Bosch Rexroth, a global leader in drive and control technologies, is set to unveil its latest advancements in factory automation solutions at Automate 2026, scheduled to take place in Chicago. The company will occupy Booth #2810, showcasing a comprehensive portfolio designed to meet the escalating demands of modern manufacturing as industries worldwide continue their accelerated adoption of automation technologies across diverse production environments. This significant presence underscores Bosch Rexroth’s strategic commitment to innovation and its pivotal role in shaping the future of industrial automation.
Automate 2026: A Nexus for Industrial Innovation
Automate, North America’s largest automation show, serves as a critical platform for industry leaders, innovators, and end-users to converge, explore cutting-edge technologies, and discuss the future trajectory of manufacturing. Held biennially, the event consistently draws tens of thousands of attendees, including engineers, integrators, and executives, eager to witness the latest in robotics, artificial intelligence, vision systems, motion control, and related automation solutions. Automate 2026 is anticipated to be particularly significant, building on the momentum of previous successful editions, reflecting a period of profound transformation within the global industrial landscape. The exhibition floor becomes a vibrant marketplace of ideas, demonstrations, and strategic partnerships, driving forward the adoption of technologies crucial for enhancing productivity, quality, and competitiveness. The event’s consistent growth mirrors the increasing global investment in automation, projected to reach unprecedented levels in the coming years, with market analyses often forecasting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) well into double digits for segments like industrial robotics and automation software through the late 2020s.
Bosch Rexroth’s Strategic Vision at Automate
Bosch Rexroth’s exhibit at Automate 2026 is meticulously designed to provide an immersive experience, featuring a blend of automation components, advanced digital engineering tools, interactive displays, and dynamic live system demonstrations. The company’s presence is strategically aligned with the overarching industry shift towards intelligent, connected, and flexible manufacturing systems, often referred to as Industry 4.0. By showcasing solutions that span various critical aspects of factory automation, Bosch Rexroth aims to demonstrate how its integrated offerings can empower manufacturers to overcome contemporary challenges, from labor shortages and supply chain disruptions to the demand for greater customization and sustainability. A spokesperson for Bosch Rexroth emphasized the company’s dedication to "delivering innovative solutions that not only optimize current production processes but also lay the groundwork for the agile and resilient factories of tomorrow."
Revolutionizing Material Flow: Advanced Conveyance Systems
A cornerstone of Bosch Rexroth’s display will be its advanced conveyance systems, illustrating their versatility and robust performance across a myriad of industries and applications. The highlight will include the TS 7plus and TS 2plus conveyor systems. The TS 7plus is engineered for heavy-duty applications, capable of transporting substantial payloads of up to 3,000 kg (approximately 6,600 lbs), making it ideal for the automotive industry, white goods manufacturing, and other sectors requiring the movement of large, heavy components. Its design emphasizes durability, reliability, and modularity, allowing for flexible configuration and easy integration into existing production lines. The TS 2plus, while designed for lighter loads, maintains the same principles of efficiency and adaptability, catering to a broader spectrum of manufacturing needs, including electronics assembly and medical device production.
Both the TS 2plus and TS 7plus systems are built upon Bosch Rexroth’s renowned aluminum framing system, a testament to decades of engineering excellence. The company has been supplying this foundational technology for over 40 years, establishing a legacy of robust, lightweight, and highly configurable structural solutions. This extensive heritage underscores the reliability and proven performance of their conveyance offerings. The aluminum framing system’s modular nature facilitates rapid design, assembly, and modification, providing manufacturers with unparalleled flexibility to adapt their production lines to changing demands. This modularity not only reduces installation time but also minimizes the total cost of ownership, offering significant operational advantages in today’s fast-paced manufacturing environment. The integration of smart sensors and control elements into these conveyance systems further enhances their functionality, enabling real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and optimized material flow, which are crucial for achieving lean manufacturing objectives.
The Future of Control: ctrlX AUTOMATION Platform
Visitors to Booth #2810 will be treated to an in-depth exploration of Bosch Rexroth’s groundbreaking ctrlX AUTOMATION products. This platform represents a paradigm shift in industrial control, characterized by its open, modular, and app-based architecture. A particularly compelling demonstration will feature a "cabinet-free" display of ctrlX DRIVE, showcasing how modern automation components can be seamlessly integrated directly into machinery, drastically reducing the footprint and complexity traditionally associated with control cabinets. This innovative approach not only saves valuable floor space but also simplifies wiring, enhances thermal management, and improves overall system reliability.
Central to the ctrlX AUTOMATION ecosystem is the ctrlX CORE controller, lauded for its exceptional processing power and versatility. The ctrlX CORE acts as the central nervous system for automation tasks, capable of handling a wide range of applications from motion control to complex data processing. Its open Linux-based operating system, ctrlX OS, is a key differentiator, enabling an app-based approach to automation. This allows users to flexibly add functionalities through applications developed by Bosch Rexroth, partner companies, or even their own teams, akin to how a smartphone operates. This modularity fosters unparalleled agility, allowing manufacturers to tailor their automation solutions precisely to their needs and easily upgrade or expand functionalities as requirements evolve.
The demonstration will also highlight the ctrlX FLOW HS smart conveyance system, an integral part of the ctrlX AUTOMATION suite, which exemplifies the seamless integration of intelligent control with material handling. This system offers high-speed, precise product movement, leveraging the power of ctrlX CORE for optimized flow and synchronization. Furthermore, the exhibit will vividly illustrate how ctrlX OS, combined with edge hardware supporting AI acceleration, can connect advanced robotics and AI-based vision systems. This capability is vital for applications requiring intricate object recognition, quality inspection, and adaptive robot control, paving the way for more autonomous and intelligent production processes. The app-based ecosystem facilitates rapid deployment of machine learning algorithms for predictive analytics, anomaly detection, and process optimization, further enhancing the capabilities of smart factories.
Precision and Performance: Linear Motion Technology
Bosch Rexroth’s expertise in linear motion technology will be prominently displayed through an interactive hologram. This innovative presentation method will allow visitors to virtually explore the company’s extensive range of linear motion components, including precision screws, high-performance bearings, and versatile linear modules. These components are fundamental to countless industrial applications, providing the precise and reliable movement essential for tasks such as positioning, assembly, and material handling in various manufacturing processes. The interactive hologram will enable a detailed examination of their design, functionality, and diverse applications, highlighting the engineering prowess behind these critical machine elements.
Beyond the virtual experience, the booth will feature a tangible demonstration: a Cartesian robot. This multi-axis robot, constructed using Bosch Rexroth’s linear components, will showcase highly accurate and repeatable movements, typical in pick-and-place operations, dispensing, and automated assembly. Accompanying this will be a Smart Function Kit for Pressing demonstration. This kit exemplifies how Bosch Rexroth components can be integrated into a complete, pre-engineered solution for automated pressing applications. Such kits significantly reduce engineering effort and commissioning time, offering a standardized yet flexible approach to common manufacturing tasks. The demonstration will illustrate the precise force control and positional accuracy achievable, critical for applications in automotive manufacturing, electronics assembly, and general mechanical engineering where consistent pressing quality is paramount. These solutions contribute directly to higher product quality, reduced waste, and improved operational safety by automating tasks that would otherwise be repetitive or hazardous for human operators.
Digital Engineering and Interactive Learning
The Bosch Rexroth exhibit will also feature a touch table prominently positioned at the center of the booth. This interactive display will serve as a digital factory automation showroom, allowing visitors to delve deeper into Bosch Rexroth’s extensive automation offerings. Through intuitive navigation, users can explore product specifications, view application examples, and understand the benefits of integrated solutions. This digital tool complements the physical demonstrations, offering a personalized learning experience and enabling attendees to quickly access information relevant to their specific industrial challenges.
Moreover, the company’s commitment to digital transformation extends beyond interactive displays. Bosch Rexroth’s digital engineering tools, though briefly mentioned, are crucial for modern manufacturing. These tools encompass software for simulation, virtual commissioning, and digital twin creation. By leveraging digital twins, manufacturers can create virtual replicas of their production lines, test new configurations, optimize processes, and predict performance before any physical changes are made. This approach significantly reduces development cycles, mitigates risks, and enhances the efficiency of system integration, representing a critical step towards realizing fully digitized and optimized smart factories.
Emphasis on Operational Efficiency and Safety
Throughout the show, Bosch Rexroth specialists will be readily available to engage with visitors and discuss tailored factory automation strategies. A core focus of these discussions will be on approaches that prioritize operational efficiency and enhance safety within manufacturing environments. Bosch Rexroth’s solutions are engineered not only to boost productivity and reduce operational costs but also to integrate advanced safety features. For instance, the precision and repeatability of their linear motion systems minimize errors that could lead to accidents, while the open architecture of ctrlX AUTOMATION facilitates the integration of safety controllers and monitoring systems in compliance with international standards. The robust design of conveyance systems ensures secure material handling, reducing the risk of manual lifting injuries. By automating hazardous or ergonomically challenging tasks, Bosch Rexroth’s technologies directly contribute to creating safer workplaces and improving employee well-being, aligning with global trends towards responsible and sustainable manufacturing practices.
Synergy with Collaborative Robotics: Kassow Robots
Further enhancing Bosch Rexroth’s comprehensive automation showcase, visitors will also have the opportunity to explore the offerings of its subsidiary, Kassow Robots, located at Booth #2036. Kassow Robots specializes in the development and manufacturing of 7-axis collaborative robots (cobots). The presence of Kassow Robots highlights the synergistic relationship between traditional industrial automation components and the burgeoning field of collaborative robotics. Cobots are designed to work safely alongside human operators without the need for extensive safety caging, making them ideal for flexible automation tasks, especially in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Their 7-axis design provides exceptional flexibility and reach, allowing them to perform intricate tasks in confined spaces, thus expanding the scope of automation to areas previously considered too complex or costly for traditional industrial robots. The integration of Kassow cobots with Bosch Rexroth’s ctrlX AUTOMATION platform, for example, allows for seamless control and coordination, creating highly adaptable and efficient human-robot collaboration scenarios in smart factories.
Broader Impact and Future Outlook
Bosch Rexroth’s robust presence at Automate 2026 underscores the profound transformation underway in industrial manufacturing. The technologies on display are not merely incremental improvements but represent foundational shifts towards more intelligent, flexible, and sustainable production systems. The widespread adoption of solutions like ctrlX AUTOMATION, advanced conveyance, and precision linear motion is critical for manufacturers seeking to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving global market. These innovations enable higher levels of customization, reduce time-to-market for new products, optimize resource utilization, and significantly enhance overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
The implications extend beyond the factory floor, influencing workforce development, supply chain resilience, and economic growth. As automation becomes more sophisticated, there is an increasing demand for skilled workers capable of operating, programming, and maintaining these advanced systems, fostering new career opportunities. The ability to quickly reconfigure production lines using modular automation components also provides manufacturers with greater resilience against unforeseen disruptions, a lesson powerfully underscored by recent global events. By investing in these forward-looking solutions, industries are not just upgrading their machinery; they are investing in a future where manufacturing is more agile, efficient, and capable of addressing the complex challenges of the 21st century. Bosch Rexroth, through its comprehensive and integrated offerings, is poised to continue leading this charge, empowering industries to achieve unprecedented levels of productivity and innovation.
For more detailed information on Bosch Rexroth’s showcase and offerings at Automate 2026, interested parties are encouraged to visit boschrexroth-us.com/automate.
