Intelligent hydraulics for increased availability

Connected hydraulics increase the availability of machinery and plants through condition monitoring and predictive maintenance. For this purpose, Rexroth offers scalable solutions, from individual units with local evaluation to the complete, cloud-based monitoring of large plants. Sensors measure all relevant operating conditions and software detects wear before it leads to failure. Retrofitting kits also economically integrate already installed plants into these concepts.

For the new hydraulic power unit series ABPAC and CytroPac, Rexroth optionally integrates condition monitoring functions for the evaluation of pressure, temperature, filling level and filter contamination at the plant. Based on changes to these measured values, software algorithms derive warnings and transmit them via open interfaces to the machine controls and superior systems.

For the ABPAC, maintenance personnel can optionally access the condition information on their smartphones and tablets. A universally comprehensible signal logic displays the condition of the core components and of the fluid at a glance. By the touch of a finger, users can access detailed information. This information can be used to plan necessary maintenance activities to be carried out during production breaks.

Retrofitting in four hours

This approach also opens up Rexroth to already installed plants and offers various solutions for retrofitting. Using a sensor package and the IoT gateway by Bosch Rexroth, end users can retroactively connect entire hydraulic systems. The IoT gateway, a compact control system with consistently open interfaces to the machinery and Internet world, locally processes the sensor information. It sends this information either to the machine controls or directly to superior systems. Commissioning does not require any knowledge in the field of PLCs. Practical experience shows that technicians without any programming knowledge can succeed in commissioning and connecting the Rexroth IoT gateway in four hours.

Artificial intelligence for large plants

In large, permanently operating plants, such as steel works, foundries, paper mills, sugar refineries or offshore installations, standstill costs can quickly reach several tens of thousands of euros per hour. Here, Rexroth unlocks the potential of artificial intelligence using machine-learning methods, for instance with the service package Online Diagnostics Network, ODiN. Rexroth equips plants to be monitored with a multitude of sensors which send their data to the Bosch Cloud Server, for instance. There, they are evaluated by self-learning software incorporating Rexroth’s deep domain knowledge from several thousands of applications. While errors are only found with a probability of 43 percent during conventional maintenance, ODiN detects errors with a prediction accuracy of more than 95 percent thanks to the combination of various types of sensor data.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 390,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2016). According to preliminary figures, the company generated sales of 73.1 billion euros in 2016. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. As a leading IoT company, Bosch offers innovative solutions for smart homes, smart cities, connected mobility, and connected industry. It uses its expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to create solutions for a connected life, and to improve quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.” The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 450 subsidiaries and regional companies in some 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. The basis for the company’s future growth is its innovative strength. At 120 locations across the globe, Bosch employs 59,000 associates in research and development.

Additional information is available online at www.bosch.com , www.iot.bosch.com , www.bosch-press.com , www.twitter.com/BoschPresse