• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Your Membership
    • Edit Your Profile
  • Services
    • Advertising
    • Case studies
    • Design
    • Email marketing
    • Lead generation
    • Magazine
    • Press releases
    • Publishing
    • Sponsored posts
    • Webcasting
    • Webinars
    • White papers
    • Writing
  • Shop
    • My Account
    • Cart
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy
    • Terms of use
  • Events

Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

  • News
  • Features
  • Video
  • Webinars
  • White papers
  • Press releases
  • Featured companies
    • BlueBotics
    • SICK Sensor Intelligence
    • Vicor Power
bosch_hm2018_merkel

Hannover Messe: Bosch takes lead with 5G connectivity for industry and invests $100 million in new ‘smart factory’ in Mexico

April 27, 2018 by Abdul Montaqim

Industrial giant Bosch is taking the lead in 5G connectivity in partnership with Nokia.

The two companies have been demonstrating a number of 5G projects at Hannover Messe, probably among the first of their kind in the industrial sector.

One of the experts working on the project explained that “most of the industry is cabled”, meaning that robots and other machines, whether they are mobile or stationary, tend to be connected via cables, such as Ethernet, for example.

Some have tried Wi-Fi. “But Wi-Fi is not sufficient and has not provided the necessary high speed and reliability for critical applications,” said the expert.

She added that the demonstration project shows how “5G can provide ultra-fast, super-reliable” networking which can be used for critical applications, where downtime or a break in connectivity can lead to serious consequences.

She claimed 5G can guarantee data transfer across the network whereas Wi-Fi is an unlicensed portion of the spectrum which uses “best-effort network principles”, meaning it will try its best but there’s no guarantee.

But since she works for one of the companies pushing 5G over Wi-Fi, of course she would say that.

Bosch has apparently fallen for this vision and describes what it believes will be a typical facility of the future.

Bosch says that the only fixed elements will be the floor, the walls, and the roof — everything else will be movable and connected.

The company’s demonstration project depicted an environment where machines drive in and out as needed, assembly lines grow longer or shorter, autonomous transport robots deliver components to workers. Robots work directly with human colleagues, relieving them of dangerous or strenuous tasks.

Power is transmitted wirelessly via induction loops in the factory floor. Workers, machines, and components are connected via intelligent software systems and mobile devices.

An ultrafast 5G wireless network enables real-time data exchange, while artificial intelligence improves product quality through early fault detection.

This reduces the burden on workers, leaving them with more time for other tasks, such as programming algorithms, developing new business models, or taking on other creative tasks.

Bosch presented its ideas at Hannover Messe under the slogan “Factory of the future. Now. Next. Beyond.”

Some of the technologies are what the company already offers for connected factories, others are solutions will soon be ready, and others are what it is developing for the future.

People, machines, and data: the three pillars of success in the connected factory

Bosch says bringing connectivity to existing factories and equipment is also critical to the success of Industry 4.0, a term which the company’s senior executives are thought to have coined.

On 1,300 square meters of floor space at Hannover Messe, Bosch is showcasing both aspects: the smart, lean, and flexible factory of the future as well as connected solutions that are already in operation today in manufacturing and logistics.

Both scenarios have something in common: the interplay of hardware, software, and services – orchestrated by people.

“The three pillars of success in the factory of the future are people, machines, and data,” said Dr Stefan Hartung, the Bosch board of management member whose responsibilities include the industrial technology business sector.

Steady sales growth with Industry 4.0

Connected solutions helped Bosch increase its sales of industrial technology by 7.7 percent to $8 billion in 2017.

“Our portfolio of solutions for manufacturing and logistics is constantly growing, which means we can gradually turn our vision of a completely connected value stream into reality,” Hartung said.

The establishment in 2018 of the Bosch Connected Industry operating unit with 500 associates, plus the new Nexeed software portfolio, underline the importance of connectivity to Bosch.

“We are getting closer and closer to achieving our aim of exploiting Industry 4.0 to increase overall sales by more than a billion euros by 2020,” Hartung said.

“Outstanding results” from Bosch Rexroth are also helping reach this milestone, says the company, with the drive and control technology specialist generating sales of 5.5 billion euros in 2017 – a year-on-year increase of 10.4 percent.

Its strategic realignment in recent years has helped Bosch Rexroth improve its competitiveness and gain market share.

New smart plants in Mexico and China

In addition, Bosch is investing heavily in Mexico, this year’s partner country at Hannover Messe: the company is spending some 100 million euros on a smart plant for electronic components in Celaya, central Mexico, which will be completed by 2019.

Covering 21,000 square meters, the plant will manufacture engine control units for the Mexican and US markets. Bosch is looking to create more than 1,200 jobs at the new location.

“Industry 4.0 improves business processes and delivers higher productivity. That means we’re creating jobs, too,” Hartung said.

Bosch is also planning an Industry 4.0 reference factory in China. A plant for control systems and linear motion technology is being built up step by step in the city of Xian.

By 2020, it will be digitally equipped with new manufacturing processes – and visitors to the trade fair will have a chance to see what these processes might look like.

Robots generate more jobs

Hartung also stressed the importance of robotics, adding that a recent study shows it has driven an increase in jobs so far in Germany.

Economists at the Center for European Economic Research (ZEW) predict that employment will grow by 0.4 percent per year until 2021.

The study reports that while robots are replacing some jobs, this is more than compensated for by job growth elsewhere. “In the Industry 4.0 era, people are as indispensable as ever,” Hartung said.

When it comes to complex tasks or quality control, robots can provide specific support. Robots as colleagues – that is the message behind the Pixar-style 3D avatars that visitors will see at the center of the Bosch booth.

Standing 1.5 meters tall, they move around on the virtual factory stage.

The APAS mobile production robot, for instance, works closely with human colleagues without coming into physical contact with them.

Meanwhile, the ActiveCockpit intelligent communications platform keeps production workers permanently up to date on the status of operations, while an autonomous transport robot not only carries parts from A to B but also works on them en route.

Machines teach themselves new skills

What makes this so exciting is that all these avatars are mock-ups of market-ready applications or pilot projects.

“We are already helping our customers optimize the management of their production lines and plants,” said Rolf Najork, the managing director of Bosch Rexroth . “But in the future, there will be even greater demand for flexibility, transparency, and speed.”

Artificial intelligence (AI) will play a central role in this. Engineers have found a fun way to demonstrate what AI is capable of in an industrial setting: KI-cker (KI is the German abbreviation for artificial intelligence) is a take on football where the intelligent interplay of drive and control technology with artificial intelligence gradually turns the goalkeeper and the field players into talented soccer pros.

KI-cker is built around a neural network that constantly learns from its playing experience. This is how machines will teach themselves new skills in the future.

By way of examples, they can learn by themselves how to identify defects and faults – thereby continuously improving their performance.

Nexeed brings connectivity to manufacturing and logistics

Hardware applications need innovative software solutions running in the background to provide the necessary connectivity. At Hannover Messe, Bosch is presenting its new Nexeed software portfolio, which encompasses software and services for the entire value stream.

“The factory of the future will get its intelligence from software – and from the brains of its workforce,” said Dr Stefan Aßmann, who heads up Bosch connected industry.

Aßmann says Bosch has “systematically taken the comprehensive domain knowledge from its more than 270 plants and transformed it into software solution”s.

“Specialists in manufacturing, logistics, and software have worked together to create solutions that both simplify workers’ daily routines and make manufacturing and logistics more efficient, flexible, and eco-friendly.”

Stay on top of goods’ location and condition

The Nexeed Production Performance Manager ensures systematic improvements in production by helping quality and maintenance operatives make decisions quickly and easily.

To do so, it gathers and harmonizes real-time production and machine data from a variety of sources in the manufacturing environment, gives it a clear structure, and presents it to workers on their mobile devices. This saves both time and money. Nexeed Track & Trace is a solution for monitoring the flow of goods.

Sensors fitted to the goods themselves autonomously report their position and condition via the cellular network to the cloud. This means logisticians can trace each product and each carrier. It also means users can call up the precise delivery time and optimize their material and capacity planning. That, too, saves both time and money.

(Main picture shows German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Bosch stand at Hannover Messe 2018, with Stefan Hartung making a presentation, and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto on the right.)

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Skype
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • Pocket

You might also like…

Filed Under: Features, Industry Tagged With: 5g, bosch, bosch rexroth, mexico, smart factory

Join the Robotics & Automation News community

Primary Sidebar

Latest articles

  • The Pros and Cons of Selling vs Trading in Your Vehicle
  • How to Ensure Your Drivers Stay Safe on the Road
  • Reasons Why You Need to Buy a Rotary Fill and Seal Coffee Packaging Machine
  • Fulfyld selects inVia Robotics to automate warehouses
  • DB Schenker to operate zero-emission autonomous ship for Ekornes
  • Southie Autonomy secures $2.5 million seed funding and $5 million in robot lease financing
  • Daimler Truck makes strategic investment in Apex.AI
  • Berkshire Grey launches new mobile robotic platform
  • Clearpath Robotics launches latest version of TurtleBot
  • What to Find When Looking for a Job as an Entry-Level Developer

Most Read

  • Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
    Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
  • Track your lost Android
    Track your lost Android
  • Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
    Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
  • Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
    Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
  • Wood that’s twice as expensive as gold? Really?
    Wood that’s twice as expensive as gold? Really?
  • The Best Mechanical Engineering Design Software in 2022
    The Best Mechanical Engineering Design Software in 2022
  • Top 25 vertical farming companies
    Top 25 vertical farming companies
  • Top 10 graphics processing unit manufacturers: Nvidia clearly in the lead
    Top 10 graphics processing unit manufacturers: Nvidia clearly in the lead
  • What You Need to Know About Fixing an Engine Misfire
    What You Need to Know About Fixing an Engine Misfire
  • Scientists have found more water in space than they ever knew possible
    Scientists have found more water in space than they ever knew possible

Overused words

abb ai applications automated automation automotive autonomous business china companies company control customers data design development digital electric global industrial industry logistics machine manufacturing market mobile platform process production robot robotic robotics robots safety software solution solutions system systems technologies technology time vehicle vehicles warehouse

Secondary Sidebar

Latest news

  • The Pros and Cons of Selling vs Trading in Your Vehicle
  • How to Ensure Your Drivers Stay Safe on the Road
  • Reasons Why You Need to Buy a Rotary Fill and Seal Coffee Packaging Machine
  • Fulfyld selects inVia Robotics to automate warehouses
  • DB Schenker to operate zero-emission autonomous ship for Ekornes
  • Southie Autonomy secures $2.5 million seed funding and $5 million in robot lease financing
  • Daimler Truck makes strategic investment in Apex.AI
  • Berkshire Grey launches new mobile robotic platform
  • Clearpath Robotics launches latest version of TurtleBot
  • What to Find When Looking for a Job as an Entry-Level Developer

Footer

We are…

Robotics and Automation News was established in May, 2015, and is now one of the most widely-read websites in its category.

Please consider supporting us by becoming a paying subscriber, or through advertising and sponsorships, or by purchasing products and services through our shop – or a combination of all of the above.

Thank you.

Independent

Archivists

April 2018
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30  
« Mar   May »

Complex

Old-skool

This website and its associated magazine, and weekly newsletter, are all produced by a small team of experienced journalists and media professionals.

If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to contact us at any of the email addresses on our contact page.

We’d be happy to hear from you, and will always reply as soon as possible.

Future-facing

Free, fair and legal

We support the principles of net neutrality and equal opportunities.

Member of The Internet Defense League

Copyright © 2022 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT