Industry 4.0, demonstrated by Bosch

Published: 7-Apr-2017

At Interpack 2017, Bosch Packaging Technology will showcase its solutions for connectivity in the factory

At Interpack 2017, Bosch Packaging Technology will showcase its solutions for connectivity in the factory.

“Thanks to the optimum connectivity of machines and IT, we do not only achieve higher transparency throughout the entire value chain,” said Stefan Konig, President.

“Our solutions also use digitisation to support companies in optimising their processes and workflows.”

Support for more productive work processes

Machine operators, maintenance staff and production managers come across Industry 4.0 solutions from Bosch in numerous processes during their daily work.

For instance, the shift manager can present all relevant production parameters, data and production targets to employees in real-time using the Shopfloor Dashboard.

The new HMI 4.0 is a central element in machine operators’ everyday work and for the connectivity of Bosch’s Industry 4.0 solutions.

With data collection, transfer and visualisation, the HMI 4.0 forms the basis of machine operation. The guided operation leads employees through all process steps.

Maintenance support for higher performance

Planned and unplanned maintenance activities significantly influence productivity by consuming a lot of time for diagnosis and organisation.

With the Maintenance Support System (MSS) from Bosch, itineraries, repair times and the search for spare parts is reduced considerably. Once a problem is detected, a service order is sent immediately.

Service personnel receive all relevant information on their mobile devices, so that they can check the availability of spare parts and complete the maintenance assignment efficiently thanks to detailed instructions.

If manufacturers require support in planning their maintenance activities due to time or capacity constraints, Bosch offers them tangible assistance with the Condition Monitoring Service.

Bosch experts continuously monitor the customer’s machines and their condition, for instance via the Bosch IoT cloud.

In case of deviations, they send maintenance recommendations, as well as information about the availability of spare parts and service technicians by email or text message.

Keeping an eye on OEE and energy consumption

Production transparency is a prerequisite for higher Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and this is the main goal of the management and analysis tool Shopfloor Management Cycle (SMC).

By bundling and visualising production and machine data transparently, the tool enables production managers to determine the current OEE.

Based on the SMC, they perform a target/actual comparison of quantities or cycle times, and have the results visualised, for instance in pareto diagrams.

A detailed overview of a facility’s energy consumption is provided by the Energy Monitoring platform. Special sensors evaluate consumption, for instance of compressed air or electricity. The data is processed and visualised on the Energy Monitoring platform.

This way, fluctuations, peaks and irregularities can be identified. Defects are easier to localise, for example if a machine uses more compressed air due to a leakage. This reduces time-consuming troubleshooting and avoids unnecessary energy costs.

Developments to be continued

“In the not too distant future, we will bring much more intelligence into the machines, so that they can adapt to alterations, and prevent or troubleshoot defects independently,” said Konig.

One application can be seen on a vertical packaging machine. An integrated sensor detects when the product falls, then adapts the sealing movement and the multi-head weigher automatically.

“This way, the speed of the machine can be maximised without a product being sealed in the transverse seam,” explained Konig.


Bosch will be at Interpack in Hall 6, booth A30-C58.

You may also like