KUALA LUMPUR: Gamuda Engineering and Germany’s Bosch Rexroth will work together to raise the benchmark for the Malaysian construction industry via competency in automation.

A joint statement on Friday said Gamuda Engineering and Bosch Rexroth, a top German technology solutions provider in hydraulics and factory automation, had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU).

The collaboration is to raise the Malaysian construction industry’s competitive advantage via competency in automation. Under the partnership, they said there will be enhancements in learning courses based on German-certified Industry 4.0 training modules.

The improved training modules will cater for local and international projects and are offered through Gamuda’s training academies. Subsequently, this will create multiplier benefits in the development of talent pool of international quality and standards in automation.

By providing ground-breaking engineering and world-class infrastructure solutions with home-grown talent, Gamuda continues to enhance sustainability via circular construction and digitalisation.

Gamuda Engineering managing director Datuk Ubull Din Om said Gamuda’s success and the future of engineering breakthroughs hinged heavily are heavily on technological progress.

“Guided by the group-wide Gamuda Green Plan 2025 with commitments to enhance people development and digitalisation, the Bosch Rexroth partnership will mutually allow us to equip our talents with comprehensive training modules recognised globally and tailored to address the industry’s challenges with a future-proof Industry 4.0 skills-set,” he said.

In 2011, Bosch Rexroth was one of the international partners which Gamuda collaborated with to set up the Tunnelling Training Academy (TTA) in Shah Alam, Malaysia, with an investment of RM12mil.

The TTA is the world’s first academy for learning mechanised tunnelling and operating of tunnel boring machine (TBM). The training academy invested in Bosch Rexroth training facilities through the variable density TBM’s electro-hydraulic system to train tunnel mechanics on the mechanical and hydraulic components of the TBM.

In the new norm where close physical proximity increases the risk of transmission of Covid-19, technicians can now operate the tunnel machines safely from afar.

Bosch Rexroth Sdn Bhd managing director Michel Gunawan pointed out digitalisation not only enables remote monitoring of systems and machines but also allows for higher transparency in the processes.

“With our IoT solutions, technicians will be able to analyse the data from the machines, detect anomalies and possible defects in equipment and processes.

“With predictive maintenance, they can reduce unplanned downtime and revenue loss. Connectivity also offers new opportunities for agile businesses to thrive in these turbulent times,” he said.

The new tunnelling academy will deploy training on Gamuda’s world recognised invention, the autonomous tunnel boring machine (A-TBM), an AI-powered tunnelling system that allows remote monitoring.

As part of the partnership, selected trainees will upskill to become Bosch Rexroth certified training instructors. They will also deliver Bosch Rexroth certified training worldwide with the licence to award the trainees with Bosch Rexroth-approved certificates.