Bosch manufactures one of its drills using only recycled technical plastics:

Reinforced plastics, or composite materials, are always more difficult to recycle than other materials such as metals. Nevertheless, Bosch decided to try to reduce the carbon footprint of its power tools, which are largely made from engineering plastics. In this context, the company launched a pilot project to produce a special edition of its UniversalImpact 800 hammer drill, whose casing – all visible external components of the main product, except for cables and accessories – would be made with the highest possible proportion of recycled engineering plastics from old appliances, without compromising appearance, feel and quality.

It was clear that products made from recycled materials had to retain the characteristics of those made from virgin materials, i.e. their ability to withstand both variable thermal stresses and impact loads during drop tests. In addition, Bosch wanted the recycled material to be able to be integrated into regular production lines without any adjustments. “The challenge was to achieve a series production quality for our special edition based on old devices – this was completely new territory, without established standards or years of practical experience,” explains Thomas Hampel, Sustainability Expert at Bosch Power Tools.

A pioneering project for the circularity of engineering plastics

Before producing the Closed-Loop edition of its UniversalImpact 800 hammer drill, Bosch conducted a feasibility study in which thousands of discarded power tools were collected, dismantled and analysed. Subsequently, only technically suitable and legally approved plastics were used to manufacture the recycled edition of the UniversalImpact 800. The Bosch team was able to use the recovered material directly, without adding any additives or additional glass fibres, and the final material met all the usual quality requirements.

The success of this pioneering project has become a model for other circular economy initiatives. Bosch’s closed loop has been certified by TÜV Süd. Bosch’s UniversalImpact 800 Closed-Loop Edition contains 78% recycled materials, but this does not mean that recycled engineering plastic cannot be used on its own. The remaining 22% consists of components such as switches, mandrels and soft handles, which are made from other types of plastic or different colours.

With this project, we are demonstrating that we can indeed circulate technical plastic. The project targets several key areas of our sustainability strategy: responsible material use, circularity and CO₂ reduction,” explains Anne Purper, Circular Economy Project Manager at Bosch Power Tools.

picture: Bosch

source: Jeccomposites