Vision Bosch Rexroth
March 1st 2005 The first ever Rexroth global technology summit was attended by IP&E editor Ian Clay. Here he reports on his trip to the company’s Electric Drives and Controls headquarters in Lohr, Germany
The summit was opened by Manfred Grundke, chairman of the executive board and introduced the central theme: Mastering the challenges of the coming decade. Readers of IP&E will know Bosch Rexroth as a provider of solutions for industrial and factory automation in the areas of drives, controls and regulators.
However, during his opening remarks Mr Grundke made the interesting statement that “Rexroth is the only manufacturer worldwide that offers hydraulic systems, electric drives and controls, linear and assembly technology as well as pneumatic systems.” [This combination of technology can be seen operating in some machine tools.] He also said “We offer these technologies from a single source, in the form of components, complete modules and/or automation packages. In so doing, we help our customers to streamline their internal business processes and thereby to lower their costs. With Rexroth as a partner, a machinery manufacturer can greatly reduce the number of its vendors”.
Mr Grundke’s reference to the combination of technological and economic drivers can also be seen in the service automation side of its business. He said of this that: “As a system provider we increasingly assume responsibility for complete machine functions. The complexity of maintenance and repair is greatly reduced, because our service covers all Rexroth components. In short the machinery manufacturer can offload processes and responsibilities onto Rexroth and thereby substantially lower its total cost of ownership for the automation technology.” A statement that will be music to margin-conscious manufacturer’s ears.
During one of the early presentations version comes with an EnDat transducer with 2048 cycles per revolution and flange accuracy and rotational accuracy R. Users can choose between single turn and multiturn versions for both optic transducer systems. Both the transducers and power plugs can be rotated through an angle of up to 240° by the user. The motors, available either without cooling, with fans or with liquid cooling can also be supplied in explosion protected versions.
Relating more specifically to machine tool technology was a workshop conducted on the second day entitled ‘Open automation solutions for machine tools’. It began by saying that “Machine tool construction and Rexroth automation solutions have gone hand in hand for decades. Today Rexroth offers universally open systems with a range of intelligent electric and electrohydraulic drives. Rexroth IndraMotion MTX, the new control generation, ranks as one of the fastest CNC control systems in the world and considerably reduces cycle times.”
With the introduction of IndraMotion MTX, the new CNC system, Rexroth is offering an alternative to the control systems already established, including stand alone machine tools. Common to both the numerical control and the integrated IEC 61131-3 PLC IndraLogic, with multi-tasking capability, is the use of powerful hardware. This gives the direct interdependence of CNC and PLC and enables high quality performance data to be achieved. The PLC processes 1000 instructions in only 60µs and the CNC can process up to 2000 NC records per second where eight axes are controlled. At the same time up to 64 axes can be operated on a single control system in twelve CNC channels independent of one another. The control checks the position of the axes 4000 times per second and, even with high feed values, offers an extremely high level of contouring accuracy. IndraMotion MTX is able to facilitate the processing of complex parts via ‘CNC streaming’. Once activated the processing sequence can be initiated while code is being generated or loaded in the background.
The open loop control system communicates with all current fieldbuses and Ethernet TCP/IP. The drive communication uses the SERCOS interface a strictly deterministic protocol with real time capability. With its HNC 100 Rexroth offers a multifunctional axis control for hydraulic and electric drives. This real time capability of electrohydraulic axes is new.
Due to increasing demands regarding load capacity and service life, the company also offers optimised roller rail guides for machining operations. For example, size 125 products achieve dynamic load figures of up to 1000 kN. A further example is the extra wide 65/100 roller rail guide. Rexroth has also expanded its range of ball rail guides. High speed carriages and ball rail guides made from corrosion resistant steel, have been added to the range in different sizes.
Interchangeability applies to both roller and ball guides. Profile rails and carriages of the same size can be interchanged easily.
Rounding up the advantages was a presentation from a Bosch Rexroth customer, Edward West, CEO of Capco Super Grinders based in Roanoke, Virginia in the USA. His company use a great many Rexroth products in the manufacture of between 500 and 1000 roll grinding machines per year (costing anywhere from half a million to three and a half million dollars). He said “Ours is a difficult application using Rexroth hydraulics for the lubrication systems, linear drives and ballscrews etc. The result [of implementing the Rexroth technology] is that we have reduced our cycle time from forty-five minutes or an hour to just twelve and a half minutes.”
This short presentation at the end of an intense but profitable couple of days in Germany bought home the simplicity of Rexroth’s message. Through the technological advances of the Rexroth products Capco Super Grinders has experienced great financial advantages. It is a clear example, to quote from Manfred Grundke’s opening address again of how “Our solutions have a clear objective: to ensure that our customers reap not only technological advantages but economic benefits as well.” More articles from Bosch Rexroth Ltd: | 
