Ushering in a new era of automation in manufacturing

What, no apps? The idea of ditching a smartphone for an archaic push-button handheld would seem preposterous to most. The former’s range of small, quick-loading programs are an eternal wellspring of new and better features whose benefits are too great to forgo. While we have come to take convenient access to a steady stream of innovations for granted in our personal lives, this flexibility has in many cases yet to arrive in mechanical engineering and industrial robotics. Figuratively speaking, most manufacturing plants are still using antiquated push-button phones. Yesterday’s factory equipment is just not geared to quick and easy upgrades. The reason for this is the aging architecture of conventional automation technology, which is thirty years old on average. Retrofits therefore often require significant investments of both time and money, or they are simply not possible.

Determined to stay ahead of the technology curve, Bosch Rexroth revamped its organization to develop ctrlX AUTOMATION. Some 500 associates from three locations joined forces in agile teams. These teams pooled the diverse skills of departments such as sales, hardware and software development, product management, marketing, and manufacturing. Hierarchies were made flatter, allowing more room for initiative. “Automation is growing increasingly complex, and developing solutions like ctrlX AUTOMATION requires a wide range of different skills. We are able to work across functions on a broad scale — not only to adapt the technology, but also to do things differently. That was one of the keys to our success,” Krauskopf says. And what a success it was: already market-ready after less than two years in development, ctrlX AUTOMATION debuted at a trade fair in November 2019.

CtrlX AUTOMATION is an innovative industrial automation platform to use apps and open-source software to modify the control unit throughout the machine’s life cycle. For example, adding a robot to a production line is simply a matter of installing the app on the control unit, with no need to integrate a separate controller for the robot. It also enables users to capitalize on their strengths. “They can incorporate their unique know-how into the control unit by integrating native apps — and distance themselves from the competition with this USP,” Krauskopf says.

CtrlX AUTOMATION is a polyglot. Users can employ the ctrlX WORKS software and engineering toolkit to flexibly create apps using various scripting and programming languages such as C++, Python, Java, and Go, and new visual programming tools such as Node-RED and Blockly. Conventional programming is still possible, but no longer a must.

With more than 30 interfaces, ctrlX AUTOMATION offers extremely versatile connectivity. It supports communication protocols such as EtherCAT, OPC UA, MQTT, Profinet, CAN, and IOLink. Since it is both open and platform-agnostic, the system architecture is ready to accommodate advanced standards such as 5G. Embedded in the control unit, apps communicate with one another via a special software layer called ctrlX Data Layer. This layer is accessible to edge servers which process data sourced directly from the machine without it first having to take a detour through a cloud. This fast data stream is a key prerequisite for Industry 4.0 in general, and for the internet of things (IoT), the industrial internet of things (IIoT), and applied artificial intelligence in particular. “Machine control, IT, and the IoT had been three separate domains in automation until ctrlX AUTOMATION unified them in a single end-to-end architecture,” Krauskopf says.

Most machines require hardware add-ons to provide IT security for manufacturing processes; ctrlX AUTOMATION comes with this security as standard. It features a combination of Linux, one of the most stable and secure real-time operating systems, and firmware that provides reliable protection against viruses and trojans. All network communication is encrypted. A built-in firewall arrests unauthorized data traffic; a configurable user management tool prevents unauthorized access. Bosch Rexroth’s ctrlX Device Portal enables users to manage all smart ctrlX AUTOMATION components digitally and remotely over the internet, and to install security updates and new functions.

Customers can use ctrlX Configurator to customize their solution online before buying the system. It doesn’t take any special product knowledge to do this. The desired topology is easily assembled with graphical tools; ctrlX Configurator checks it for feasibility. And although software is figuring ever more prominently in factory automation, Bosch Rexroth is certainly not neglecting hardware. The company aims to ensure that all components remain serviceable for at least 25 years. Even a smartphone can’t compete with that.