Rexroth Rexroth technology helps DWFritz achieve precise transmission and high productivity

From smartphones to electric vehicles, the need for compact, reliable, and durable batteries is driving many battery manufacturers to ramp up production capacity quickly. But these highly automated battery assembly lines often take months to develop. So, can the speed be accelerated?

Rexroth Rexroth technology helps DWFritz achieve precise transmission and high productivity

　　DWFritz Automation (Wilsonville, OR), a leading global provider of tailor-made precision automation, metrology and inspection solutions for advanced manufacturing, recently delivered a new, flexible, high-throughput, fully automated battery line in record time for a leading North American battery manufacturer.

Chris Povich, the company's vice president of sales, said: "DWFritz thinks in terms of micrometers and milliseconds. Solving our customers' manufacturing challenges requires extremely high operating speeds, advanced material handling, process automation, and very high precision, which are the key capabilities we are able to provide. ”

Due to the complexity of the project and the short available development time, DWFritz was looking for a strategic partner who could provide a wide range of technical expertise in a concurrent engineering environment to quickly iterate on the design and accelerate the implementation of the project. They chose Bosch Rexroth.

Effective collaboration enables delivery in the shortest possible time

Regardless of size or shape parameters, battery manufacturing is a complex, multi-step process that combines different materials together to form the cathode and anode of a battery, which are then combined with conductors into a complete package. Today's batteries are becoming more energy dense and smaller in size. Extremely tight assembly tolerances, higher yields and real-time inspection rates, data acquisition, and communication with machine and plant-level control systems were all key requirements for the solution that DWFritz and Bosch Rexroth needed to build.

According to Povich, several key design and operational requirements led to the decision to work with Bosch Rexroth on the project. "The assembly line had to run at extremely high speeds, and space was a challenge," he says. Although the assembly line was more than 100 feet long, it had to be designed to fit into a very tight space, and the motion platform had to be able to meet the very strong motion control requirements, as there were more than 50 motion axes in a single system. ”

Mukesh Dulani, president of DWFritz, said time was one of the biggest challenges. "In the past, we would work with several different suppliers, but in this case, it took us at least 10 to 15 weeks just to start working with each supplier. We only had 12 weeks of design and engineering time and 8 weeks of procurement time available on this project, so we had to work with a partner like Bosch Rexroth who could provide technical and engineering support to help us succeed. ”

Matthias Aberle, Senior Vice President Manufacturing, Engineering and Factory Automation at Bosch Rexroth North America, believes that for Bosch Rexroth, working with leading machine builders and integrators is a key step in realizing the "factory of the future".

"The challenge for all of us is that customers need better results, and they need more open and innovative systems that transmit real-time machine information from the shop floor to where it can be used more effectively," he said. That's why we're building key partnerships with technology stakeholders like DWFritz to leverage our combined strengths to drive significant change in the automation industry. ”

During the design of a complex multi-technology production line, Bosch Rexroth provided a range of technical and system support for the creation of a new battery production line. These include:

· Multiple conveyor systems for transporting batteries within and between production cells

· Precision linear motion modules used in gantry handling systems

· Aluminium structural frame

· A complete range of state-of-the-art motion control and drive systems, including a system using Bosch Rexroth's groundbreaking new control platform, ctrlX AUTOMATION.

　　The automation system platform ctrlX AUTOMATION and its control platform ctrlX CORE not only contributed to the success of the project.

　　And it enables customers to use the same software and hardware platforms to build the production lines of the future.

"One of our most important goals was to build an open machine control system architecture that would allow the customer's server to query the machine directly and get real-time data," says Dulani. The automation system platform ctrlX AUTOMATION and its control platform ctrlX CORE not only contributed to the success of the project, but also enabled the customer to build the production line of the future using the same software and hardware platform. "ctrlX AUTOMATION includes both hardware and software. With a Linux-based real-time operating system, a continuously open system architecture, and web-based engineering, it enables users to create, add, or share automation functions via an app, or even purchase them from the Bosch Rexroth ctrlX Store, making automation as easy as using a smartphone.

In addition, Bosch Rexroth's controllers can manage third-party field devices through a defined real-time communication platform, support advanced cam drive solutions, and synchronize production modules on the same real-time control clock. The ease of use and openness of ctrlX AUTOMATION was crucial for the team to complete this complex collaborative project within the stipulated timeframe. The platform supports a free choice of programming language and is not limited to proprietary platforms. The web-based system configuration makes the start-up process quick and easy, with no software to install. The fully virtual development environment enables the team to create a "digital twin" of the communication platform between the MES and the automation controller, saving a lot of time.

Dave Hull, Regional Vice President of Bosch Rexroth, said: "The digital twin function provides DWFritz's engineers with a software platform that they can use immediately. Engineers were able to test all the systems months before they got their hands on the hardware, testing how well the systems would work and how they would work with the battery manufacturer's MES system. All of this gives us a first-mover advantage. ”

Rexroth technology enables precise transmission and high productivity

DWFritz built a production cell for the battery production line around its innovative DWFritz flexible platform DFP5000 assembly cell. It is a flexible, modular platform that can customize controllers, servo drives, and feed transmissions for specific processes. According to Martin Bamberger, Senior Engineer at DWFritz, sophisticated kinematic tools are an essential element for a wide range of assembly and inspection tasks performed by composite production cells. "Because the assembly and processing of batteries requires quite high yields, it takes precision components to properly calibrate all the components in the battery to tolerances between 20 and 50 microns," he says.

To give these kinematic tools the required precision and efficacy, they opted for CK compact linear modules from Rexroth. Mike Ziencina, Sales Manager Rexroth, says: "Our modules are very compact, highly precise and repeatable in the range of five microns. "These modules have been combined to develop various kinematic solutions, such as the Cartesian Robotic Pick and Place System, which are integrated into the DFP5000 cell.

The compact IndraDrive Mi motor integrated servo system is another key technical contribution from Bosch Rexroth for the network processing station in the initial production phase of the battery. IndraDrive Mi is a cabinet-less system that combines servo drives and motors individually and can be flexibly connected according to application requirements. This allowed the team to integrate all electrical drive components directly into the machine, saving floor space and installation time.

Due to the speed and complexity of this line, safety is also an important consideration. Bosch Rexroth offers a complete range of state-of-the-art machine safety solutions, including an integrated safety PLC with automatic controller, advanced SafeMotion safety technology built into the servo drive, safe I/O and integrated safe communication support via PROFIsafe.

When it comes to product handling, conveyor systems from Bosch Rexroth are key to the success of the project. To determine which conveying product would be the best fit, the team considered factors such as the size, weight, output speed, and required stopping accuracy of the manufactured product. In the end, Rexroth configured the VarioFlow plus conveyor system as a pallet-based solution, providing the most suitable platform. The VarioLow plus is a flexible, modular plastic chain conveyor system designed for a wide range of applications to move high-volume products horizontally, vertically, around obstacles or in other configurations. Workpiece pallets can be used in combination with VarioFlow plus to carry out product handling tasks in applications where positioning or higher precision is required.

Thanks to the close integration of the assembly cell with the automation components, the VarioFlow plus system allows multiple strokes to be made while still maintaining the position of the pallet on the conveyor system. In addition, with the VarioFlow plus, it is easier to create a recirculation system that returns empty pallets to the starting position and recycles, thus saving valuable floor space. Bosch Rexroth also worked closely with DWFritz to design an open architecture for the production line.

Partnerships in parallel design are key to the future of automation

If the partners are able to work together like DWFritz and Bosch Rexroth, the engineering process and development partnership established in this project (system design, programming, component purchase and integration within tight and overlapping time frames) will become a standardized approach for complex automation projects in the future.

"Bosch Rexroth has been working with our engineering team since the very beginning when we were still working on the technical concept. As soon as we were awarded the project, the teams of the two companies were formed to work together to solve the customer's challenges. For Bosch Rexroth, the success of this project not only laid the foundation for a follow-up project cooperation with DWFritz, but also created a model for realizing the vision of Industry 4.0 in manufacturing.

Dave Hull of Bosch Rexroth said: "The partnership for this project demonstrates the practical and concrete steps that need to be taken to achieve the goal. "We're excited to partner with a company like DWFritz to showcase how we can shorten lead times, help our customers succeed, and deliver solutions that meet their needs now and in the future." ”

Source: Bosch Rexroth

Rexroth Rexroth technology helps DWFritz achieve precise transmission and high productivity

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