Source: Bühler
UZWIL, SWITZERLAND — Bühler and Bosch Connected Devices and Solutions agreed to expand their existing collaboration for increased innovation and market launches, further leveraging the opportunities of the “Internet of Things.” New products from the collaboration are expected for 2017.
The “Internet of Things” is an idea in which everyday objects have network connectivity, allowing them to send and receive data. Contractual proceedings to form a commercial partnership were completed on Aug. 22 at Bühler Networking Days.
“Following our successful R&D partnership, we are pleased to take the next step to form a commercial partnership,” said Johannes Wick, chief executive officer of Grains & Food at Bühler. “We are excited to utilize this partnership to create process solutions and services that improve yield and performance at reduced operating costs for our customers. During the last two years Bühler and Bosch have established a good relationship and met the demanding requirements with first selected applications in grain milling.”
The cooperation provides opportunities to leverage Bosch’s expertise in electronics, sensor technology, and software around the “Internet of Things” for the food processing industry, Bühler said. The two companies have cooperated in a two-year research project to integrate cutting-edge Bosch MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) sensors into food production technology.
The results are very promising: Individual rolls in rotating machines now may be equipped with wireless sensors to measure in real time temperature and vibration during the production process, Bühler said. This allows monitoring and optimization of the end product through better alignment of the rolls. Operators also benefit from predictive maintenance services, reducing down-time and operating costs. First applications from this intensified cooperation will be launched in 2017.
“We are excited to continue and extend our partnership with Bühler, a major industry specialist and leading company in the field of food processing technologies,” said Thorsten Müller, c.e.o. of Bosch Connected Devices and Solutions. ”At Bosch, we combine experience gained from our own manufacturing activities in more than 250 plants with our expertise as a leading provider of electronics, sensors and software for industrial IoT solutions. We are not only optimizing our own worldwide manufacturing base, we are also actively seeking to work with partners like Bühler to build a value creation network beyond company boundaries and turn Industry 4.0 into reality.”
