New Paths to More Openness

Today, software engineering is challenged in two aspects. The one side is about efficiency. Ever shorter product life cycles raise the demand for highly productive and cost effective machines. Manufacturers must develop, produce and bring machines to market ever faster. On the other side is the machine builder’s desire to self implement innovative software functions faster. These are for example sought-after for the most intuitive and efficient operation and programming as possible. Because with the integration of multiple processing technologies increases the system complexity, it is necessary to compensate for this. Coincidentally, innovative software ideas for machine builders are success promising possibilities to differentiate from the competition. IT technologies such as Smart Devices and modern communication architectures increasingly are used in the production area and offer new starting points to design production sequences more efficient and flexible.

One important prerequisite is to bring together the up to now separate programming worlds of IT and automation. Upon this point Bosch Rexroth builds with Open Core Engineering. It is about a comprehensive solution offering that increases the engineering efficiency along the complete value creation across all drive and control technologies. „Open” refers to the consistent use of open standards and interfaces in engineering. „Core” stands for the extended access possibilities, which machine builders have to all control and drive functions of the Rexroth CNC controller. Openness, flexibility and customization thereby already count to the characteristics of the CNC controller family IndraMotion MTX.

Open Standards render Flexible
and Protect the Investment

On the basis of software tools, function packages and multi-technology solutions, Open Core Engineering makes the engineering for machine builders more efficient and reduces the complexity. Thereby it covers all steps from the project design to the programming, parameter setup and startup to the service. The engineering framework IndraWorks provides all required software tools for this. In order to further reduce the effort, the conspicuous programming of complex machine processes is replaced by the simple parameter setup of tailored technology functions. The decision for a CNC controller represents a large investment for machine builders and end users. Bosch Rexroth protects this investment by consequent use of open standards. In the scope of Open Core Engineering, these are for example the standards of IEC 61131-3 and PLCopen for the PLC programming and OPC UA for the communication. As the backbone for modern automation concepts Bosch Rexroth uses the high performance and application flexibility of sercos. Machine builders can homogenously integrate the Ethernet Fieldbus into their solutions. IndraMotion MTX integrates also seamless into heterogeneous automation topologies with its Multi-Ethernet interfaces. Thereby it is irrelevant if machine builders use Profinet or Ethernet/IP – the CNC controller can be integrated parallel into both networks.

IT-Technologies facilitate New Operation
and Diagnostic Concepts

With the market penetration of Smart Devices in the consumer world also new ways open up for the communication between man and machine: Current IT-technologies melt with the machine automation to innovative operation concepts. With Open Core Engineering, Bosch Rexroth for the first time opens up these technologies for the CNC machine. By use of the Open Core Interface as a new interface and OPC UA for example, Apps get flexible access to all control and drive functions. Machine builders program the application on popular platforms under Android and iOS. This gives new impulses to the development of innovative, user friendly concepts for startup, operation and diagnosis. Furthermore, Smart Devices can replace separate HMI devices currently required for startup, diagnosis and operation. Machine users profit from this. With a Tablet-PC they will in the future monitor and program multiple machines. For example they receive from the machines over the interfaces of the CNC controller when they have to change specific tools. Therewith, it becomes easier to maintain an overview about pending tasks. Also new service concepts such as spare part ordering via smart phone or directly via the machine itself can be implemented. Additionally, end users can integrate their machines into modern communication and data processing networks. The machine quasi speaks the language of the IT department, making the integration into MES systems or the recording of process data considerably more efficient.