Bosch Rexroth’s Factory of the Future Experience Highlights New Automation Technologies to Help Make the Future a Reality

Rexroth's multi-technology exhibit presents the technologies and components required to enable customization and increase overall equipment effectiveness in the industry.

"In the factory of the future connectivity is key," said Heiko Schwindt, Bosch Rexroth, Vice President of Automation and Electrification. "Everything is connected, from field level to cloud-based solutions. Sophisticated software solutions collect, transfer and process manufacturing data to provide maximum production transparency. With our Factory of the Future Experience, Bosch Rexroth is demonstrating to end-user businesses and their machine builders how they can make the Factory of the Future a reality of the present - where mobile and connected production equipment reconfigure themselves independently and flexibly to fast-changing requirements."


Located at the Bosch Rexroth Automation & Electrification business unit in Hoffman Estates, IL, outside of Chicago, the company's Factory of the Future Experience is a multi-technology exhibit featuring intelligent, distributed drive and control components, connectivity modules, compact and versatile linear products, innovative chain conveyors and a wide selection of structural framing - all of which make it possible to expand machines and systems as necessary in a modular fashion.

During a tour through the Factory of the Future Experience, attendees can experience new technology and hear about key topics - from open standards, to distributed intelligence, smart automation and connecting to the Internet of Things - to learn what is required to implement a factory of the future. In addition, Rexroth‘s automation experts address challenges and consult on how to achieve productivity gains, production transparency and maximum flexibility.

Highlights from the Bosch Rexroth Factory of the Future Experience include:

The informative i4.0 Cube, a four-sided, interactive touchscreen that showcases Rexroth's Connected Automation Solutions such as the IoT Gateway. Users can touch icons on the i4.0 Cube to explore a variety of i4.0 topics directly from the display.

Rexroth's connectivity modules that allow end users to communicate with their equipment, production lines and manufacturing facilities. For example, data collection is done with the SCD (Sense Connect Detect), a new, low-cost generation of sensors that are particularly easy to integrate. Bosch Rexroth will show how data from a certain number of SCD sensors can be collected, as well as analyzed and managed in the cloud.

The IoT Gateway connects legacy production equipment to the Internet of Things without intervening in the automation logic. It collects sensor and process data and transmits it to MES, cloud applications or local production monitoring systems.

The Mechatronics@Work demo collects and displays machine and production data to produce a customized package upon request, showing what's achievable with a packaging machine of the future.

Game-changing motor-integrated drive technology, IndraDrive Mi, shrinks the machine footprint thanks to reduced components generating savings with up to 90 percent less wiring, and reduced cabinet size and energy consumption.

Rexroth's drive-integrated safety module SafeMotion and safety control SafeLogic ensure safe operations and unlock automation efficiencies.

Ideal for all packaging, factory automation and motion logic applications, the intelligent Rexroth IndraControl XM is easy to commission and features high-performance real-time data.

Rexroth's OpenCore Engineering builds the crucial bridge to the world of IT, enabling new levels of engineering flexibility for machine design. With open standards, pre-programmed software, machine monitoring and Open Core Interface technology, Open Core Engineering connects machine control automation with IT technology.

The ActiveCockpit, an interactive data visualization and process communications platform designed to support both employees and management personnel in real time.

"Imagine a factory where you can change everything directly from the floor, roof and walls within a few days or even hours. Increasingly short production life cycles, smaller batch sizes and individual product design and forms mark the requirements for future production, which have full flexibility, and are individual and scalable. This is the Factory of the Future," said Schwindt.

Those interested in the Bosch Rexroth Factory of the Future Experience can visit www.boschrexroth-us.com/requesttour to schedule a tour.

About Bosch Rexroth
As one of the world's leading suppliers of drive and control technologies, Bosch Rexroth ensures efficient, powerful and safe movement in machines and systems of any size. The company bundles global application experience in the market segments of Mobile Applications, Machinery Applications and Engineering, and Factory Automation. With its intelligent components, customized system solutions and services, Bosch Rexroth is creating the necessary environment for fully connected applications. Bosch Rexroth offers its customers hydraulics, electric drives and controls, gear technology, and linear motion and assembly technology, including software and interfaces to the Internet of Things. With locations in over 80 countries, more than 30,500 associates generated sales revenue of approximately 5.5 billion euros ($6.2 billion) in 2017.

To learn more, please visit www.boschrexroth-us.com

About Bosch
Having established a regional presence in 1906 in North America, the Bosch Group employs nearly 34,500 associates in more than 100 locations, as of December 31, 2017. In 2017 Bosch generated consolidated sales of $13.7 billion in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. For more information, visit twitter.com/boschusa, twitter.com/boschmexico and www.bosch.ca.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 402,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2017). The company generated sales of 78.1 billion euros ($88.2 billion) in 2017. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. As a leading IoT company, Bosch offers innovative solutions for smart homes, smart cities, connected mobility, and connected manufacturing. It uses its expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The Bosch Group's strategic objective is to deliver innovations for a connected life. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is "Invented for life." The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiary and regional companies in 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch's global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. The basis for the company's future growth is its innovative strength. At 125 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 64,500 associates in research and development.

Additional information is available online at www.bosch.com, www.iot.bosch.com, www.bosch-press.com, www.twitter.com/BoschPresse.

Exchange rate: 1 EUR = $1.12968

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