Leading drive and control specialist Bosch Rexroth is launching an intuitive guidance system to help UK manufacturers network their assembly line in preparation for Industry 4.0.
Available in March 2018, the modular system, known as ActiveAssist, operates alongside a production worker to streamline the assembly process and minimise errors. ActiveAssist guides the worker through each assembly stage using clear, visual instructions delivered through a projector, a pick-to-light system highlighting which components are needed, virtual surfaces and data glasses (such as Google Glass).
The system is able to adapt the work station and its instructions to the employee’s preferred language, as well as their pre-determined level of skill. It also provides feedback on every step in real time through the use of 3D cameras and ultrasound. If any errors are discovered, the system will automatically intervene and guide the employee through the correction process.
ActiveAssist is easily integrated into both new and existing assembly processes. It can also adapt quickly to suit the assembly process, due to its open web platform and MES/ERP networking capabilities.
Bosch Rexroth is already using the ActiveAssist platform at its plant in Homburg, Germany, where it has helped to significantly increase the quality of productivity and the efficiency of the plant.
Andrew Minturn, Product Manager at Bosch Rexroth, said: “The ActiveAssist platform is one of many solutions that Bosch Rexroth is both offering to manufacturers and using at its own factories. Like many of Rexroth’s other solutions, ActiveAssist is easily configurable and can be retrofitted to any factory, allowing a variety of assembly tasks to be completed quickly and precisely.
“Industry 4.0 is set to bring radical changes to the manufacturing sector as a whole. Factories are becoming smarter and more streamlined, and manufacturers must act quickly to ensure they don’t get left behind. Solutions such as ActiveAssist will help manufacturers in the UK to remain competitive in the global marketplace by increasing the efficiency and quality of their output.”
ActiveAssist will be available in the UK in March 2018. For more information, please click here
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