Author: Jürgen Fischer Position: Product Manager Linear Motion Technology, Bosch Rexroth AG
Whether it be consumer goods, medical technology or 3D printing: Countless small parts need to be moved precisely and cost-effectively. This is now much easier.
When you hear “SMS”, you don’t immediately think of linear modules. But you should remember the term in this context as well. After all, these three letters refer to a cutting-edge, particularly cost-effective solution for handling the small parts found in a wide range of sectors. They include the consumer goods and packaging industry, semiconductor and battery production, 3D printing, the automotive sector, medical technology and mechanical engineering.
Exact positioning, compact and low maintenance requirements
Many of these applications require a high repeatability of up to ± 0.005 mm with low to medium dynamics. And if the design is compact, robust and requires little maintenance – all the better! The new SMS linear modules from Bosch Rexroth meet exactly these requirements and help to reduce system and life cycle costs. They also welcome an alternative to pneumatically driven axes and provide a good opportunity for electrification with all of the associated benefits.
Robust linear modules with ball screw assembly
The compact SMS modules with ball screw assembly (Small Modules Screw driven) are manufactured to the usual Rexroth quality standards and impress with their flat aluminum profile offering integrated, precise guidance. In addition, a magnetically fixed steel cover strip protects the components inside.
Quick selection, available from stock
To ensure the shortest possible delivery times, the SMS linear modules can be ordered from stock. The five tailored sizes range from 30 to 120 mm and are suitable for travel ranges of up to 1,200 mm. They can be selected and ordered easily from the Rexroth online shop with the help of a product selector. Optional attachment sets for popular servo motors are available – either as a belt side drive or a flange coupling. Naturally, a choice of motors and drive controllers from Bosch Rexroth is available too.
Conclusion: Expanded portfolio saves time and money
The SMS linear modules expand the range of linear axes, adding an ultra-compact series with a particularly flat design offering excellent value for money. Simple positioning and delivery tasks can thus be carried out economically – and at short notice. This opens up an attractive electrification path for greater precision, flexibility and energy efficiency in production – two key qualities in the Factory of the Future.
In addition to distribution, we design and fabricate complete engineered systems, including hydraulic power units, electrical control panels, pneumatic panels & aluminum framing. Our advanced components and system solutions are found in a wide variety of industrial applications such as wind energy, solar energy, process control and more.
Cobots (collaborative robots) are becoming a vital way to help manufacturers improve their productivity. Strong, fast and simple to use, they can make production processes more efficient and business more competitive. We look at what cobots do, how they support production and how Kassow Robots has been growing since the majority stake acquisition by Bosch Rexroth.
A lot has happened in the year and a half since the Danish cobot manufacturer became part of Bosch Rexroth: With the move to a new location, it was possible to expand the production capacity in a highly professional manner and to increase revenue significantly. The team has grown: in Copenhagen, where the company was founded, at the subsidiary in Prague, and within the sales team based in Ulm. Kassow Robots has greatly expanded its global sales activities by participating in trade fairs in various countries and in events within Bosch Rexroth. The dynamic development has one constant: CEO and founder Kristian Kassow as an intensive driving force.
Cobot market continues to expand
Cobots are an important part of intelligent manufacturing and an effective measure to reduce the pressure on costs while securing production in times of workforce lack. They are increasingly used in industry to automate processes which are done in the same working space as human colleagues. Cobots enable small and medium-sized enterprises to automate with their own staff – because collaborative robots can be easily programmed and operated by almost anybody. There is already a high demand for them, and the market is set to continue expanding*.
They can perform a range of jobs easily and offer plenty of flexible automation options with significant benefits:
They can be integrated easily into the production process with minimal changes to the rest of the line – providing a cost-effective entry-point to robotic automation, which can be expanded over time.
They are fast and accurate, which improves production efficiency and helps lower overall operating costs.
They work safely alongside people.
Cobots take on laborious or repetitive tasks, enabling the human workforce to focus on more value adding tasks – which helps address skill shortages.
Seven axes and powerful flexibility
At Bosch Rexroth, we see cobots as an important and versatile part of future proof solutions for factory automation – which is why we’ve expanded our product range with the collaborative robots of Kassow Robots.
The company develops, produces and sells unique and efficient 7-axes lightweight collaborative robots for industrial applications. Their cobots are extremely user-friendly, giving companies great flexibility and enabling small and medium-sized enterprises without in-house robotics specialists to achieve complex automation and programming cost-effectively and independently.
Kassow Robots has designed its cobots to work in the tightest of production spaces. Equipped with seven axes, they can reach around corners like a human arm, and can lift a payload of up to 18 kg. Currently the product family comprises five collaborative robot models, with reaches of 850 to 1800 millimeters, and joint speeds of up to 225 degrees per second.
New products are continually in development. At this year’s Automatica, Kassow Robots presented the Edge Series: a prototype of a controller integrated into the cobot base, delivery of which will start in the beginning of 2024. With no extra controller cabinet to be placed near the cobot, the 7-axes cobots can then be used in even more flexible and space-saving ways, which is very important for mobile applications like AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots).
Setting business up for further growth
Thanks to the majority shareholding of Bosch Rexroth, Kassow Robots is now expanding its production and its sales activities worldwide. With CEO and co-owner Kristian Kassow leading the company, the team is primed to introduce their cobots on the world stage, through trade show participation and internal events as well as developing the sales partners network. It currently includes more than 60 partners worldwide, and it continues to grow.
Electronics engineer Nikolaj Thorup Frederiksen working on the new KR Edge Series (image source: Kassow Robots).
To facilitate this growth, Kassow Robots moved to a new location one year ago. The modern building in Kastrup near Copenhagen offers sufficient space not only for increasing production capacity, but also for development activities and offices. Higher production capacity also means more square meters for testing – the Kassow Robot cobots run through an automated test program after assembly, before being packed for delivery.
In the last almost 18 months we have gone through an exciting and challenging period of scaling up, which we mastered successfully thanks to our highly motivated team. Naturally our primary efforts have been to deliver cutting edge technology in high quality according to the market requirements.
Kristian Kassow, CEO of Kassow Robots
How do cobots work with Bosch Rexroth products?
All five Kassow Robots lightweight cobots communicate seamlessly with the control platform ctrlX CORE. Additionally, an ecosystem of drivers for easy configuration of peripheral devices, communicating with robots, like grippers and cameras, is being further expanded. So the number of compatible end-of-arm-tools and devices is steadily growing, enlarging the scope of application day by day.
The cobots can also be equipped with the Smart Flex Effector from Bosch Rexroth, which facilitates joining processes, complicated assembly movements, or difficult handling tasks that were previously impossible to master mechanically. Through the unique combination of a sensor system, with kinematics operating independently in six degrees of freedom, this compensation module gives industrial robots a sense of touch similar to the human hand.
Convincing benefits: a major order for cobots from Project Service & Production
For the restocking of cabling machines with bobbins, Project S&P, system integrator and customer of Kassow Robots, specializing in the optimization of production processes, has worked out an automation solution for the textile industry.
A flexible solution for the restocking of cabling machines with bobbins (image source: Project S&P and Kassow Robots).
To ensure the smooth changeover of yarn packages, Project S&P developed and built a mobile handling solution with a cobot. The automated guided vehicles are equipped with a magazine, a handling system and a KR1018 cobot from Kassow Robots. A linear axis is part of the solution, so that the cobot can load the cabling machines at different heights.
Beyond taking over the workforce’s job of handling very heavy weights, the automation capabilities of the 7-axes KR1018 contributes to smoother yarn package changes. The triple effect of reduced personnel costs, of better quality at the same time due to more gentle package handling and of the ability of material traceability – all this is an achievement of this automation solution. It would not be possible with a conventional 6-axes robot. The success of this has meant that a larger number of cobots are being delivered to the customer.
In addition to distribution, we design and fabricate complete engineered systems, including hydraulic power units, electrical control panels, pneumatic panels & aluminum framing. Our advanced components and system solutions are found in a wide variety of industrial applications such as wind energy, solar energy, process control and more.
Poultry has been one of the food and beverage industry’s biggest growth areas in recent years, and projections indicate this growth shows no signs of slowing down — in fact, a recent report estimates the poultry market will grow by more than 6% annually through 2028.
This is just one example — pet food and plant-based foods being a couple others — of why food and beverage producers need to unlock new levels of productivity and efficiency to meet customer demand and seize opportunities in new or emerging markets.
While much of the discussion around optimized efficiency in the food and beverage automation space revolves around specifying industrial enclosures specifically designed to support high hygienic standards, energy-efficient climate control units play an important role in helping manufacturers create more precise, targeted cooling while reducing their energy usage and costs.
With this in mind, let’s look at a couple of reasons why design engineers should consider energy-efficient enclosure climate control units when designing an automation infrastructure for food and beverage manufacturing sites.
Energy-efficient enclosure climate control units help manufacturers facilitate more diverse production lines
The food and beverage industry is an increasingly diverse playing field with the continued growth of plant-based meat alternatives, dairy-free milk, gluten-free snacks, and a variety of other product categories. The rise in popularity of these kinds of products is pushing more traditional food and beverage producers to launch their own plant-based or dairy-free options while still maintaining production volumes of their existing products.
What complicates the matter even more is that much of this production happens concurrently in the same facility, and because these products require their own distinct production lines, manufacturers are tasked with designing cooling systems that can adequately cool several production lines while also offering configuration flexibility and reducing a producer’s automation footprint.
Rittal’s new Blue e+ S smart enclosure cooling unit provides superior deployment flexibility with precise, highly targeted cooling outputs to keep enclosures operating at optimal temperature levels. Lower output categories of .3 kW, .5 kW, and 1 kW help manufacturers reduce their energy consumption and costs, and the use of innovative heat pipe and inverter technology eliminates the need for a compressor or expansion valve, which significantly cuts the amount of energy necessary to operate the unit — in fact, the Blue e+ S can reduce overall energy consumption by 75%.
The first step in better understanding the kind of cooling unit infrastructure necessary to facilitate multiple production lines is evaluating your current climate systems in order to identify potential deficiencies or liabilities. With a Rittal climate control efficiency analysis, manufacturers can increase the efficiency of their cooling systems by consolidating the number of cooling units — all without sacrificing performance or cooling output.
Energy-efficient climate control units help food and beverage manufacturers better align with sustainability initiatives
A survey conducted last year by the International Data Corporation found that 40% of food and beverage manufacturers said sustainable manufacturing was a top priority. The rise of sustainability as a top-level concern among manufacturers mirrors the importance and value consumers put in more eco-friendly manufacturing processes, and the dovetailing of these two creates some game-changing opportunities for manufacturers to use natural resources like energy in a more efficient, strategic way.
One way food and beverage manufacturers can reduce their impact on the environment is eliminating the use of harmful components or chemicals commonly used in industrial cooling units — in fact, the elimination of environmentally damaging chemicals as a means of reducing your overall carbon footprint is a large component of the new UL/CSA 60335-2-40 Standard, which is currently active and will be mandated for products certified to UL 1995 after January 1, 2024.
The engineering innovations that make up the Blue e+ S significantly reduce carbon emissions in part by using a refrigerant with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) that is 56% lower than those used in comparable cooling units to minimize carbon dioxide emissions.
Rittal’s Blue e+ S line of enclosure cooling units are also built upon a fully-integrated IIoT interface that allows for digital monitoring and condition reporting to help manufacturers better understand the state of their cooling units on a 24/7 basis.
Remote monitoring, cooling unit alerts and notifications, and user-friendly LED displays make it easier than ever before to adjust the temperature of your cooling unit based solely on the amount of cooling required, and this real-time flexibility helps you eliminate energy waste and align with consumer expectations and compliance on sustainability.
Bonus: Our energy-efficient enclosure cooling units can help enhance and support the sanitation of your production facility
Who says you can’t specify energy-efficient enclosure cooling units that also support increased sanitation and hygiene in your food and beverage production facility? With Rittal enclosure cooling units, industry-leading cooling efficiency and elevated sanitation are at your fingertips.
Our Blue e+ cooling unit can not only help you reduce your energy costs by up to 75%, but hose-proof hoods also provide increased protection from the ingress of water or chemicals used during intense, regular washdowns. The hood design of the Blue e+ also helps reduce the likelihood of liquid pooling, which can be a breeding ground for bacteria and contamination.
What’s more, our air-to-water heat exchangers come standard with a 30° angled roof design, water-resistant and joint-free seals, water connection flexibility, and smooth external surfaces to reduce dust buildup, which is a common challenge in food and beverage facilities that process nuts that are used in dairy and meat-free products.
Not only can Rittal help food and beverage manufacturers think outside the box when it comes to designing automation systems for food and beverage facilities, but our enclosure cooling units are designed to help food and beverages companies adopt a more energy-conscious approach to manufacturing while also optimizing their processes.
In addition to distribution, we design and fabricate complete engineered systems, including hydraulic power units, electrical control panels, pneumatic panels & aluminum framing. Our advanced components and system solutions are found in a wide variety of industrial applications such as wind energy, solar energy, process control and more.
In the dynamic realm of machine building, every component plays a crucial role in ensuring optimal performance, safety, and efficiency. One such indispensable component is the circuit breaker, which acts as the guardian of electrical systems. Eaton, a global leader in power management solutions, has taken circuit breaker technology to the next level with their groundbreaking Power Defense series. In this blog, we will delve into the exceptional features and benefits of Eaton’s Power Defense Circuit Breaker, exploring how it’s set to revolutionize the landscape of machine building.
The Power of Innovation
Eaton’s Power Defense Circuit Breaker stands as a testament to the company’s dedication to innovation and excellence. With its advanced technological features, it addresses the evolving needs of machine builders by ensuring reliability, safety, and efficiency like never before.
PROTECTED Arc flash reduction
CONNECTED Built-in communications
GLOBAL IEC / CCC / UL / CSA
**1. Enhanced Reliability
Machine builders understand the critical nature of uninterrupted operations. The Power Defense Circuit Breaker boasts state-of-the-art technology that significantly reduces the risk of nuisance tripping. This is achieved through intelligent and adaptive algorithms that accurately predict potential faults, allowing the circuit breaker to distinguish between genuine faults and transient disturbances. By minimizing false trips, machine builders can expect enhanced reliability, reduced downtime, and increased productivity.
**2. Smart Connectivity
The Power Defense Circuit Breaker is not just a hardware marvel; it’s also a smart solution. Integrated with IoT capabilities, it enables remote monitoring and real-time diagnostics. This empowers machine builders to monitor the health and status of the circuit breaker from a centralized location, optimizing maintenance schedules and minimizing the need for manual intervention.Such connectivity paves the way for predictive maintenance, enabling proactive measures that prevent potential issues before they disrupt operations.
**3. Adaptive Protection
The machine-building landscape is characterized by diverse and dynamic applications, each with its unique power requirements. The Power Defense Circuit Breaker’s adaptive protection mechanism caters to this versatility. It dynamically adjusts its tripping characteristics based on load conditions, ensuring optimal protection without compromising operational efficiency. This adaptability translates to reduced wear and tear on equipment, longer component lifespan, and ultimately, cost savings.
**4. Compact Design
Space constraints are a common challenge in machine design. Eaton’s Power Defense Circuit Breaker addresses this concern with its compact yet robust design. By incorporating cutting-edge materials and engineering techniques, the circuit breaker offers high breaking capacity in a reduced footprint. This not only optimizes panel space but also allows for more efficient heat dissipation, enhancing the overall system’s performance and longevity.
**5. Customization Options
No two machine-building projects are identical. Recognizing this diversity, the Power Defense Circuit Breaker comes with a range of customization options. Whether it’s adjusting trip settings, integrating additional communication protocols, or incorporating specialized protection functions, Eaton’s solution can be tailored to match the unique requirements of each machine builder’s application.
Conclusion
Eaton’s Power Defense Circuit Breaker is a game-changer for machine builders, ushering in a new era of reliability, efficiency, and safety. With its innovative features such as enhanced reliability, smart connectivity, adaptive protection, compact design, and customization options, this circuit breaker is set to redefine the way machines are built and operated. As machine builders embrace this cutting-edge technology, they can look forward to streamlined operations, reduced downtime, and increased profitability. With Eaton’s Power Defense Circuit Breaker, the future of machine building is brighter than ever before.
In addition to distribution, we design and fabricate complete engineered systems, including hydraulic power units, electrical control panels, pneumatic panels & aluminum framing. Our advanced components and system solutions are found in a wide variety of industrial applications such as wind energy, solar energy, process control and more.
Author: Sebastian Unsleber, Senior Manager Product Management System Assembly, Bosch Rexroth AG
It is hard to imagine production without electromechanical cylinders (EMCs). They position, swivel, lift, press, join, punch, crimp and rivet things. And they do all of this in a particular energy efficient manner as they convert the motor torque directly into movement.
1. A tool for electrification and standardization
Less complex solutions mean lower overall costs. With this in mind, electromechanical cylinders EMC make a significant contribution towards standardization and electrification. Thanks to continuous further developments, the fields of application now include pneumatic and fluid-driven solutions. The cylinders come in ten different sizes from 32 to 160 and can be used in a range of areas from semiconductor production and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) to battery manufacturing applications.
2. Better performance in each power class
Regardless of how the actuator is used: Power and economy must be right. As the key to efficiency, all standard EMCs have a ball screw assembly in the selected force range from 0.1 to 30 kN. Designed for heavy-duty applications, the “high power” EMC-HP variant uses Bosch Rexroth’s proven PLSA planetary screw assembly, which allows high continuous performance with speeds of up to 0.83 m/s and forces of up to 100 kN, even in harsh environmental conditions.
3. Long service life without relubrication
Maintenance means downtimes and these need to be avoided. The standard EMCs are therefore fitted with a ball circulation screw which ensures long lubrication intervals even with high load capacities. Standard EMCs achieve up to 200 million revolutions with the basic factory lubrication. The balls in the screw drive cover a distance of around 12,800 kilometers on the screw – roughly the same distance as Germany to Hawaii.
And it gets better: With the “Lubricated For Life” option, the nominal service life is increased to up to 15,000 kilometers. If relubrication is included, this equates to a distance of over 50,000 kilometers. This means optimum conditions for minimizing not only operating costs but also damage to the environment. After all, the longer the lubrication interval, the more resources the solution saves.
4. An individual actuator in just a few minutes
If all variants are added up, the product portfolio for Linear Technology includes around 3,000 cylinder configurations. Thanks to the intuitively designed EMC Selector, selecting the right product from the huge range on offer is very easy and engineering projects that used to take hours now take just a few minutes.
With the help of the EMC Selector, the complete process can be shown on a single HTML page: From selection to ordering including design and functionality. As soon as the first few details are entered, the selector recommends suitable products that are updated on an ongoing basis. If one of them is clicked on, the technical specifications and a configuration overview are shown immediately. A real-time result visualizes the current project status along with a live 3D model using the real CAD data.
5. Smart subsystems for automation
Time is money. Because this also applies when preparing for production, EMCs that are configured and supplied together with a motor parameterize themselves automatically. The data for the drive controller which are stored for this purpose in the motor data memory are loaded immediately after connection.
Conclusion: The right solution for all requirements
Due to their simplistic design, electromechanical cylinders have a lot to offer the Factory of the Future. They allow greater standardization, finely regulated processes and, last but not least, energy-efficient, resource-saving operation.
New digital engineering tools and convenient selectors make selection even easier, while ongoing improvements to the service life reduce the overall costs. Intelligent subsystems based on EMC point the way towards the factory of the future and further strengthen the advantages for automation.
In addition to distribution, we design and fabricate complete engineered systems, including hydraulic power units, electrical control panels, pneumatic panels & aluminum framing. Our advanced components and system solutions are found in a wide variety of industrial applications such as wind energy, solar energy, process control and more.
Assembly operations that use handling, joining, and pressing tools for a range of production applications — including fastener manufacturing — continually seek to improve the versatility, ease of use, production time, and quality of such operations.
In today’s digital world, this means adding smarter, Industry 4.0 capabilities to production platforms. For efficiency, this must entail data tracking of a machine’s production and performance with real-time sharing capabilities.
As manufacturers begin to incorporate the benefits of Industry 4.0 technology, a new concept called “smart mechatronics” has evolved, offering more intelligence and functionality in handling and joining. Mechatronic systems are devices that have fully integrated mechanical and electrical components, thanks to the combination of sensors, circuits, and motion-control applications.
In some ways, mechatronic systems could be considered a forerunner of Industry 4.0 technology. They combine disparate mechanical and electronic components into solutions for specific product assembly and transport tasks, such as Cartesian robots (capable of moving in multiple linear directions) and forming and crimping tools.
Meeting industry needs at one time, mechatronic solutions were integrated with components from multiple suppliers. That’s no longer the case. Mechatronics suppliers are replacing that time-consuming acquisition and integration step with complete solutions that are “plug and produce.” This includes the software necessary, which is preprogrammed and delivered as a single production tool. Manufacturers should know that all of the components for a complete mechatronic solution — a Cartesian robot or a pressing or joining tool — can now be specified.
Assembly operations are shifting away from individual products toward complete system kits for manufacturing equipment that produces fast solutions for handling, joining, and pressing tools — along with real-time data.
Users can enter parameters such as stroke, workpiece weight, and cycle time, which generates an output that can be verified in the CAD environment.
It’s clear end users require precise control and execution of motion sequences, but also automated tracking of production data and easy connectivity with machine-level and plantwide production management systems.
Additionally, there’s a demand for easier and faster changeovers. Many production lines or mid-sized shops seek tools that make it easier to produce a range of batch sizes — from the low end of only a few thousand parts up to hundreds of thousands — without extensive effort to reprogram tools for a new part.
The price point also matters. End users require cost-effective measures that meet budgets and readily support manufacturing orders. Kitted solutions that provide flexibility in a space-saving envelope with minimal integration time are highly desired.
Easier, faster commissioning is one significant advance provided by newer, smarter mechatronic systems and the technology that supports them. Equally valuable are the improved efficiency, flexibility, and productivity it provides end users looking for easy-to-automate solutions.
For those wanting to integrate mechatronics and update production lines, consider systems that:
Combine all the hardware and software into a single solution to support a broader range of applications, including pressing and joining, logistics, packaging, pick-and-place, palletizing, assembly operations, and more
Feature an easy-to-use graphical user interface that lets operators build production sequences simply and intuitively
Require no special motion-control or programming skills
Monitor systematic data such as position, velocity, and acceleration
Include kitted solutions that offer simple integration, flexibility, and tracking options, providing users with the ability to set conditions for automated quality control
Provide real-time updates and recordings as requested
Offer a multi-axis system that can interface with individual peripheral tools such as gripping devices, nozzles, and actuators
Times are changing, and so are industry requirements and processes. To keep up, fastener manufacturers are wise to digitalize their operations with Industry 4.0 technology.
Smart mechatronics solutions leverage easy to-use tools, such as drag and-drop functionality and simple programming. Bosch Rexroth’s Smart MechatroniX system for pressing and joining applications is one example that demonstrates this intuitive model.
In addition to distribution, we design and fabricate complete engineered systems, including hydraulic power units, electrical control panels, pneumatic panels & aluminum framing. Our advanced components and system solutions are found in a wide variety of industrial applications such as wind energy, solar energy, process control and more.
When it comes to large enclosures, the choice usually comes down to unibody construction versus a more modular approach. Designing around standard modular enclosures has a much higher ceiling in terms of unlocking new growth opportunities, in part because a more modular approach to enclosure design can help manufacturers maximize production floor space while still maintaining high levels of strength and security — particularly in the automotive or material handling space.
The challenge with spec’ing modular enclosures? Understanding which design and engineering components can help manufacturers build an automation system that is more versatile and agile. Here, let’s examine which design features to look for in choosing standard modular enclosures for your manufacturing facility.
Flexible — and simple — enclosure configurations
One of the hallmark design features of standard modular enclosures is configuration flexibility to help manufacturers reduce their automation footprint or adapt to space constraints on the factory floor. Design elements such as interchangeable panels, removable and reversible doors, variable mounting plate positions, and compatibility with wall partitions inside the enclosure make it easy to customize or tailor individual enclosures based on any number of application needs.
What’s more, innovative modular frame structures create both inner and outer mounting levels inside the cabinet, which allows for more electronics within the enclosure. Plus, modular enclosures also create increased opportunities for baying on all sides in just minutes using a simple parts list of brackets, clamps, and other standardized tools. This allows for integration into spaces with size limitations, and it also provides a variety of connection configurations that make for easy cabinet wiring regardless of the application.
Faster, more efficient configurations and simplified installations also help optimize efficiency by streamlining tedious, time-wasting manual processes that once required high degrees of human intervention. Standard modular enclosures like Rittal’s TS 8 can also be configured without the need for specialized tooling, which helps reduce operational costs and maximizes production uptime.
Strength and protection in uncontrolled manufacturing environments
One of the more pervasive myths about standard modular enclosures is that they lack the strength and security of more traditional unibody enclosures. The truth, however, is that modular enclosures are just as strong and durable even in the harshest manufacturing environments, and the modular design principle actually enhances the capacity to protect interior components.
For example, the ease of plinth assembly and installation and simplified floor mounting process makes standard modular enclosures ideal for harsh, uncontrolled manufacturing environments. Additionally, a carbon steel base and enclosure frame and zinc-plated carbon steel mounting panels allow for superior rigidity and support. This frame-based design also provides 30% more stability with 15% less frame weight without sacrificing protection or reliability.
In terms of increased strength and security, Rittal’s line of standard modular enclosures are NEMA 4 and IP 66 rated to provide superior protection against the intrusion of potentially damaging particles, and four-point latches and seals prevent the entry of corrosive materials that could increase maintenance intervals and reduce the service life of the enclosure.
Our modular approach to enclosure design can also help protect your automation infrastructure by reducing the likelihood of electrical fault or arc flash. Rittal’s TS 8 flange mount disconnect enclosure utilizes mechanical interlocking doors to prevent entry while the enclosure is energized. In addition, the TS 8 flange mount disconnect modular enclosure can house adapter plates for high or low amperage disconnect handles to help reduce the risk of arc flash events.
Compatibility with the digital transformation in modern manufacturing
The variety of design configurations with standard modular enclosures means automation designers and engineers need the utmost visibility into each step of the engineering process. Such high levels of transparency are only achievable via a complete digital transformation of this process, and this is where combining modular enclosure systems with digital CAE platforms can help automation architects design smarter and better.
For example, Rittal’s TS 8 standard modular enclosure is compatible with Eplan’s suite of design solutions to help engineers streamline workflows for installing electrical controls and panel assembly and wiring.
In addition, pairing Rittal’s standard modular enclosures with Eplan’s powerful design platforms can help manufacturers overcome a variety of challenges in modern manufacturing, including:
Increasing pricing pressures to be able to provide the right product at the right time within the right budget, especially as competition breeds a race to the bottom line
Skilled labor shortages that can result in increases in scrapped materials and revisions/alterations
Delivery pressures due to the rapidly changing and real-time demands to which manufacturers must respond
Inefficient workflows via antiquated data capture, storage, and communication systems
Plus, the increased visibility and insight into your panel assembly and wiring processes also helps create a more connected ecosystem, and this is important in helping manufacturers better identify areas to increase their overall efficiency and productivity.
Curious about the other design features that make standard modular enclosures the ideal solution for manufacturers who are looking to grow and expand? Download our interactive modular enclosures guide to learn more.
In addition to distribution, we design and fabricate complete engineered systems, including hydraulic power units, electrical control panels, pneumatic panels & aluminum framing. Our advanced components and system solutions are found in a wide variety of industrial applications such as wind energy, solar energy, process control and more.
So, why might a machine builder use IO-Link? Here are a few reasons:
1. Flexibility
IO-Link provides a flexible and easy-to-use interface that allows for the seamless integration of sensors and actuators from different manufacturers. This makes it easier to customize and upgrade automation systems as needed.
Machine builders can use IO-Link to connect a wide range of sensors and actuators, such as pressure sensors, temperature sensors, flow meters, solenoid valves, and even motors.
2. Cost savings
IO-Link can help reduce installation and maintenance costs by simplifying wiring and reducing the need for specialized cabling.
With IO-Link, machine builders can use standard unshielded three-conductor cables for all connections, reducing the number of cables required and simplifying the wiring process. Instead of individually wiring devices back to a terminal strip or IO modules, IO Link allows machine builders to land devices to IP67 or IP69K machine mount M12 IO Link masters or hubs.
3. Increased functionality
Additionally, IO-Link sensors and actuators can provide diagnostic information that can help reduce downtime and increase overall system efficiency.
IO-Link can provide advanced features such as parameterization, identification, and diagnostic capabilities. With parameterization, machine builders can configure and adjust sensor and actuator settings, such as sensing range and output type, to meet specific application requirements. Identification enables automatic identification and configuration of IO-Link devices when they are connected to the system. And with diagnostic capabilities, machine builders can monitor and diagnose issues with sensors and actuators in real-time, helping to reduce downtime and increase system efficiency.
4. Simplifying Safety
It is also possible to integrate safety devices with a PLE/SIL 3 rating in to your IO Link system if the correct hardware is used. Safety IO Link enables communication between safety devices, such as light curtains, E-Stop buttons, safety door switches, and a safety PLC.
Safety IO Link allows for more effective monitoring and control in industrial applications because each safety device can communicate its status and diagnostic information to the safety controller. This allows for simple and quick identification of safety fault issues. This is all accomplished with quick M12 connections between safety devices and a Safety IO Link module.
About Us
CMA/Flodyne/Hydradyne is a leader in the IO Link space by helping customers with full machine layouts using Balluff IO Link Masters, hubs, and devices. We would love an opportunity to show you how we can help optimize the right IO Link system for your machine!
Corey Shepherd. CMA/Flodyne/Hydradyne Brain Products Team
Contact me at: Office: 630-563-3710 Mobile: 847-899-2390 email: coreyshepherd@cmafh.com
The electric vehicle (EV) revolution gains more momentum every day, driving change to automotive manufacturing in unprecedented ways. With rapidly growing demand comes the need to rapidly scale assembly operations — and that can create significant challenges.
Vehicle manufacturers constantly seek new, more productive automation technologies to boost their quality and productivity. Along with many common assembly workflows, they face new challenges associated with scaling up battery pack and e-axle production. They need automation solutions to help integrate electric battery and powertrain production seamlessly into overall assembly processes.
Bosch Rexroth has an industry-leading portfolio of automation technology to satisfy these needs, with decades of experience providing manufacturing and automation solutions to leading automotive OEMs, as well as Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers.
Broad range of assembly challenges
Electric vehicles have replaced engines, gas tanks and transmissions with electric motors, regenerative braking technology and advanced battery packs. Assembling these new components presents unique challenges; at the same time, there are assembly processes common to both EV and internal combustion (IC) vehicle assembly lines.
For example, EVs have body parts that are welded using high-speed six-axis robots with advanced welding controls. Extremely precise control of weld quality is critical to the long-term performance of the vehicle; poor welds can lead to separation and vibration in body parts over time.
To solve these complex welding challenges with maximum speed and absolute quality control, Bosch Rexroth has introduced the PRC7000 welding controller platform.
The PRC7000 expands the number of heat blocks available, so plant operations can customize welding to specific throughput and material characteristics — a major advantage over older-generation systems. Also, it can store up to 10,000 welding programs that can be easily built via a drag-and-drop interface to incorporate more sophisticated welding sequences.
Improving manual assembly
Even though EV plants are highly automated, they also use the latest manual assembly methods to install a wide range of components and systems. Assemblers install headlights, windshields, retractable sunroofs, seats and door and window controls, often also connecting them to the vehicle’s control module. Exact precision in this process is critical to deliver vehicles that operate as flawlessly as possible.
Bosch Rexroth offers an advanced portfolio of intelligent tightening tools to provide the productivity and quality control needed for these manual processes. They provide the precise, repeatable performance crucial to high-volume assembly lines. The portfolio includes the EXACT ION series of cordless screwdrivers, offering industry-leading accuracy, durability and energy efficiency, as well as ergonomic design and lower weight to enhance worker comfort.
Wider use of these kinds of i4.0-ready tools helps assembly lines increase throughput and operate with greater flexibility as different vehicle models move through the line, while at the same time generating critical data that plant operators can use to improve training, adjust workflows and apply lean manufacturing principles.
Multiple technologies to boost battery pack production
There are four major steps in battery pack production common to most operations: electrode production, cell assembly, module assembly and pack construction, which also typically includes end-of-line battery testing.
Each stage uses a complex array of automation technologies to go from raw materials to completed packs. Given the critical role of the battery in the long-term performance and value of EVs, battery production requires high throughput rates combined with extremely tight assembly tolerances and quality control systems.
In electrode production, raw materials move through multiple automated processing steps. Maximizing control over these processes requires technologies that ensure cells are created with desired electrochemical properties, lifecycle and energy density.
Bosch Rexroth’s ctrlX AUTOMATION platform features advanced controller and drive systems designed precisely for these high-throughput production processes. The ctrlX CORE controller provides advanced closed-loop sag and loop control to eliminate breakage and minimize waste. It also supports high-speed multi-axis synchronization for web speed and position alignment.
In cell production, individual batteries — cylindrical, pouch or other format — are combined into cells. Many manufacturers are working to optimize the stacking process in this step because streamlining stacking can improve the throughput of the entire line.
High-speed robotic handling systems, either delta robots or linear robots, are essential tools in this stacking process. The Smart Function Kit for Handling is a highly efficient linear robot option well-suited to this process step. It is truly plug-and-produce: modern online tools support quick and intuitive component selection and configuration, and the pre-installed software allows for easier commissioning, supporting faster production start and helping speed to market.
Modular movement and transport solutions
Going from raw materials to a tested and installed battery pack presents a major automation transport challenge. With each assembly step, weight and component size increases, so a range of material transport conveyors and other systems is necessary.
From transfer systems for rapidly moving products weighing a few grams to linear motor-driven systems that can precisely transport up to over 400 kg, state-of-the-art conveyors and linear motor transport systems maximize efficient use of factory floor space and enable smoothly flowing, intelligently connected production.
VarioFlow plus plastic chain conveyors are proven systems that rapidly move cell assemblies horizontally, vertically, around obstacles or integrated with other process flows. These also support workpiece pallets to convey cell components where positioning or higher stopping precision is needed.
Further down the line, Bosch Rexroth offers the linear motor-based Flexible Transport System (FTS). It supports pallet-based transport and allows for individual carrier control for more complex movement at faster throughput rates. Combined with our intralogistics autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), Bosch Rexroth is uniquely equipped to address virtually every battery production transport challenge.
Successful assembly lines design conveyor and material transport solutions early in the development process, not as a final step once all the production machines and cells have been defined. This helps ensure productive movement of products and materials through every process step and prevents building in non-value-added transport time. Bosch Rexroth has deep experience helping select and connect different transport systems so the right material flow is established — and can be easily modified as production requirements evolve.
Automation insight to improve EV assembly productivity
As EV manufacturers are under pressure to expand production, they run risks by simply throwing technology at their throughput challenges, rather than considering how well their technology and component choices work together. All this assembly technology should be engineered and harmonized to maximize throughput without sacrificing the quality of the end product.
Bosch Rexroth can leverage its industry-leading automation portfolio and deep automotive manufacturing expertise to help prevent this risk. We have productive partnerships with leading factory automation specialists. They work with our experienced automation technology experts, following a unique, concurrent engineering approach.
Using this approach, we partner to conduct system design, programming and component acquisition and integration in tight, overlapping time frames to deploy complete automation solutions more rapidly.
Our solutions encompass virtually every major step in EV manufacturing, with specialized expertise in EV battery pack production. Our concurrent engineering methodology succeeds because we back it, and all our complete automation solutions, with global engineering, service and technical support resources.
In addition to distribution, we design and fabricate complete engineered systems, including hydraulic power units, electrical control panels, pneumatic panels & aluminum framing. Our advanced components and system solutions are found in a wide variety of industrial applications such as wind energy, solar energy, process control and more.
Greater freedom and precision in the area of contactless high-performance transport and positioning
6D planar system added to the ctrlX AUTOMATION portfolio
Movers move in six degrees of freedom, even where space is very limited
Control system ctrlX CORE with apps for planar systems
Planar systems offer enormous potential for a variety of industry segments. With ctrlX FLOW6D, Bosch Rexroth has raised contactless high-performance transport and positioning to a new level. Free-floating transport platforms, so-called movers, are moved on a horizontal, vertical or overhead working surface. Each mover acts in six degrees of freedom at high speed and with great precision – without any friction or pollution. Integration into the automation toolkit ctrlX AUTOMATION results in an overall solution with a compact control system and apps to increase the range of functions.
A planar system serves as a contactless levitation system for the efficient and safe transport, positioning and handling of loads. On a working surface which can be adapted in a modular fashion, a number of differently shaped and sized movers can be controlled in six dimensions. Strong, specially arranged permanent magnets make this possible. Given their modularity and easily adaptable nature, planar systems can be used in numerous industrial sectors, for example in the semiconductor industry, the food sector, the pharmaceuticals industry or in assembly systems.
The ctrlX FLOW6D planar system allows contactless high-performance transport and positioning in six dimensions.
New planar system takes off
ctrlX FLOW6D offers new room for maneuver and innovative concepts for production systems. Bosch Rexroth has given the system numerous properties to make it stand out from other well-known technologies. Much larger movement ranges, for example a floating height of 20 mm, a 10° tilting angle and endless rotation in any location set new standards. The six degrees of freedom of each mover can be combined with each other as required. For example, rotation and tilting are possible during travel. Vertical or overhead system operation is also possible.
The movers are connected: Power and data are available to users on the floating platform. A mover can be converted into an active agent by adding actuators, sensors and handling components.
This and other properties allow entirely new system concepts and workflows. For example, movers can be operated in a process chamber, transport and process tasks can be combined seamlessly and transport systems can be standardized. The additional degrees of freedom mean that fewer peripheral devices are needed. As a result, the system becomes more compact and cheaper.
“ctrlX FLOW6D forms the backbone of a flexible and efficient production facility. As an open system, it can interact seamlessly with various other systems. Software-controlled production allows it to be adapted to changing products or processes quickly,” explained Steffen Winkler, Vice President Sales, Business Unit Automation & Electrification Solutions at Bosch Rexroth.
By incorporating ctrlX FLOW6D into its automation world, Bosch Rexroth has created an integrated, agile system. “ctrlX AUTOMATION provides the software platform for design, simulation, engineering, operation and service. With ctrlX CORE, we offer a compact, high-performance control system which allows users to make optimum use of the new planar system technology. New functions can easily be added as apps available from the ctrlX Store. As a result, full use of the potential of levitation can be made,” said Steffen Winkler.
In addition to distribution, we design and fabricate complete engineered systems, including hydraulic power units, electrical control panels, pneumatic panels & aluminum framing. Our advanced components and system solutions are found in a wide variety of industrial applications such as wind energy, solar energy, process control and more.
The ctrlX FLOW6D planar system allows contactless high-performance transport and positioning in six dimensions.
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