ConnectedWorld IoT conference Berlin
Bosch combines Industry 4.0 and IIC standards to improve connected manufacturing
Connectivity improves productivity, efficiency and quality
- Bosch and partners use RAMI4.0 and IIRA standards to optimise manufacturing
- Connected manufacturing has been implemented to 100 Bosch projects worldwide
- RFID, data mining and ‘digital twin’ are crucial technology to connected manufacturing
In a landmark move, Bosch and its partners have combined Industry 4.0 and Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) technical regulations for the first time. The previous lack of a common language had hindered attempts to coordinate connected manufacturing, logistics and building as well as energy management internationally. Incorporating the two approaches means it is possible to exchange data between central areas of connected industry.
Dr. Werner Struth, a member of the Bosch management board, said:
“Industry 4.0 is not so much a national as an international issue. Only a truly global approach – without competing company standards or differing national regulations – will allow it to develop to its full potential. A combination of these two standards paves the way for numerous new cross-border business opportunities for Industry 4.0 solutions, both for Bosch and for other international companies.”
Combining standards to increase productivity
In Bosch’s Homburg plant, a number of its connected manufacturing solutions now combine RAMI4.0 and IIRA reference architectures to optimise manufacturing and energy efficiency.
Bosch continuously collects data from all the machinery in the plant, generating a stream of information about the electricity consumed in the manufacturing process. Dassault Systèmes, a 3D specialist, provides a digital representation of the plant’s machinery and functions, creating a ‘digital twin’, which visualises production processes and power consumption. SAP then provides application services, recording all data and analysing it in real time. Bosch provides energy management software, and TCS applies its consultancy expertise to the integration of all these systems.
The energy management solution is based on the IIC’s IIRA architecture but is connected to the production facilities via the Industry 4.0 platform’s RAMI4.0 architecture.
Bosch has already implemented connected manufacturing to 100 projects worldwide, improving productivity, reducing downtime for maintenance and inventory-taking and making quality control more efficient.
Productivity
At its Homburg facility, Bosch manufactures 200 different hydraulic modules for more than 2,000 components. The production line’s nine stations are connected by a smart network. Using an RFID (radio frequency identification) chip attached to the products, the stations know how the finished product has to be assembled. Bosch can produce different types of module simultaneously on the multi-product line.
At its Blaichach facility, which produces ABS/ESP braking systems, Bosch increased productivity by nearly one-quarter over the year, by employing Industry 4.0 solutions. Its pioneering approach saw it receive the prestigious Industry 4.0 Award in 2015.
Maintenance
Connected manufacturing also allows Bosch associates to predict when machinery maintenance will be needed and helps them to undertake repairs efficiently. Software analyses machinery performance to spot deviations from the target state and notify in plenty of time that maintenance is necessary. The technician can then decide when to carry out maintenance to cause as little impact on production as possible.
The system also helps associates deal with errors by giving instructions on how to carry out repairs. Associates can call up videos on their tablets showing them how to replace parts. If they encounter a problem, they can use a wireless video link to speak with experts who then assist in solving the problem remotely. All of this reduces unplanned downtime, as well as increasing productivity and competitiveness.
At Bosch’s facility in Suzhou, China, it was able to use connected manufacturing to cut inventory times by 97 percent. With more than 2,500 machines, test benches, and items of measuring equipment, the inventory process used to take up to a month. Using RFID technology, associates can now take inventory by pushing a trolley past the equipment, meaning it can be completed in just four hours, saving 440 man-hours.
Efficient quality control
By evaluating manufacturing data from its own facilities, Bosch’s Homburg plant has cut the time taken to inspect hydraulic valves by 18 percent, totalling 14 days per year. An analysis of production data relating to 30,000 components, showed that certain testing steps in the inspection process were unnecessary, providing the results of several earlier steps are positive. This is a process known as data mining.
At another of its plants, Bosch introduced a system that records associates’ hand movements in the production process. Associates wear gloves fitted with ultrasound technology, which are used to determine their position. This indicates whether the associate has carried out a hand motion correctly, and which work step is being performed at any given moment. The entire work process is displayed step by step on a screen until it has been completed. This helps improve quality assurance.
Internet:
About the “Industry 4.0” platform
About the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC):
About Tata Consultancy Services (TCS):
About SAP HANA:
About Dassault Systèmes:
Press photos: 1-RB-21936 1-RB-21910, 1-RB-21911, 1-RB-21913, 1-RB-21915, 1-RB-21916, 1-RB-20864-d, 1-RB-20863-d, 1-RB-20994, 1-RB-20995,
1-RB-19624
Contact person for press inquiries:
Rianne Ojeh, 01895 83 8822, rianne.ojeh@uk.bosch.com
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 375,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2015). According to preliminary figures, the company generated sales of more than 70 billion euros in 2015. 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 subsidiaries and regional companies in some 60 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. In 2015, Bosch applied for some 5,400 patents worldwide. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to deliver innovations 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.co.uk, www.bosch-press.com, twitter.com/BoschUK
