Bosch Rexroth Releases Training System to Help Provide Smart Manufacturing Skills
As net-zero standards continue to rise, Bosch Rexroth’s compact training system aims to help manufacturing specialists get up-to-speed with smart factory and efficient emissions operations.
Bosch Rexroth AG is an engineering firm based in Germany that specializes in developing drive and control technologies. The company delivers products and systems focusing on the control and motion of industrial and mobile equipment.
The XITE Automax 100 aims to help improve production efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Image used courtesy of Bosch Rexroth
In response to the need for sustainable business management solutions with a low carbon footprint in a world subject to climate change, Bosch Rexroth has released its new training system, the XITE Automax 100. The company hopes that its training system will help trainees (in facilities transitioning to Industry 4.0 smart factory operations) learn the skills required to enhance energy efficiency during production.
The Need for Improved Energy Efficiency
At present, manufacturing facilities are only just beginning their transition toward becoming fully connected smart factories. The ability to automatically collect and transmit machine data for more fluid workflows and operations, and conduct predictive maintenance, gives manufacturing facilities and owners a more efficient and productive business.
Greater efficiency in systems operations can help reduce operating and maintenance costs, as well as help reduce energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. The drive for a carbon-neutral society could not be more prominent in the agendas of companies worldwide. With environmental policies being brought forward worldwide, companies must make innovations, including those associated with digitization, to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and conduct long-term sustainable business practices.
The compact training system aims to prepare specialists for factories of the future. Image used courtesy of Bosch Rexroth
At present, numerous companies across the world lack a digitized infrastructure that meets Industry 4.0 smart manufacturing standards. For instance, according to the industry association Bitkom (per Bosch Rexroth’s press release), three-quarters of all installed machines in Germany are not yet connected or equipped with smart technologies. Automotive and consumer goods manufacturers need to get hands-on facility data to reduce energy consumption and improve energy efficiency.
This is where Bosch Rexroth hopes to step in to provide a helping hand.
The XITE Automax 100 Training System
Bosch Rexroth’s new modular new training system, the XITE Automax 100, is designed to fit on any workbench and serve as a “miniature learning factory.” Manufacturers will be able to attach machines with the appropriate sensors, connect them, gather and evaluate data to improve system efficiency.
Video used courtesy of Bosch Rexroth
Real machine parameters are used for processing and analyzing data in the integrated (programmable logic controller) PLC. This makes the training system more applicable for learners because it can simulate everyday operations. Instructors and teachers can use the system to teach learners how to install and commission sensors and network technology, signal output with PLC, and forward through the IoT (the internet of things) gateway.
This can be carried out through OPC UA and via data processing in databases. The OPC UA is a machine-to-machine communication protocol for industrial automation developed by the OPC Foundation. Trainees of all levels can access practical knowledge within fields, including electrical drive and control technology, mechatronics, hydraulics, and pneumatics.
