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"The optimal product needs the extra mile"

Bernhard Budaker in the BRUSA HyPower Talk. As Vice President Product Division Power Electronics, the 43-year-old electrical engineer sets decisive operational milestones for the scaling up of series production. He attaches great importance to personal talks with customers, partners and the international project teams.

Buchs SG - 24.10.2022, 10:30

Dr. Bernhard Budaker. Photo: BRUSA HyPower AG

Mr Budaker, how much of your heart and soul went into the next generation of on-board chargers?

A great deal. I am directly involved every day, as an engineer and as a manager. The new BRUSA HyPower OBC7 is more than just a further development of our proven charger, the NLG6. With the OBC7, we are setting entirely new benchmarks in terms of efficiency, robustness and modularity. The main difference, however, lies in the planned production volumes: Scaling up series production is our clear goal in order to meet our customers’ growing global demand. In this context, we are also optimising our processes. Currently, our main focus is on the development and project teams on the one hand, and on the further rapid expansion of our international locations on the other, for example with regard to our in-house production capacities in China.

BRUSA has always maintained close partnerships and collaboration with customers and research institutes. How can this be achieved successfully?

The technological and human components have to work together optimally. We operate in a sector that requires mutual trust between all partners, because we work together step by step to develop new solutions. The teams are closely intermeshed – customer coordination is key. This is why I make it a point to invest sufficient time in face-to-face talks. Naturally, it is also important to tackle difficult issues promptly. From time to time, we have very heated discussions about technological issues (laughs), but we always maintain a constructive approach. Ultimately, it pays off because we achieve better results. Frequently, the optimal product requires this extra mile.

When it comes to research and development, I believe that collaboration will grow even more intense in the future. BRUSA engages in a lively exchange with a number of renowned institutions, and we intend to expand on this in the future. From my time at the Fraunhofer Society, I have inherited the explorative mindset, a common “spirit” that I try to share with my teams in my own day-to-day work. Working with international and diverse project teams spanning more than 20 nations, as is the case at BRUSA, means that our long-term success depends on a common understanding of the desired project outcome.

In July, BRUSA HyPower announced that it will intensify its collaboration with Bosch Rexroth in the off-highway segment. How is this coming along?

We have joined forces to advance the development and marketing of technologies and solutions for mobile off-highway machines with electric drives. We have got off to a good start. BRUSA HyPower will develop and manufacture chargers and DC/DC converters for Bosch Rexroth. I am absolutely convinced that the eLION will be a successful product. Both the teams and the company as a whole are proud to be playing their part.

Personal details

Dr Bernhard Budaker, 43, joined BRUSA in 2020. He has been Vice President of the Power Electronics Product Division since the beginning of 2021 and is a member of BRUSA HyPower AG’s Extended Executive Board. Originally from Schwäbisch Gmünd in Germany, he completed his studies at the University of Stuttgart’s Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology and the Faculty of Design, Production Engineering and Automotive Engineering. During his nine years at the Fraunhofer Society in Stuttgart, he headed a cross-institute electromobility cluster and the automotive business segment of Fraunhofer IPA.

Bernhard Budaker is the author and co-author of numerous scientific publications, holds several patents and in recent years has initiated and led a number of international research projects and collaborations. He supports scientific pursuits and innovation as a mentor to his colleagues in his product area.

About BRUSA HyPower

BRUSA HyPower AG, headquartered in Buchs (Swiss canton of St. Gallen), was founded in 2021 as a spin-off of BRUSA Elektronik AG, a leading supplier of power electronics for e-mobility applications since 1985. BRUSA HyPower specialises in electrical energy converter systems such as DC/DC (direct current) converters and on-board charging systems. The company supplies its international customers with power electronics products for on-highway, off-highway and stationary applications. BRUSA HyPower currently employs some 250 people, mainly in Switzerland.

Photos

- Dr. Bernhard Budaker, Vice President Product Division Power Electronics. Photo: BRUSA HyPower
- Production. Photo: BRUSA HyPower

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