Bosch Rexroth Is a New Cooperation Partner of ifm
October 21, 2021
On 21 September 2021 Bosch Rexroth exclusively opened the doors to their new customer and innovation centre in Ulm. Twelve representatives of various specialist magazines and three selected partners, including ifm, were invited to this event.
The focus of this press event was on innovations connected with the automation platform ctrlX AUTOMATION and on the announcement of the new ctrlX World partners WAGO, NOKIA and ifm.
ctrlX World
ctrlX AUTOMATION is an alternative concept to the previous proprietary automation systems on the market. It was presented by Bosch Rexroth at the end of 2019. In regard to the ecosystem around the new ctrlX controllers, the emphasis has been placed on radical openness, simplicity and maximum flexibility. Bosch Rexroth has taken this approach to successfully tackle the increasingly complex tasks in the world of automation.
ifm and Bosch Rexroth
Bosch Rexroth and ifm have identified synergies as well as joint potentials at the beginning of 2021. Since then, the companies have also entertained a collaborative partnership in this field.
The initial aim of the partnership has been to open up the ctrlX AUTOMATION platform for the globally standardised communication system IO-Link, thereby creating additional benefits for both companies and in particular for end customers. Both hardware and software from ifm are used in this context.
ifm’s solutions
On the software side, the ifm CabinetLine (AL1930) and DataLine (AL133x) IO-Link masters have been further developed and enriched with an EoE functionality.
EoE stands for Ethernet-over-EtherCAT and describes that any Ethernet data traffic can be transported in the EtherCAT segment. The EtherCAT variant of the PerformanceLine (AL14xx) with EoE functionality is scheduled for market launch as early as mid-2022. It will allow actuators, e.g. valves, to be controlled with up to 2 ampere.
In addition to the ifm masters, ifm moneo|configure SA (stand-alone, i.e. installed on a laptop or PC) enables parameterisation of the connected IO-Link masters and sensors directly via the ctrlX controller – in the simplest way possible. moneo|configure benefits from EoE and can access the IO-Link master via the EtherCAT cable without a parallel data cable.
Experience a joint solution from Bosch Rexroth and ifm
This joint solution can be experienced at the ifm stand and on various Bosch Rexroth digital channels at the SPS (Smart Production Solutions) trade fair from 23 to 25 November 2021.
ifm is looking forward to the mutual partnership with Bosch Rexroth and to working on more exciting projects in the future.
