Rexroth's view of automation trends: Leading the new trend of automation: freedom and openness for all

· Integrate know-how from all parties through an ecosystem

· Low-code/no-code: Five times faster time to market

· Independence from global supply chains

· Long-term availability

The industrial automation transformation is well underway and will take a big step forward in 2022. There is a growing demand for technological simplicity and flexibility, as well as for reducing dependence on global supply chains. As a result, automation will become more open, and collaboration among all market participants will become increasingly important. Mechanical and plant engineers will benefit from more simplified engineering and lower lock-in, and above all from optimized solutions that help ensure their own competitiveness.

Rexroth's view of automation trends: Leading the new trend of automation: freedom and openness for all

　　Steffen Winkler, Vice President Sales at Bosch Rexroth Automation & Electrification Solutions, explains: "The paradigm shift in industrial automation – from rigid proprietary systems to open, flexible solutions – has already begun, but many changes have only become clear or noticeable this year. (Image source: Bosch Rexroth AG)

Steffen Winkler, Vice President Sales at Bosch Rexroth Automation & Electrification Solutions, explains: "The paradigm shift in industrial automation – from rigid proprietary systems to open, flexible solutions – has already begun, but many changes have only become clear or noticeable this year. He adds: "To reduce reliance on individual vendors, the demand for alternative solutions and open standards is growing substantially. At the same time, all participants are calling for greater openness to co-creation as much as possible. ”

Therefore, a fully open automation toolkit is needed, and the scope of the solution can be expanded with the largest ecosystem of third-party vendors. Then, the knowledge of the various specialized companies is integrated to promote innovation in the field of hardware and software. Not only can users reassemble automation solutions as needed, but they can also develop their own software to help shape the new world.

Steffen Winkler explains: "When it comes to software development, one thing is particularly important: all popular programming languages and tools must be available, and nothing should be dependent on a single vendor's proprietary system. It's the only way to win over the next generation of developers in the industry and reduce reliance on a single automation vendor, especially when it comes to software. ”

Low-code/no-code: Develop five times faster

Industrial automation solutions are increasingly being influenced by software development. It must be possible to come up with solutions faster and easier. Therefore, the evolution to low-code/no-code platforms has become the general trend. With such a platform, people with little or no programming knowledge can easily develop software. The low-code approach marks a paradigm shift in industrial automation: simple applications can be developed up to five times faster with error-free code.

The field of engineering is also undergoing a revolution. After all, engineering tasks are increasingly being performed in a web-based manner. Today, it is almost unaffordable to install and maintain a range of vendor-specific software solutions. To solve this problem, about 70% of the engineering work of automation systems (e.g. ctrlX AUTOMATION) can already be done via the web page, with a target of 100%.

It is open and independent of the global supply chain

In addition to the growing call for technological simplicity and new degrees of freedom, there is a growing call to reduce dependence on global suppliers. Steffen Winkler explains: "The coronavirus pandemic and the difficult procurement situation have clearly revealed the weaknesses exposed by globalisation. Therefore, in 2022, moving away from dependence on a single supplier will become a more obvious trend. More reshoring projects will be carried out, while a multi-sourcing strategy will be implemented again. In many cases, suppliers will have to take these changes. After all, some of them are really not able to fulfill the task of supplying the necessary products at the moment. It is now clear that we can clearly understand the importance of an open automation system that allows third-party vendors of all levels to join and obtain much-needed alternatives in a short period of time. ”

Sustainability and long-term availability

Sustainability will be another major trend. This also applies to solutions in the field of automation. Machines and individual components must be available for a long time and must be easily scalable.

Sustainable production will take into account factors such as zero emissions and resource efficiency, but also economics. With the help of modern automation technology, sustainability will be improved, for example through smart energy supply and distribution, increased system efficiency and secure access to relevant data, which in turn will allow the use of data for analysis.

Rexroth's view of automation trends: Leading the new trend of automation: freedom and openness for all

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