Bosch Rexroth is working on the factory of the future
The factory of the future is highly variable and connective. Software-based, automated and interconnected solutions are at the center. Together with the "SEF Smart Electronic Factory e.V.", Bosch Rexroth is working on new proofs of concept (PoC) and use cases for practical applications.
Bosch Rexroth, a specialist in drive and control technologies, defines the "Factory of the Future": "From our point of view, the factory of the future is highly transformable. Only the walls, floor and ceiling have their fixed place - everything else is mobile. The assembly lines are modular and the machines can reform into new lines as needed. Everything is wirelessly connected and communicates via 5G. Power is supplied by an inductive charging system via the floor," explains Thomas Fechner, Head of Business Unit Automation & Electrification Solutions at Bosch Rexroth.
Bosch Rexroth's commitment to the Smart Electronic Factory
Such a vision thrives on consistent research and development work. That is why Bosch Rexroth is also involved in overarching centers of competence. For example, the company is a member of the SEF Smart Electronic Factory e.V. This is an Industrie 4.0 initiative of research institutions and well-known companies that want to jointly pave the way to digitalization for Germany's industrial SMEs. SEF Smart Electronic Factory e.V. is an association founded in 2015 that develops Industrie 4.0-capable solutions - with a focus on the requirements of medium-sized businesses. At the Smart Electronic Factory, an electronics factory in Limburg a. d. Lahn (Germany), Industrie 4.0 scenarios and applications are developed and tested under real production conditions.
Thomas Fechner explains: "In the SEF Smart Electronic Factory e.V., the competencies of companies with different specializations come together, enabling holistic solutions to be created. Special attention is paid to ensuring that companies can achieve rapid digitization benefits with the solutions - with a view to the big picture."
Industry 4.0: not a question of "if," but "how
Bosch Rexroth sees itself as a pioneer when it comes to solutions for the digitalized factory. One focus is factory automation. For example, the company has developed the ctrlX AUTOMATION automation platform, heralding a paradigm shift. The platform overcomes the classic boundaries between machine control, the IT world and the Internet of Things. It features end-to-end open standards, app programming technology, enables web-based engineering and comprehensive IoT connectivity. Apps from Bosch Rexroth and partners are available for any automation task via the ecosystem. In addition, Bosch Rexroth offers numerous other products, solutions, and services for digital transformation in the factory, helping manufacturers to make their production more flexible and future-proof.
"Digitization will continue to significantly change the world of production. Bosch Rexroth and all the other members of our Industrie 4.0 association have made it their mission to support companies with solutions that do not require additional digitization expertise, but instead ease the burden and remove hurdles. It is no longer a question of whether Industry 4.0 is implemented, but how. And we want to make a valuable contribution in this regard," explains Maria Christina Bienek, Managing Director of SEF Smart Electronic Factory e.V..
