Resistance Welding

Adaptable Welding Control: Only Pay for What You Need

Web Editorial Team Editor

06/04/2022 4 min

An automotive manufacturer would like to increase resistance spot welding productivity at its site in Germany. It would also like the welding control used to be Industry 4.0-ready. However, everything should continue as before at the subsidiary in India. So, the company just acquires a site-specific license for the required functionality – and will test it out over a limited period of time. The licensing system for the new PRC7000 welding control is what enables the company to do this. As part of this system, customers only pay for what they actually need. As such, Bosch Rexroth is setting new market standards in terms of flexibility, savings and enhanced business models.

These days, automotive manufacturers need flexible and versatile production processes that are able to respond to fast-changing requirements, which in turn require adaptable solutions. As such, Bosch Rexroth’s new PRC7000 welding control is able to meet the needs of modern factories. Firstly, the solution is Industry 4.0-ready on account of the integrated IoT interfaces, AI-capable hardware components and web-based control solutions. Secondly, the systems can be configured in line with actual requirements, meaning that either a full end-to-end solution consisting of software and hardware can be used or just the individual components that are required.

There isn’t a more cost-effective approach out there: software is deployed and paid for as and when required

There isn’t another solution out there on the market that is as flexible and scalable as the PRC7000 welding control. As such, it can be tailored to suit both simple and complex applications. This is thanks to the strictly modular software and hardware concept.

When new requirements on the market suddenly need to be met, customers can easily make any necessary adaptations with software extensions and (re)act at any time, as and when required. And they will only pay for the software that they need as Bosch Rexroth has adopted the “only pay for what you need” approach for the PRC7000. As a result, no one will pay for any (often) unused functions or underutilized software.

There are currently 15 licenses to choose from. There is strong demand, for example, for functionalities designed to increase productivity and meet Industry 4.0 requirements, such as the IoT Connector.

There isn’t a more personalized approach out there: customization at its best

However, there is much more to the PRC7000’s licensing system than is commonly understood by “only pay for what you need”. The impressive benefits become apparent when you drill down into the detail.

Licenses can, for example, be time-limited and restricted to a particular unit. As such, functionalities can be tested out across the board or just for individual controls over a specific period of time.

Project and site-specific licenses are also possible. This means that a company can acquire a license just for a particular site where the functionality will provide the greatest benefit.

The licensing system provides mechanical engineers with even more impressive added value. On the basis of the Bosch Rexroth welding solution already available on the market, they have the opportunity to generate additional high-margin revenue. As such, based on specific requirements, they can present attractive software offers designed to optimize customers’ systems and ensure that they are always cutting-edge.

Users will also benefit from continuous improvements. Bosch Rexroth will regularly upgrade the PRC7000 with new functionalities that can be licensed at any time, as and when required. If a piece of software is acquired for the PRC7000 but is not required immediately, there is the option to simply license it subsequently at a later time of the user’s choosing via an upgrade using a license code. This unique selling point sets Bosch Rexroth apart from the competition.

In short: in order to ensure that the resistance spot welding product range is always ready for whatever the future holds, Bosch Rexroth continuously scrutinizes the current state of its solutions and integrates new functions into the portfolio. The modular software concept means that users can install extensions at any time, obtain licenses as and when required and hence respond swiftly to market changes – and all as flexibly as necessary and as cost-effectively as possible.

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