CES 2016: Bosch APAS production assistant demonstrates accuracy of automated manufacturing
- Bosch is the leading provider and exponent of Industry 4.0
- Global manufacturing network to save hundreds of millions of euros by 2020
- Software solution to control of entire manufacturing and logistics chain
- APAS family makes manufacturing flexible and efficient
At CES 2016 (6-9 January) Bosch will provide an insight into the future of manufacturing through Industry 4.0.
“Tomorrow’s production line is smart, flexible and connected. We are both a leading provider as well as a leading exponent of hardware and software for Industry 4.0,” said Bosch CEO Volkmar Denner, speaking during the company’s press conference at CES 2016 in Las Vegas.
More than 100 projects are currently underway at Bosch’s 250 plants worldwide, including in the U.S, China, India, the Czech Republic, and Germany. Bosch expects Industry 4.0 to save its global manufacturing network hundreds of millions of euros annually up to 2020. Automated, connected manufacturing helps to increase competitiveness while allowing companies to produce very small orders or even individually customised products.
At CES 2016, Bosch is showcasing its APAS family, which includes automated production assistants to make manufacturing flexible and efficient. Designed for use with Industry 4.0 applications, they offer powerful support in automated production. The assistants take on strenuous, monotonous and potentially dangerous tasks, such as joining work pieces together or unpacking crates, creating more time for the workforce to undertake tasks that add more value.
Highest levels of precision and safety: APAS serves coffee
Bosch is demonstrating just how versatile this production assistant is, with the “APAS assistant” demonstrating its talent as a barista, serving coffee to visitors to CES 2016 who place orders using an app. Each cup is inscribed by the “APAS marker” before being filled with coffee.
To demonstrate how the APAS has been designed to focus on precision and quality, it will serve each cup of coffee with millimetre accuracy, as it would a work piece on a production line.
Connectivity with the coffee machine means APAS can announce when a refill of water or coffee is required. The APAS robots can be monitored via a screen, which shows if any problems occur. The APAS assistant works hand in hand with the workforce without need for a safety barrier, thanks to a patented skin with over 120 sensitive sensors, it will stop as soon as a worker gets too close.
APAS family for fast, flexible production
The APAS family has been designed for the world of manufacturing: the “APAS inspector” carries out quality control. It checks surfaces using a high-resolution camera and a 3D measuring technique, enabling it to detect hairline cracks in metal components. The “APAS speedswitch” uses a laser scanner to monitor the area around the APAS assistant. It will then speed up or slow down depending on if there are people in the vicinity of the robots, making it more productive and efficient than many other systems without compromising on safety. Finally, the “APAS flexpress” precisely assembles component parts or subjects them to further processing, such as pressing, shaping, stamping or punching. All these production assistants can work as standalones or in combination with one another.
All manufacturing activities on one dashboard
Bosch optimises processes in its own production by analysing big data in real time; it also offers the necessary IT manufacturing solutions to its customers. All production and quality data as well as logistics processes can be managed using the company’s IoT shopfloor solutions, which are being showcased at CES. The central control element is a dashboard that displays the data in real time. This allows users to prevent interruptions to the manufacturing process, improving productivity.
Press photos APAS:
1-PA-21574, 1-PA-21575, 1-PA-21047, 1-PA-21050, 1-PA-21049
Press photos Industry 4.0:
1-RB-20994, 1-RB-20995, 1-RB-20866, 1-RB-20867, 1-RB-20863-d,
1-RB-20864-d
Internet:
Details about APAS:
Industry 4.0 in practice at Bosch:
Simply.Connected.
Visit Bosch at CES 2016 in Las Vegas, NV, USA:
Tuesday, 5 January 2016 (all times local)
- 8:00 to 8:45 a.m.
Press conference with Dr. Volkmar Denner, chairman of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH, at Mandalay Bay Hotel, South Convention Center, Level 3, Banyan Rooms A-D.
Thursday, 7 January 2016
- 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Conference track: The Internet of MEMS and Sensors
Panel: “Wearables and Smart Sensors Advancing User Interface”
Dr. Horst Muenzel, CEO and general manager, Akustica
Venetian, Level 4, Marcello 4404
- 2:15 to 3:15 p.m.
Conference track: The Internet of MEMS and Sensors
Panel: “Technology Trends for the IoT”; Dr. Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO and general manager, Bosch Sensortec, Venetian, Level 4, Marcello 4404
6-9 January 2016 – Bosch booths
- Focus on smart homes, smart cities, and Industry 4.0 in the Smart Home Marketplace, Sands Expo Center, booth #71517
- Focus on connected mobility in the North Hall, booth #2302.
Follow the Bosch CES 2016 highlights on Twitter: #BoschCES
Contact person for press inquiries:
Rianne Ojeh: 01895 838 822, Rianne.Ojeh@uk.bosch.com
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 360,000 associates worldwide (as per April 1, 2015). The company generated sales of 49 billion euros in 2014.* Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiary and regional companies in some 60 countries. Including its sales and service partners, Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. In 2014, Bosch applied for some 4,600 patents worldwide. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to create solutions for a connected life. Bosch improves 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 company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH.
Additional information is available online at www.bosch.com, www.bosch-press.com, http://twitter.com/BoschPresse.
*The sales figure disclosed for 2014 does not include the former joint ventures BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH (now BSH Hausgeräte GmbH) and ZF Lenksysteme GmbH (now Robert Bosch Automotive Steering GmbH), which have since been taken over completely.
