An important application range of cordless tools is semi-industrial production, such as furniture manufacture, the electrical industry or vehicle construction.
Contactless energy transfer is especially beneficial in these stationary applications, where it is considerably more cost-effective than conventional charging systems because it eliminates the need for a second battery or expensive industrial charging stations.
The Bosch “Wireless Charging System” also offers users the following advantages:
• Greater user-friendliness and productivity because the batteries stay in the tool and can be parked on the charging station during every work interruption to charge them. Integrating charging into the workflow is very straightforward. The result is that the tools are always ready to be used.
• Complete flexibility because the inductive batteries within a voltage class continue to be compatible with all tools in that class.
• Very robust charging stations that no longer have contact points and are therefore durable against water, dust and dirt.
The First Components of the System: Charger and 18 Volt Battery
Bosch will begin the new era of the “Wireless Charging System” with the GAL 1830W Professional charger and the GBA 18 V 2.0 Ah MW-B Professional battery. The GAL 1830W Professional is exceptionally compact and currently the smallest charger available on the market for 18 volt lithium ion batteries.
As with the battery, it also has “Wireless Intelligence,” an electronic system which ensures communication between charger and battery, starts the charging process and adapts it to the current state of the battery. This ensures that the battery is always optimally charged in every temperature range and has a long lifespan.
The system solution also includes a frame which is especially suitable for stationary applications. It can be mounted on workbenches, shelves or other work surfaces, and serves as not only a flexible but also a secure holder for the charger, battery and tool.
The GBA 18 V 2.0 Ah MW-B Professional from Bosch is a compact 18 volt battery which combines the advantages of the new technology with those of the previous system. This 2.0 Ah battery has a charge level indicator and is equipped with the tried-and-tested Bosch CoolPack technology which improves heat dissipation. This and the fact that lithium-ion batteries do not have memory effect have a positive effect on the battery’s lifetime.
Moreover, the battery is compatible with all Bosch professional power tools and chargers in the 18 volt class thanks to the “Flexible Power System.”
Bosch ProService for Lithium-ion Tools, Batteries and Chargers
Bosch offers tradespeople purchasing the new system components of the “Wireless Charging System” — as with all lithium-ion batteries and chargers — a two-year service that extends beyond 24-month Pro-Service standard warranty. Spare parts and wear parts are also replaced for free within this time period. The exact warranty conditions are available at www.bosch-professional.com/warranty.
The 24-month ProService applies to the entire professional lithium-ion cordless range from 3.6 to 36 volts. All services are free within the 24-month period.