The growth markets of energy storage and printed electronics are characterized by considerable pressure in terms of time, quality and costs. Bosch Rexroth positions itself as an incredibly reliable automation partner, delivering easy-to-integrate system solutions to handle the current challenges in the printing, semiconductor and display industry. For example, the flexible transport system FTS suitable for vacuum applications and the precision motion control MPC accurate to the nanometer demonstrate how roll-to-roll, coating and production processes can be continuously optimized and made future proof.

With a global network of machine manufacturers and proven multi-technology and automation expertise from over 20 years in the fields of printing, semiconductors and electronics, Bosch Rexroth is capable of increasing machine performance better than any other automation provider. Rexroth motion control systems and servo drives set new technological standards, while intelligent system solutions simplify engineering and open up pioneering i4.0 applications such as condition-based maintenance.

Flexible and efficient mass production of innovative electronics

In the manufacture of stationary and mobile energy storage devices and solar cells, Bosch Rexroth draws on its many years of roll-to-roll expertise from the printing industry, among other things. This is demonstrated by the efficient coating and accurate structuring of electrodes, for example. A further focus involves flexible machine concepts that support the continuous development and evolution of new technologies and open up the full productivity potential of the manufacturing process.

Greater productivity thanks to the flexible transport system FTS

To standardize handling and automation and to quickly adapt to changing requirements or batch sizes, Bosch Rexroth has developed the scalable flexible transport system FTS. The FTS conveys products weighing between 1 g and 2,000 kg from station to station independently of one another on workpiece carriers with maximum acceleration. Switch points allow processes to be run in parallel to increase productivity. A specific example is increasing battery production by almost 200 percent without any impact on the time to market. The FTS version suitable for vacuum applications can be used for production of the latest display types, such as OLED, or as an efficient high-performance solution with clean room capability for semiconductor production.

Best-in-class motion control for printed electronics

With its embedded controls and software libraries, Bosch Rexroth delivers maximum performance in roll-to-roll processes and motion tasks in the sub-micro to nanometer range. The different controls allow centralized or modular and compact concepts. Their impressive performance includes 32 kHz position control loops and up to 200 distributed axes.

Thanks to multi-web tension control, the open hardware and software solutions enable trouble-free integration into existing roll-to-roll processes. Since the integrated register control communicates with the motion control in real time, machine manufacturers achieve even more precise and faster processing without the need for programming.

Pre-programmed technology functions simply requiring configuration also shorten the engineering phase. By offering direct access to core functions of controls and drives using high-level languages, Bosch Rexroth supports Open Core Engineering and enables machine manufacturers and users to discover totally new possibilities such as simulation, virtual commissioning and big data analysis for quality assurance and continuous process improvement purposes.