The demand for industrial robot manufacturers to introduce innovations quickly is on the rise. They must be capable of creating their own functions swiftly and flexibly, distinguishing themselves from competitors with tailored solutions. However, inflexible systems and extensive engineering efforts are hindering agility and delaying time to market. Bosch Rexroth provides a comprehensive solution for robot automation, integrating hardware, software, and applications to function harmoniously. Consequently, industrial robots can be created, tailored, and incorporated into contemporary manufacturing settings more rapidly.
Currently, robots are employed across various sectors, including automotive, packaging, and logistics – whether for welding, palletizing, dispensing, or handling tasks. In such situations, they must provide increasingly greater outputs in more dynamic industrial plant settings. Specialized robotic solutions are needed to obtain optimal results based on the tasks, spatial conditions, and precision needs.
“Engineering departments for industrial robotics solutions must be able to design, test, and integrate complex systems quickly. At the same time, it is crucial that they set themselves apart from the competition with their own functions and custom solutions without being dependent on automation suppliers. Our automation offer for industrial robots solves all these challenges,” Steffen Winkler, Senior Vice President Sales Business Unit Automation & Electrification Solutions at Bosch Rexroth, explained.
Comprehensive range of solutions for different types of robots
The compatible custom complete solutions from Bosch Rexroth – consisting of hardware, software, and special apps – are suitable for cartesian robots, Delta, 6-axis, or Scara solutions, and kinematic concepts adapted specifically to customer requirements.
At the center of the range of solutions, is the automation system ctrlX AUTOMATION that is designed to be open, modular, and scalable. The open control system ctrlX CORE with the operating system ctrlX OS is the heart of the hardware. The Linux operating system is open, secure from the ground up, certified, and ready to meet the requirements of the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). For the drives, robotics manufacturers can choose between the compact system ctrlX DRIVE and Elmo drives from the Platinum series by Elmo Motion Control, a Bosch Rexroth company since 2022. The safety controller ctrlX SAFETY ensures maximum safety – it can be used as SafeMotion solution integrated in ctrlX DRIVE or as a complete safety controller ctrlX SAFETY.
The intuitive machine operation runs over ctrlX HMI, and the I/O portfolio ctrlX I/O ensures the connectivity between machines, systems, and operators. Efficient and secure connectivity is guaranteed by IoT solutions ctrlX IOT.
Users benefit from a motion app that is suitable for all applications. Robotics applications can be flexibly controlled by PLC, data layer, scripts, OPC UA or real-time apps. The motion, robotics, and CNC software guarantees precise linear and circular motions, as well as synchronization in different coordinate systems.
pssbl. Robotics relies on the openness of ctrlX AUTOMATION
The robotics start-up pssbl. Robotics pursues an open approach, for which ctrlX AUTOMATION is a perfect fit. Even with just one item, pssbl. enables its customers to adapt the robotics mechanics, control logic, and interfaces. This expands the range of uses and can at the same time considerably simplify the process design or make it more efficient. The software and control from pssbl. follow a largely open concept. Users can use their customized motion profiles within the pssbl. world and thus scale their expertise. pssbl. makes software from third-party providers, such as application software from vision systems and peripherals, available on a smart hub to which pssbl. customers have unrestricted access. The robotics provider successfully uses a bundle of the ctrlX CORE, ctrlX MOTION, and ctrlX DRIVE components. Thanks to the open motion core, the company can seamlessly integrate its own developments, such as specific kinematics and robotic functions adapted for customers. The control system enables flexible motion specifications through ctrlX PLC, ctrlX Data Layer or scripts. What’s more, engineering is easy with the web-based low-code engineering and integrated graphic robot programming, which do not require any in-depth specific expertise.
The ctrlX MOTION app offers a centralized solution for all motion tasks. The system is also open for open-source technologies such as ROS, which provides a future-proof and extensible automation solution. In this respect, pssbl. offers clear value-added: users with little knowledge of robotics in particular benefit from the intuitive user guidance.
“The ctrlX MOTION app’s open interfaces are what convinced us. The solution has enabled us to significantly reduce our engineering work and shorten the time to market. At the same time, we can integrate our expertise very easily and respond to new requirements quickly with extensions and appropriate functions,” Tobias Frank, Managing Director at pssbl. Robotics GmbH, explained.