We take „Big Data“ and turn it into „Smart Data“

The Internet of Things, Connectivity and Industry 4.0 can no longer be considered hype. IoT is undeniably the trend, which will make the “Factory of the Future” a reality. To realize this, you only have to visit the Hannover Fair this year which takes place at the same time as CeMAT.

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This combined event in itself demonstrates that the trend has also reached intralogistics. It’s not without reason that the motto of this year’s CeMAT is “Logistics 4.0 meets Industry 4.0”. According to the Gartner market research institute, some six billion objects worldwide are already connected. By 2020, this number is expected to exceed 20 billion. Within the same time frame the IoT market will be worth some 250 billion dollars, according to an internal Bosch survey.

It is very important for us to make the benefits of IoT applications crystal clear to our customers.

Having mentioned Big Data, I would like to give an example of its application as Smart Data: The hydraulic travel drive of a forklift truck alone easily provides a data stream of 1 Mbit/s. Apart from the challenge to move this data via CAN-Bus within the vehicle and get it into the cloud without a 5G-network, preferably in real-time, the really important question is: What’s the use of this data? What can I do with it? How can I benefit?

A pretty obvious idea is the use of the data to optimize maintenance. No more fixed intervals, which rarely meet the optimal point in time, but instead on-demand repairs or replacements of components when necessary. Ideally, a well-designed algorithm will be able to draw the right conclusions from this data pool “on its own”.

At Bosch Rexroth, it is a great advantage to us that we can make this process faster and more reliable. This is because of our deep understanding of the individual components, as well as the applications in which they are used.

What some IoT experts refer to as “steel and iron know-how” really is a true asset for us and our customers. It enables us to combine our specific expert knowledge, our vast experience in areas such as mechanics, electronics, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, tribology and diagnostics with the very high degree of IoT competence within Bosch. In addition to this, all the necessary infrastructure and cloud solutions (including top availability and the highest security standards) are already available from Bosch today.

Transforming "Big Data" and turn it into "Smart Data".

It is exactly this combination of expertise in IoT, product and application know-how which adds real value as we take “Big Data” and turn it into “Smart Data”. Our PredictDrivetrain app, for instance, examines the data right at the source to reliably detect anomalies and gradually developing defects. OEMs can then integrate this data-based service from Rexroth into their own software architecture, because we exclusively use open interfaces.

Examples like the Rexroth PredictDrivetrain App or the PredictDiesel App from Bosch show how important this is for the operation of machinery such as forklift trucks; where Smart Servicing and Condition Monitoring are the key focus. Provided one has the “Smart Ideas”, referred to above, the available data can be used in other areas, which might not be so obvious – for instance during production or engineering of mobile working machines. The Rexroth apps Calibrate Hydraulics and NextGen Spec are good examples of this: As data-based services the former reduces the commissioning effort of machines at the assembly line while the latter supports application-oriented design of mechanical components to prevent undersizing or oversizing.

The coming together of Bosch Rexroth and Bosch on the combined CeMAT/Hannover Fair demonstrates clearly the level of our commitment to both the IoT and Connectivity. We embrace the opportunity of connectivity and look beyond the buzz-words and hype to deliver real added value based on our unique expertise and open standards. This is how we create an environment in which the limiting factor is not the technology but – if anything – one’s own creativity.