A year ago, Bosch Rexroth opened up the ctrlS OS operating system to the market. Wago was the first automation provider to take up this offer; it now offers the ctrlX OS operating system on its own devices and develops specific applications. The Edge Controller 400 and the Edge Computer with ctrlX OS will now be launched at the trade fair. "Together with Bosch Rexroth, we want to strengthen and promote ctrlX OS," explains Johannes Pfeffer, Vice President Business Unit Automation at Wago.
Bosch Rexroth has now announced further partnerships with Dell and Nokia. Dell Technologies and Bosch Rexroth are working together to integrate ctrlX OS as a ready-to-use software module for Dell NativeEdge, an edge operations software platform that simplifies edge operations and provides zero-touch implementation and zero-trust capabilities. The solution provides organizations with support for applications and services required to seamlessly operate any asset - across industries, cloud environments and globally distributed locations. To accelerate time to production, Bosch Rexroth and Dell are helping users quickly configure, deploy and scale ctrlX OS in their environments with Dell Validated Designs for Edge.
Nokia is integrating the virtualized ctrlX OS into its Nokia MX Industrial Edge (MXIE) on-premises edge solution. Various applications are operated on this. It also has a private wireless 5G campus network technology. Through this integration, Nokia MXIE users can install ctrlX OS as an application with a click of the mouse to run their business-critical use cases with reduced latency.
Steffen Winkler comments on these two new partnerships: "We are now also making inroads into areas outside of factory automation. We now have partner companies at all levels of the automation pyramid and can therefore exploit all the advantages at technology level."

Kuka moves into the App Store

The increase in partners is also reflected in the App Store. Users can now choose from solutions in 16 main categories and 150 partner use cases from 90 partner companies. In total, over 60 apps can now be used on ctrlX OS devices. The apps from the partner world are available to all operating system users.
There is increasing demand for apps and interfaces in the field of robotics, for example. Seven partner solutions relating to robotics are currently available to download from the ctrlX Store: from simple programming and the integration of cobots and industrial robots to additional software such as planning the optimum palletizing algorithm. In addition to existing partner companies such as Fanuc, Kuka has joined as a further robot brand. There is now a Kuka connection and integration based on the Kuka.PLC mxAutomation interface. This will be used by the company Mairotec in its MAIRobot app and will be shown in an exhibit at the Rexroth stand at the trade fair.
"Bosch Rexroth and Kuka have big plans together and are planning to connect their ecosystems ctrlX World and Robotic Republic. This is another example of suppliers combining their strengths, and co-creation is simply the future," explains Dr. Kristina Wagner, Senior Vice President Automation Software Factory at Kuka.

Bosch Rexroth at the SPS 2023: Hall 7, Stand 450