Many experts are convinced that only the outer walls will be fixed in the factory building of tomorrow. Instead of rigid production lines, machines and systems will move freely and communicate with each other in the IIoT to continuously improve production processes. And intelligent networks will take the place of central control mechanisms.

An important prerequisite for implementing this vision is a decentralized supply and data infrastructure. With the intelligent floor, Bosch Rexroth has developed a corresponding system consisting of panels measuring one square meter, each with its own control system. Weidmüller laid twelve square meters of these at its own stand at this year's SPS. The reason for this: The components and solutions from the Detmold-based company ensure both the decentralized and at the same time modular supply and automation of the individual panels as well as the contactless transmission to the consumers on the floor. As Christian Deppermann, Key Account Manager at Weidmüller, explains, the system is designed as a raised floor: "This not only provides space for the cabling of the control units, but also for the supply of cooling water, compressed air or lubricants."

In concrete terms, production in the factory of the future looks like this: A higher-level system in the production hall or in the cloud evaluates the upcoming order batches. It then moves and places the devices and machines accordingly. Ad hoc changes to logistics routes are also possible. The changing work zones are marked by light strips so that operators and vehicles can always move safely through the factory.

Rexroth has implemented the necessary modular and decentralized plug-and-play provision of the required 400-volt supply and 24-volt control voltage on the basis of Weidmüller's FieldPower concept. This also brings intelligence to the floor: In addition to the control and network technology, load cells and a nutrition sensor system are also integrated into the decentralized functional units.

When devices, machines or automated guided vehicles (AGVs) move on the floor, they are supplied with power and data via contactless transmission units. According to Deppermann, the key advantages of this are: "Firstly, the consumers no longer have to be in a fixed location where their supply is guaranteed. Instead, they can be arranged flexibly or move themselves. Secondly, contactless energy transmission prevents expensive production downtimes caused by wear and tear on devices. This is because defective contacts are often the reason for time-consuming repairs." With the FreeCon contactless system from Weidmüller, up to 240 watts are transmitted via a 5 mm air gap. This ensures a particularly high power density compared to similar solutions on the market with an efficiency of up to 93%.

According to Deppermann, it is also possible to initially introduce the intelligent floor in partial areas of a production facility: "If the entire room does not require contactless energy transmission, tiles without functions are laid in peripheral areas or on defined paths. This enables the user to gradually switch to flexible production concepts and thus reduce investment costs. Together with Bosch Rexroth, we are now working on making the intelligent floor ready for series production.