Bosch Rexroth Expands Industrial Ecosystem with New Partnerships
Key Highlights
- Bosch Rexroth and Advantech launched a turnkey industrial edge platform that combines ctrlX OS with Advantech’s modular IPC hardware, enabling customization, security and faster time to market for IoT and edge applications.
- ctrlX World continues its expansion with SEW-Eurodrive, Emerson and Schmersal adding new capabilities in digital drive control, pneumatics, servo-electric handling and integrated machine safety.
- The collaboration among these partners illustrates a growing trend toward broader interoperability, as more vendors align their hardware and software with shared edge and operating system standards.
If there’s anything the advance of Internet of Things connectedness and digital transformation has brought to industry beyond an array of new technologies, it’s the realization that no one company can provide it all. This reality underscores the growth of strategic partnerships we’ve seen take place across industry over the past decade.
Despite the proliferation of such partnerships, there’s still room for more activity on this front, as can be seen in Bosch Rexroth’s expansion of its ctrlX ecosystem, anchored by a major new partnership with Advantech and complemented by recent collaborations with SEW-Eurodrive, Emerson and Schmersal.
Together, these partnerships significantly broaden the hardware and software landscape available to manufacturers adopting Bosch Rexroth’s Linux-based operating system, ctrlX OS, and the broader ctrlX Automation platform.
A turnkey edge platform for industrial IoT
The newly announced collaboration between Bosch Rexroth and Advantech represents a step toward simplifying and accelerating industrial edge deployment. In this case, the two companies have combined Advantech’s modular hardware portfolio with Bosch Rexroth’s open, app-based ctrlX OS to deliver a ready-to-use industrial platform.
Through its Aventics brand, Emerson adds its IIoT-enabled pneumatics to the ctrlX OS ecosystem. Its modular AV valve system can now be connected to ctrlX OS for detailed diagnostics, intelligent I/O use and valve function control.
In the first step of this collaboration, Advantech’s Uno-series edge IPCs will ship with the Linux-based ctrlX OS pre-installed, along with apps from the ctrlX OS Store such as firewall functionality, Node-RED, InfluxDB and IoT Dashboard.
The companies note that “the app modules and hardware modules allow customers to configure IoT gateways quickly and easily” and that this turnkey platform supports rapid customization. For example, users can take standardized Advantech hardware and apply ctrlX OS apps to tailor applications ranging from simple gateways to edge AI and advanced control applications.
Bosch Rexroth noted that its ctrlX OS Store of apps enables layering of industry-specific features such as database connectors, IIoT protocols and visualization tools.
Both Advantech and Bosch Rexroth noted the centrality of security to their partnership. Bosch Rexroth highlighted that ctrlX OS is secure-by-design, CRA-ready and certified to IEC 62443-4-2 Security Level 2 by TÜV Rheinland, ensuring that the combined system meets stringent industrial cybersecurity requirements. Advantech supports end-to-end deployments that enable data streams from the edge into cloud services with its WISE (Wireless IoT Smart Endpoint) Marketplace.
New partners in the ctrlX World ecosystem
The partnership with Advantech is part of Bosch Rexroth’s strategy to expand ctrlX World, its network of hardware, software and app providers contributing to ctrlX Automation and ctrlX OS. New partners SEW-Eurodrive, Emerson and Schmersal further extend the ecosystem into drive technology, pneumatics and machine safety.
The upcoming app will enable control of SEW-Eurodrive drives using the CiA 402 profile via a modern front end. Users will be able to centrally address and diagnose multiple drives through any hardware running ctrlX OS.
For SEW-Eurodrive, its frequency converters and gear motors have been added to the ctrlX OS ecosystem. The addition of more SEW-Eurodrive drives and a dedicated ctrlX OS Store app are planned.
The upcoming app will enable control of SEW-Eurodrive drives using the CiA 402 profile via a modern front end. Users will be able to centrally address and diagnose multiple drives through any hardware running ctrlX OS.
Through its Aventics brand, Emerson adds its IIoT-enabled pneumatics to the ctrlX OS ecosystem. Its modular AV valve system can now be connected to ctrlX OS for detailed diagnostics, intelligent I/O use and valve function control.
Emerson also plans to integrate its Aventics servo-electric handling systems for precise movement control and advanced diagnostics within ctrlX OS environments.
Bosch Rexroth noted that Schmersal is the first pure safety technology provider in its partner network. Schmersal’s Safety Fieldbox allows decentralized connection of up to eight safety devices, from sensors and light curtains to emergency stops, via pre-assembled 8-pin M12 connectors.
The Safety Fieldbox communicates with ctrlX Safety via Safety over EtherCAT (FSoE) and connects to ctrlX OS devices through the new Safety PLC app.
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About the Author
David Greenfield, editor in chief
Editor in Chief
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