At Automate in Detroit, Bosch Rexroth showcased its equipment to provide packaging lines with scalable automation and smart conveyance.
At the center of each demonstration was the company’s ctrlX automation solution, which integrates with its ecosystem of products in assembly technology, material handling, linear motion, drives, and controls. Machine builders can gain greater flexibility with ctrlX to scale or adapt their lines.
“You can pretty much tackle everything you need at your facility. From motion control, all the way up to IoT functionality,” said Garrett Wagg, product manager for Bosch Rexroth’s controls portfolio, during an interview with Packaging OEM.
Software for machine builders
First, Bosch Rexroth’s MTPro software enables machine builders to model and design systems.
“In MTPro, you can see you’re able to model our entire library of components through conveyance, framing, and our twin strand conveyor as well,” said Jordan Kanter, sales engineer for Bosch Rexroth.
One key component of the software for packaging machine builders is that it includes Bosch Rexroth’s VarioFlow chain style conveyor. It provides gentle transport for delicate items for industries including pharmaceuticals, healthcare, consumer packaged goods (CPG), automotive, and electrical.
VarioFlow can accommodate larger products like toilet paper and paper towels. The company offers VarioFlow Plus, designed for wider bulk accumulation.
“It can handle payloads of smaller, primary packaging,” explained Kanter. “Such as boxes, cardboard, or corrugate.”
MTPro allows users to place conveyors and components while providing an estimate of required materials and cost.
“When you go to purchase this, it’s going to match your footprint exactly,” said Kanter. “It’s going to give you a bill of materials that matches what you need to build this up.”
Assembly technology
Additionally, Bosch Rexroth’s EcoSafe MGE extrusion for configurable safety guarding was on display.
“Whether you’re using palletizers, cobots, or industrial robots, all of which require safety guarding, these are very easy to assemble,” explained Kanter.
EcoSafe consists of standard parts and can be assembled with a single tool.
Using magnets for smart conveyance
The ctrlX Flow 6D, which uses permanent magnets instead of coils for smart conveyance, was demonstrated.
These magnets are built into the surface and the mover, allowing the device to work independently of gravity, to the point where it operates on a wall or even overhead.
“6D stands for six degrees of freedom. The idea here is that we can manipulate the magnetic forces and move as necessary, in any degree of motion, tilting, or rotation. There is completely safe handling,” said John Atchison, product manager for Bosch Rexroth.
In addition, the company offers the Flow HS, a high-speed, magnetically tracked conveyance equipment that provides precise and independent motion for up to five meters.
“We can move at high speed, high acceleration, with positional accuracy of microns,” Atchison said.
Linear motion capabilities
Bosch Rexroth had several linear motion demonstrations on display, including a Cartesian system containing a pick and place solution for electric battery cells. It can be modified for various applications, including packaging.
It offers a CKK linear actuator and is ball-screw driven with dual linear rails for high loads and moment capacity.
“All the components, including the motors and drives, are Bosch Rexroth,” explained Chris Cook, district sales manager for the company.
He highlighted the company’s integrated measuring system, which incorporates feedback, built directly into the linear rail.
The linear motion solutions on display support fast-paced packaging setups that require high-speed operations, such as pick and place, to ensure accuracy on the line.
Maximizing cabinet space
Additionally, the company presented the space-efficient, modular design of its ctrlX drives, which reduce cabinet space and provide machine builders with more room for other types of operations.
Bosch Rexroth displayed its ctrlX package, a power supply that controls up to 40 different double drives while providing connectivity over EtherCAT communication.
“We also have our safety PLC, so we can tie that in to do safe motion functionality,” said Dave Boeldt, product manager at Bosch Rexroth. “If you want it to slow down if something enters your field, stop immediately, or manage that stop.”
The ctrlX drives come standard with a safe torque-off feature.
Scalable controls portfolio
Modular controls for general automation were another focus at the booth.
“We have a full, future-proof, scalable solution with our PLC controllers, starting with our Core X3 and moving to our Core X7. It allows you to scale your business based on what you’re trying to do from an axis standpoint,” explained Wagg.
The core portfolio also contains controllers with full functional safety features over EtherCAT.
“You can bring up our full-scale portfolio of I/O if you’re looking for digital inputs and outputs, or analog inputs and outputs, and then on top of that, we have our HMI stream portfolio,” said Wagg.
Visual systems and digital transformation
Bosch Rexroth offers a variety of visual systems, from web panels to industrial PCs with integrated screens and standalone industrial PCs, all of which offer remote connectivity through a user’s smartphone, Android, or iPhone.
“The difference between the (ctrlX) Core and the IPCs is you have the functionality from a Linux-based product or a Windows-based product, depending on what kind of facility you’re running and what you’re trying to do,” explained Wagg.
He added that the company has been encouraging integrated IoT with both current and future customers, adding that the Core series is capable of being used as an edge device.
“Using it as a gateway to get full data collection and connecting your machines together from your machine floor, all the way up to your IT space,” Wagg stated.
Learn more
To find out more about Bosch Rexroth’s product offerings, click here.
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