Higher productivity with faster product changeover and increased energy efficiency. The demands users place on plastics processing machines become increasingly exacting. High competitive pressure and the greater innovation pace of the market force manufacturers of plastics machines to break the mold to shorten their time to market and put new concepts more swiftly into reality. In this regard they increasingly rely on systems partnerships with Bosch Rexroth - like other industrial sectors, too. This offers them decisive opportunities to simplify the entire engineering process and manage it in a more target-oriented manner.

Here, the triad of simulation, competent advice in the field of automation and ready-to-install system solutions offers the greatest potential. Machine builders increasingly rely on the use of advanced simulation technology to optimize their concepts as early as at the concept stage. Simulation programs specifically developed by Rexroth are based on operating data of many ten thousands of applications with electromechanical and electrohydraulic drive solutions. They provide machine manufacturers with realistic and detailed information on dynamics and energy consumption. Thanks to profound application-related advisory service, resource efficiency can be optimized along the entire process chain beyond structural and system analyses. It must be underlined here that Rexroth stands for technological neutrality and the free combinability of hydraulic and electric drive solutions.

This freedom meets exactly the market requirements for higher energy efficiency and, at the same time, increased productivity. At present, drive concepts are in the center of attention, with which machine manufacturers can freely combine electromechanical, hydraulic or electrohydraulic drives for hybrid machine concepts with each other with a minimum of design adjustments. This is simplified by new developments such as the autarkic axes from Rexroth. They largely eliminate the separation between electromechanical, hydraulic and electrohydraulic drives in design, installation and commissioning. In the electrohydraulic variant, these autarkic axes are equipped with their own, minimal oil circuit. They therefore need no connection to a separate hydraulic power unit, including piping to the tank. Manufacturers merely have to commission the compact, autarkic axes electrically. The small and medium power range is covered by electromechanical lifting cylinders with precision ball screw assemblies and planetary screw assemblies as well as powerful servo-motors. Autarkic axes open up a new world for machine concepts. Rexroth can therefore offer significant saving potentials through system partnerships across technologies.