Competitive edge thanks to unique process functions
Bosch Rexroth achieves a new degree of freedom for mechanical engineering with the interface technology Open Core Interface. To Open Core Engineering, an engineering framework for PLC automation, this interface adds high-level language programming with enhanced access to the core of the control system. This enables machine manufacturers to create individual functions without additional hardware, clearly setting them apart from the competition.
There are often no economical alternatives to standard control systems. As a result, machine manufacturers have previously had to accept that they could only implement the same functions available to all other competitors. Rexroth has now done away with this limitation. For the first time machine manufacturers can create individual and real-time machine functions outside of the PLC program with the interface technology known as Open Core Interface.
The Rexroth control platforms IndraLogic XLC (PLC), IndraMotion MLC (motion-logic) and IndraMotion MTX (CNC) support the direct implementation of individual high-level language programmes into the standard control system. The programmes have direct access to the firmware, which is only offered by Rexroth in this form. This enables machine manufacturers to create control algorithms for complex functions and kinematics quickly and independently. The programmers do not require any PLC skills; instead they use the de facto standard high-level languages C/C++.
Rexroth provides machine manufacturers with an extensive library which programmers of individual functions can use to directly access the control function. This enables them to directly control axes without writing a single line of a PLC program. Open Core Interface is therefore the ideal way to protect the machine manufacturers’ expertise.
The new degrees of freedom replace the additional control hardware previously required for complex process functions. This, for example, applies to the quality assurance with camera systems, register control for optimised material processing or decentral order scheduling at the machine. Previously, machine manufacturers had to perform these process flows – which are programmed in high-level languages – outside of the machine control system on a separate one. The need to communicate between both control systems increased the complexity of the automation architecture and the engineering workload.
Direct processing in the machine control system reduces this complexity and significantly shortens the cycle times. Manufacturers of printing presses therefore lower the system costs with Open Core Interface by completely relocating the register control into the motion-logic system from Rexroth. This prevents register errors and increases productivity.
In addition to the new interface technology, Open Core Engineering includes all software tools, function toolkits and open standards for efficient PLC automation. The predefined technology functions cover almost all standard tasks and lower engineering costs and effort. Rexroth continuously focuses on open standards as part of this process. For the machine manufacturer, this means the software they create is more future-proof.