For more energy efficiency and sustainability

Stuttgart, Germany – The energy supply industry is facing enormous challenges – and the list of requirements is long: reduce dependencies, guarantee uninterrupted supply, increase the use of renewable energy, maintain prosperity and economic clout. At this year’s Hannover Messe (May 30 to June 2), industry is discussing concepts and ideas for climate-neutral manufacturing. Industry accounts for some 23 percent of CO₂ emissions. Bosch is developing climate-friendly solutions and also using them in its own plants. Its Homburg site, for example, is piloting the first hydrogen cycle, equipped with Bosch technology. The following is an overview of solutions from the Bosch industrial technology portfolio – either used in the Homburg plant or manufactured on-site.

Smart energy management for more efficiency

In more than 120 plants, Bosch uses a cloud-based software solution to manage energy demand and consumption. This Energy Platform collects and analyzes energy data from various measuring points on connected machinery. It analyzes the consumption of heat, electricity, and compressed air and presents this information clearly, allowing intelligent algorithms to detect load peaks in consumption patterns and initiate corrective measures. Monitoring this energy data also allows conclusions to be drawn about the wear and tear of machine parts. If a threshold is exceeded, the Energy Platform activates a signal that triggers the maintenance process. In its own plants, Bosch now uses this smart solution to monitor energy consumption at more than 90,000 data points. In Bosch’s Industry 4.0 lead plant in Homburg, more than 10,000 data points are connected via the platform. The plant was able to reduce its CO₂ emissions by 12 percent just in the first two years.

A digital brain for the factory of the future

Industry 4.0 offers ways of making manufacturing climate-friendly. Bosch Connected Industry’s Nexeed software controls the production process and improves efficiency in the use of raw materials and other supplies. It can detect and eliminate the causes of rejects at an early stage, thus conserving resources. It permits predictive maintenance, retrofitting, and optimization for machinery and equipment, keeping it operational for longer and reducing the quantity of raw materials used in the production of new hardware. This Industry 4.0 software makes factories up to 25 percent more productive, boosts machine availability by up to 15 percent, and reduces maintenance costs by as much as 25 percent. Nexeed is now being put through its paces in more than half of Bosch’s roughly 240 plants and at more than 100 international customers.

Drive technology for hydrogen compression

Bosch Rexroth and Maximator Hydrogen have together developed a scalable solution for the efficient compression of hydrogen: Max Compression 2.0. In the future, this will allow vehicles to be filled directly with compressed hydrogen, meaning that intermediate storage will no longer be absolutely essential. As the system they developed for automatic seal replacement greatly reduces life-cycle costs, the economic efficiency of hydrogen filling stations is increased. The solution’s modular design offers operators flexibility and grows with demand. It is currently available as scalable drive units from 75 to 250 kilowatts. Bosch Rexroth supplies key components of the complete solution: an electrohydraulic drive for demand-based output control, two customized drive cylinder units, and the power electronics and digital control technology, including software.

Manufacturing and testing technology for fuel cells

Bosch Manufacturing Solutions, the company’s special-purpose machinery unit, is focusing on the ecological transformation of industry and mobility. It offers advanced assembly and automation solutions as well as process and testing technologies. The portfolio also includes manufacturing equipment and testing technology for batteries and fuel cells. Its subsidiary Moehwald, based in Homburg, Germany, develops test benches for fuel cells tailored to the individual requirements of automakers and suppliers, customers from the aviation industry, as well as systems manufacturers in energy technology. During testing of the stacks and systems, natural conditions are simulated: gas composition, temperature, pressure, and humidity correspond to real conditions in vehicles. Moehwald began looking into this technology in 2017. Now the company generates over 50 percent of its sales with test technology for fuel cells. Moehwald’s next move is to expand its portfolio to include factory equipment for the manufacturing of modules for electrolyzers and the associated testing technology.

Distributed power generation using stationary fuel-cell systems

In the future, Bosch stationary solid-oxide fuel cells will be used for distributed power generation on-site in buildings, urban neighborhoods, factories, trade and commerce, and data centers. Depending on energy requirements, several plants can be interconnected to form a virtual power plant. This balances out fluctuations in the power mix with renewables – an ideal solution for the energy system of the future. With an overall efficiency of more than 85 percent, this will make it possible to supply power as and where it is required. A pilot plant in Homburg is producing electricity for manufacturing operations. Any additional heat generated will heat factory buildings in the future. The stationary fuel-cell systems are H₂-ready and can run on hydrogen. Bosch estimates that the market for distributed power generation will reach a volume of 20 billion euros by 2030. By the start of large-scale production, which is planned for 2024, Bosch will have invested some 500 million euros in the development and pre-commercialization of stationary fuel-cell systems.