Packaging machines equipped with Rexroth’s GenNext™ technology will produce a wider variety of products more effectively than machines equipped with products from any other technology supplier.

GenNext™ technology from Bosch Rexroth makes packaging machinery more reliable, more productive, easier to use, easier to connect, and more cost-effective to operate. More than just a collection of products, GenNext™ is a comprehensive approach to providing maximum productivity and flexibility even in the most difficult applications. With GenNext™, open networks provide choices in best-of-class components that are interoperable across manufacturers. While Gen 3 technology previously allowed for faster changeovers, reduced waste and higher machine speeds, GenNext™ from Bosch Rexroth adds unparalleled intelligence, connectivity and safety.

GenNext™ for More Uptime
GenNext™ relies on integrated network technology that allows information to flow from a pneumatic valve to the office network, including advanced diagnostics at the device, drive, and controller level. GenNext™ intelligent devices evaluate themselves as well as the mechanics to which they are connected and determine if component failure is imminent. The result is intelligent predictive maintenance that alerts if a machine axis is going out of tolerance before it affects production.

GenNext™ for More Productivity
GenNext™ machines are faster and more precise and are unmatched in quality and quantity of output. The open network approach gives the packaging industry more flexibility in choosing best-of-class components, technologies, systems and equipment. With GenNext™, OEMs can choose among pneumatic, hydraulic, or electronic servo actuators for flexibility in the most difficult applications. In addition, GenNext™ integrated safety technology decreases component count and costs while increasing machine uptime by eliminating jams and failures. GenNext™ also includes other productivity enhancements such as the use of hygienic-design and corrosion-resistant components that last longer, require less maintenance, and save time in wash-down situations.

GenNext™ for Greater Ease of Use
GenNext™ machines have a common look and feel across all the controls. This makes training simpler and allows for easier commissioning and maintenance. By taking advantage of intelligent equipment, failed components can easily be identified and replaced.

GenNext™ for Enhanced Connectivity
With GenNext™ technology everything is interoperable across manufacturers so OEMs have the freedom to choose the best technologies or components. End-users benefit because they can work with their best equipment suppliers while still having an entire line of open equipment controlled through an integrated network. GenNext™ uses OMAC packaging tools like the PackML state model, PackTags, PackConnect, PackProfile and PLCopen, so it is less complex and easier to use.

GenNext™ for Reduced Cost
All of the benefits of GenNext™ technology – including more uptime and productivity, ease of use, reduction of training requirements, improved safety, and access to best-in-class components - help reduce operating costs and/or increase production. In addition, greater ease-of-use allows for faster commissioning, less training, and reduced startup time.

GenNext™ technology helps designers, operators and maintenance personnel maximize the capabilities of their packaging machines. Predictive maintenance, smart components, durable equipment, and the use of open standards all combine to produce machines that have more uptime and productivity, are easier to use and connect, cost less to operate, and provide more profitability.

Rexroth is now the first controls supplier in the world to fulfill the requirements of the SERCOS PackProfile for a master device with their VisualMotion 10 control system for packaging machines. The certification was carried out by the ISW in Stuttgart, Germany. As a result, Rexroth is the first supplier to offer intelligent drives as well as a control that satisfies the requirements defined by the OMAC for Packaging Workgroup, an organization driven by international end users such as Proctor & Gamble, Hershey Foods, Master Foods, Kraft Foods, General Mills and Pfizer.

“The certification proves that we not only take the recommendations from OMAC seriously, but that Bosch Rexroth is the only company to implement the results in currently available product”, stresses Walter Ringering, Manager of the Food and Packaging Industry Sector Group for Bosch Rexroth’s Electric Drives and Controls Business Unit.

The SERCOS PackProfile improves the interoperability between devices from diverse manufacturers and includes a subset of the 450 or so parameters and functions of the SERCOS interface. The intelligent drives, as well as VisualMotion 10, fulfill the requirements of the PackProfile “extended” specification, and are certified.

VisualMotion 10 fulfills all the requirements of the OMAC for packaging guidelines with its integrated IEC 61131-3 compliant PLC (IndraLogic), PLCopen compliant motion function blocks, open-interoperable SERCOS and PROFIBUS interfaces, and the PackML state model – scalable across drive-, rack-, or PC-based architectures.

“With this, Rexroth opens the way to the next evolutionary stage of GenNext™ machines that are more dependable, easier to use, smarter and safer” concludes Walter Ringering.

Although there has been substantial technological advancements in the fields of remote diagnostics and remote maintenance for automation technology, the full potential in the fields of machine diagnostics and preventive maintenance have not yet been utilized – until now.

Today’s intelligent drives provide greater capabilities and flexibility for machines and systems than ever before. But decentralized drive intelligence still holds great potential in automation. This is exemplified by Rexroth’s new intelligent drive system, the IndraDrive, which takes predictive maintenance to a whole new level with its intelligent firmware functionality. For the first time in the history of drive technology, Rexroth has implemented an “early warning system” that allows service and maintenance measures to be taken in advance to prevent machine breakdowns. Traditional systems are purely reactive and only permit pre-warnings that are intended to avoid failures to a limited degree. When a failure is detected, it is already too late. The machine has stopped right in the middle of a production run!

The IndraDrive not only monitors itself, it can also independently detect any weak points within the entire system -- even before a fault occurs. If a weak point is detected, a warning or fault is transferred to the master control. These messages can then be displayed to the user -- in 5 different languages. This allows for early detection of mechanical problems and the prevention of faults and errors, resulting in reduced downtime and increased productivity.

Due to the drive’s capability of being freely programmable, the user has the option of customizing the predefined maintenance functions to their own plant-specific and/or machine-specific requirements. This programmability also provides optimum protection of the machine manufacturer’s expertise since the drive supplier does not have to be involved in the design of the maintenance function. This innovative technology allows for smarter, simpler, more dependable and safer machines – all part of GenNext^TM Technology from Bosch Rexroth.

VisualMotion 10’s powerful, Windows-based integrated motion & logic software runs on any standard PC to program the Rexroth PPC, a combined motion and logic controller. Each PPC can provide up to 40 axes of real-time motion control and multi-tasking PLC control.

With decades of motion expertise in the food and packaging industry and general automation, Bosch Rexroth introduces its most powerful, motion-based platform ever – VisualMotion 10. This fully-reusable motion control platform allows OEM’s and end users to retain their initial programming investment, while a newly integrated, IEC 61131-3 compliant, multi-tasking PLC allows for combined motion and logic on a single hardware and software platform. In addition, VisualMotion 10 provides the ability to connect up to 32 PPC controllers together, by means of cross-communication, to provide highly-synchronized motion control for up to 1280 axes.

VisualMotion 10 can handle single-axis positioning, multi-axis Electronic Line Shafting (ELS) synchronization and robotic coordinated path movements. It is specifically designed to meet the requirements of the packaging industry with its ability to perform on-the-fly synchronization and on-the-fly changes between different products and materials on the machine. We have developed a new graphical segmented cam editor for higher resolution. Also offered is 32 channel, high-speed Programmable Limit Switch (PLS) capability, with an update time of 250µs and lead/lag compensation for variable machine speed, for the dispensing of complex glue patterns.

This new platform is now available in either a traditional rack-based or a PC-based (PCI format) design for complete scalable performance. The PC-based solution offers the same real-time performance as the rack-based system due to its embedded co-processor design. Supporting this increase in functionality is a new, higher performance PPC controller with 100 Mbps Ethernet onboard, a removable CompactFlash™ memory card, 16 Mbps SERCOS support and a much faster, higher performance processor. An OPC server offers the ability to easily interface with Rexroth HMIs or any third-party HMI. All the major fieldbuses are available in either fieldbus master or slave configurations.

VisualMotion 10 is an open architecture platform that follows the OMAC for packaging guidelines for SERCOS and Profibus interoperability, IEC 61131-3 programming environment, PackML state model implementation, plus the use of PLCopen motion function blocks.

Rexroth’s new IndraControl VCP series of compact HMIs are available with various hardware options and screen sizes-ranging from low-cost, 4-line (16 character) text-based displays to full-graphic color touchscreens. Flexible, open connectivity is possible via optional interfaces including serial, Ethernet, Profibus, Interbus, and DeviceNet.

Programming is easy with Rexroth’s VI-Composer software. All IndraControl VCP units can easily be connected to Rexroth drives and controls to provide a high value HMI for complete system solutions.

With the new IndraControl VSP series, Rexroth extends their existing line of high-performance industrial PCs.

The new IndraControl VSP series HMIs are a dependable yet cost-effective interface designed to operate in tough environments due to their IP65 protection rating. These powerful, state-of-the-art interfaces offer the right price point to address all packaging applications that require a PC-based HMI solution.

The new VSP series HMIs are available with various hardware options and screen sizes - choose from 12” or 15” TFT color displays in keyed or touchscreen versions. Standard PC technology (Pentium IV) combined with Windows XP operating system provides excellent performance and reliability. Maximize your connectivity with the standard on-board Ethernet (100MHz) and USB interfaces. Additional options include CD-RW and hard-disk shock-mounting. The IndraControl VSP series can also be configured with Rexroth’s PPC-P11, a powerful, integrated motion & logic controller in a PCI card format.

Rexroth Inline I/O

Rexroth’s Inline I/O system is now available with a SERCOS interface to provide single-bus architecture for your entire control system. This single-bus structure provides a cost-effective, open motion/logic solution for packaging machines, without compromising machine speed or flexibility.

Rexroth Inline is a highly-scalable, modular I/O system. The system offers a complete range of digital and analog I/O modules, including block I/O, as well as supply units for connected sensors/actuators. Expansion modules are available to provide additional functionality including counter modules, RTD modules (sensor types Pt, Ni, Cu, and KTY), encoder input modules, and stepper motor output modules. Besides SERCOS, other interfaces are available including PROFIBUS-DP, DeviceNet, and INTERBUS for open interoperability with existing systems.

Rexroth Fieldline I/O

Rexroth Fieldline I/O offers IP67 protection which makes it suitable for washdown, ideal for food processing machines. You can use Rexroth’s compact Fieldline I/O units to bring I/O peripherals close to the sensors and actuators on your machine to reduce wiring costs and installation time. These modules feature diagnostic and status LEDs and provide a direct field connection which eliminates the need for additional T-connectors. Rexroth Fieldline I/O is available with various fieldbus interfaces including PROFIBUS-DP, DeviceNet and INTERBUS. Fieldline modules with 8 inputs, 8 outputs, or a combination module with 4 inputs and 4 outputs are available.

The new sixteen-page color brochure entitled, 'Innovative Processing and Packaging Control Systems', highlights Bosch Rexroth’s innovation, expertise, scalability and global presence in the packaging industry.

Featured in this new brochure is a “Milestones of Innovation” timeline that highlights the technological advancements made by Bosch Rexroth’s Electric Drives and Controls Division since it’s beginning in 1958. This two-page spread exemplifies how Bosch Rexorth’s technological innovations have played a crucial role in enabling Generation I, II and III packaging machine designs as well as their future advancement.

The brochure also features an applications section that details how Bosch Rexroth’s flexible and scalable control solutions can meet the demands of many packaging applications. Specific applications featured include filers, cartoners, baggers, flow wrappers, casepackers and palletizers.