By using an advanced control system at its Blaichach plant, Bosch has aligned production with rapid advances in the automotive industry. Bosch explains how the software’s open architecture supports its crucial manufacturing hub.
The industrial control system ctrlX CORE from Bosch Rexroth has proven to support the automated production of active driving safety products – at Bosch’s Blaichach site, all assembly cells as well as the Flexible Transport System (FTS) are equipped with it. Due to the open system architecture, ctrlX CORE enables seamless communication between stations, machines and the factory network, which allows more room for manoeuver and greater efficiency.
The Bosch Blaichach plant, located in Immenstadt and Blaichach, Germany, is a significant manufacturing hub for Bosch, specialising in advanced automotive technology. This site produces critical high-tech systems focused on enhancing vehicle safety and supporting the transition to more sustainable forms of transportation, especially for electric vehicles. Key products include active driving safety systems such as Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) and Electronic Stability Programs (ESP), which help improve control and stability for drivers. Additionally, the plant manufactures brake boosters specifically designed for electric vehicles, which help in reducing braking distances while enhancing vehicle performance and efficiency. Bosch also produces sophisticated camera systems at this facility, used in Advanced Driver-assistance Systems (ADAS) to enhance road safety through improved vision and object recognition.
With over 60 years of history, the Blaichach plant has grown into a comprehensive site, integrating various technical and commercial operations. The facility is not only a manufacturing site but also a centre for research, training and development. Coordinating ABS and ESP production across eleven Bosch facilities globally, it serves as a model for best practices and process improvements in production, reinforcing the importance in driving forward Bosch’s automotive safety technology and innovations.
Controls needed for close cycle timing coordination
The automotive industry is undergoing a period of rapid and transformative change, driven by technological advances, evolving consumer demands, and the global shift toward sustainable and autonomous mobility. The increasing adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs), advancements in autonomous driving and stricter regulatory requirements for emissions and safety are putting pressure on automotive manufacturers to adapt quickly. This dynamic environment demands that production processes are not only efficient but also adaptable, scalable, and resilient. To stay competitive, manufacturers must be able to produce high-quality products at a fast pace, implement new technologies seamlessly, and ensure production continuity even as models and requirements evolve.
In this context, communication between machines, plants and systems becomes essential. This connectivity allows for real-time data exchange and decision-making across the entire production process, from supply chain and assembly lines to final quality checks. Effective machine-to-machine and system-to-system communication enables seamless coordination of processes, optimised resource utilisation, and rapid response to any disruptions. For instance, if one station in the assembly line detects a fault, it can immediately communicate with the next station to halt production or reroute operations, preventing a cascade of inefficiencies and waste.
At Bosch Blaichach, these capabilities are vital, especially in the automated production of safety-critical automotive components such as chassis systems, active driving safety products, and personal safety equipment. To meet the demands of closely synchronised and precise manufacturing, Bosch relies on advanced industrial control systems that ensure smooth process control and operation of the FTS; this plays a key role in moving parts between stations with minimal delays, supporting just-in-time production while adapting to various product specifications.
These control systems and communication networks allow Bosch Blaichach to achieve tightly timed coordination across stations, enabling automated, flexible, and highly efficient production. They support predictive maintenance by monitoring equipment health and process performance, which reduces downtime and enhances Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE). Through such sophisticated control and coordination, Bosch can consistently meet the high standards required in the production of critical automotive safety components, remaining agile and competitive in an industry that is constantly evolving.
Niels Wefers, Head of the Special Engineering department in Blaichach, explains: “In production, individual process stations are linked together to form one assembly line. Step-by-step, they produce, among other things, modules for brake controls for ABS and ESP safety systems in vehicles. The controls used for this purpose required adaptation because we needed better performance and a better ability to communicate.”
The answer: open system architecture
The long-standing cooperation already in place with Bosch Rexroth in the hardware area has been extended to include software options of the control system ctrlX CORE from the automation system ctrlX AUTOMATION. The control replaces an older generation of industrial PCs and uses modern technologies such as EtherCAT master, PLC licenses and Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture extensions.
“We were impressed by the open system architecture of ctrlX AUTOMATION, which is reflected in the ctrlX Data Layer and in open interfaces. This opens numerous communication opportunities for connectivity. In addition, the solution measures up to our planned concept for data storage and data interfaces, for example regarding MES. Everything comes from a single source now, from sensors to the cloud,” says Niels Wefers.
Advantages of ctrlX AUTOMATION come to fruition
With the use of ctrlX CORE, the plant in Blaichach takes advantage of the benefits of the operating system ctrlX OS and the ecosystem. While the previous industrial PCs were based on Windows 7, ctrlX CORE relies on Linux, meaning openness, extensibility and “secure by design”. The specially developed operating system ctrlX OS running on the control aims to achieve complete hardware independence.
“We’re impressed by the broad scope for action offered by ctrlX CORE with its associated app technology. This enables us to realise a wide range of applications, from simple process controls to highly automated assembly lines. So, we can always adapt the solution to our needs,” explains Niels Wefers.
The control system also increases the efficiency of the processes and offers greater scalability as well as cycle time advantages – in the ultra-short-term range, for example, by 10 percent. Cycle times of 1 second are also possible.
The significantly higher processing speed leads to greater availability of data and offers the ability to process more data. Overall, the control can be used consistently for the requirements of the future.
