Bosch Rexroth Rolls out Energy-Saving Products

Bosch Rexrothdemonstrated electromechanical cylinders and ball rails yesterday that coulddramatically cut the energy consumption of motion control systems.

The newproducts, introduced at the Design & ManufacturingMidwest Show, are part of a company initiative targeting energy efficiency.They employ a combination of technologies - including sealing, energy recoveryand energy-on-demand - that enable drives and control systems to makesignificant efficiency gains.

A keyfeature among the new energy-efficient products is a low-friction sealingtechnology that's employed on some of Bosch Rexroth's ball rails. The seals,which reside between the runner block and the rail of the company's Size 25ball rail systems, are said to offer significant energy consumption advantages.

"It's asmall change on one product, but it could make a really big difference if it'simplemented across the board by everyone," said Kevin Gingerich, director ofmarketing services for Bosch Rexroth's Linear Motion and Assembly Technologies."If all rail and block systems sold to manufacturers in one year were outfittedwith these low-friction seals, you could save enough energy to power a city ofabout 250,000 people."

Gingerichsaid that Rexroth's eLineProfiled Rail systems also save energy by using aluminum, instead of steel,on prescribed components within the design. The aluminum enables the system tocut energy consumption because the driven components are lighter.

"By'light-weighting' the components inside the modules, you can achieve solidperformance and save energy at the same time," Gingerich said.

The companyalso demonstrated an electromechanical cylinder that illustrates theenergy-on-demand concept. Known as EMC,the cylinder burns no energy when not in use and can replace hydraulic orpneumatic systems in applications requiring positioning accuracy andrepeatability.

"It has anadvantage over pneumatic and hydraulic systems in that it's electrical,"Gingerich said. "You're not constantly applying power; it uses power only whenit's moving.

Known as4EE (for Energy Efficiency), Bosch Rexroth's new initiative focuses on moresustainable manufacturing systems.