
Related to the Bosch Workforce since 1991, Karsten Mueller is lately Govt VP, Head of Production Technique and High quality, Head of Production Operations – Powertrain Answers India. Starting his profession as a junior control programme member at Bosch’s Hildesheim plant in Germany, he has labored in numerous control positions, principally in production, high quality, protection, challenge control and company purposes.
How is automation converting India’s production panorama?
We need to glance into the other levels of the commercial revolution, from mass manufacturing to automation and digitisation. I feel that is an evolution we’ve observed all over. Every of those is a turning level and in addition depends upon the advance of the financial system.
Now, we’re going for a lot automation already as a result of we see that, as a society, we’ve developed and that many trade instances now are sure on automation. This may be on cheap automation; we’re taking a look deeply into this to extend potency and high quality as a result of upper high quality ranges additionally include protected automation. We’re in the midst of automation; after all, we’ve a large number of standardised processes globally, that are additionally in India. However the way in which we perform the machines can also be handbook or automatic. So we will see really extensive automation in India within the subsequent decade or so.
What about digitisation?
Digitisation comes simplest with automation. Handiest complicated applied sciences have connectivity functions, which is able to alternate many stuff. First, it’s organisational potency to seize information that can arrange and steer production. 2nd, finding out extra in regards to the processes and insights into machines ends up in stepped forward upkeep, methods, and approaches. It isn’t imaginable to succeed in a world-class stage with out digitisation, the place apparatus efficiencies might be at 95% of OE ranges.
Are there ache issues in enforcing those applied sciences?
Ache issues are extra in find out how to put into effect it temporarily, sustainably and on a huge base. After all, caring for cyber safety is vital since the extra we attach, the extra the danger is. If anyone hacks, all the production might be down. In order that’s why we’re focussing so much at the zoning of information, zoning and mirroring of servers to be at all times able to provide as a result of our consumers is not going to settle for.
The most important problem is connecting the legacy machines, which is simplest from time to time economically viable. So, we determined to make use of a case-by-case means. In India, the connectivity stage of 70% is affordable at the lately put in machines. It does now not make sense to push past this stage with 40 to 50-year-old mechanical machines, even though upgrading them with sensors and intelligence.

But every other problem is find out how to make the organisation data-driven. Strategically, we additionally wish to to find approaches to extend virtual fluency; we did this via bringing 100% of our buddies right into a virtual fluency programme in order that the folks take into account that there is no possibility to not cross virtual.
The following wave is bringing skilled programmes for information engineers, scientists and engineers from a technical perspective. Additionally, bringing the state of mind of information as an development device into the organisation is a metamorphosis procedure, which takes for much longer than the generation itself.
Are you able to discuss checking out and validating virtual production answers?
We free up the machines with the device itself, validating the product within the procedure. Each time we alter one thing within the device, we need to alternate the processes to make certain that the standard of the phase is maintained. It’s right here that device and {hardware} come in combination. So, we intently track each adjustments with obviously outlined free up processes and our high quality control gadget.
Is Bosch taking a look at additive production?
We now have competence globally for 3-d printing in steel and plastics. Extra attention-grabbing and related is that steel 3-d printing is in two portions – one is bettering the tooling. For instance, if you’ll print the bottom moulds, you’ll cool the mildew and the cavities a lot better. With 3-d printing, we will cross a lot more exact with the grinding procedure and make stronger high quality.
Secondly, we’re taking a look into portions as properly. Our outdated mechanical programs in diesel house have over 1,300 other phase numbers. These days we make a million a yr. Because of the regulation, we need to alternate the average rail. We stay the variance however cross down to just 100,000 or 50,000 a yr. The 3-d printing may well be an answer for a excessive quantity of typecasting portions. We’re making an attempt to print very small volumes at equivalent value issues, particularly for aluminium, even in collection manufacturing.
To what extent has Bosch witnessed productiveness enhancements with new production applied sciences?
It is in regards to the flexibility constructed into the processes. We determine simultaneous engineering processes the place we have a look at the high-quality parts within the product design itself. Changeover time is essential. With previous changeovers according to well-understood design parts, we will building up variance with out dropping efficiency. After all, considering in the course of the pool of price chains is vital. It’s difficult in the case of high-volume castings. Our means is to convey engineering, buying, and production in combination.
Do you employ applied sciences like AR, VR, and 5G-enabled VR, whilst commissioning the machines at other places within the nation?
We use it for coaching on protection and high quality in order that other folks can revel in one thing within the digital rooms. We attempt one thing in designing places of work and check out it in a digital global.
For 5G, we’ve trial runs in certainly one of our vegetation. Within the subsequent couple of years, we will be able to see 5G, particularly for self reliant transportation, which is able to include an intra-logistics steerage gadget according to 5G, and enhanced pace, amongst different benefits.
What’s the next move within the new production programs?
Subsequent is, after all, to roll out the platforms. We nonetheless must do a little homework at the platform in order that all of the entities are at the identical platform, talking the similar analytics language. What we’ve laid out as a technique goes for 100% connectivity, going extra wi-fi, centralised good judgment and computing energy within the cloud as an alternative of getting the whole thing on-site, which comes with excessive price, together with infrastructure.
I’m additionally speaking about fluid or versatile production. Thus far, we’ve lean production and meeting traces hooked up with belts. We will be able to additionally take into accounts new techniques of transportation, like magnetic conveyor programs on which we will flexibly alternate between the operations. These days it’s in series, say operation one, two, 3 and 4 so as, but when we will alternate those operations with standardised cells, we will save a large number of investments and grasp the complexities. Due to this fact, there can at all times be flexibility in converting production orders. It may be some magnetic work-piece service or AGV – Automatic Guided Automobile – connecting production cells.
One different matter nowadays is mounted PLC programming. As we cross ten to fifteen years down the road, it’ll be cyber-physical programs, the place we simplest percentage recipes and the skills of machines. There’s no predetermined coding. This additionally opens a large number of flexibility and decreases investments. We need to assume past, and that is what we do.

Are you on the lookout for magnetic levitation?
There is a generation evolved via Bosch known as Leviathan, a type of magnetic conveyor gadget with 5 axes and transferring with many electric motors. These days it is too pricey, however we’re experimenting with this to create the producing traces for the long run; after all, in India, we’re watching. The tipping level from a price point of view is past, however it’ll come, and we need to take into accounts those programs.
Because you discussed that is very pricey, what can be the good thing about the usage of it?
Within the typical means, duplicating the producing line for operations within the other sequences is vital, because it depends upon the conveyor. Then again, with only a 10% building up in investments, the versatile production line will lend a hand succeed in volumes. We wish to opt for wi-fi connectivity at the energy provide itself, and we also are growing this sort of clever ground house. There are some examples already in ARENA2036 in Stuttgart the place we cross into the producing of the long run. After all, my groups right here also are taking a look at when this may well be an possibility for us.
When will you achieve 100% connectivity?
It’ll be 100% for the brand new investments because it comes with complete connectivity for a platform, and within the background, we’ve Bosch-developed MAS – Production Analytics Machine – according to AI. At the legacy machines, it’ll be as much as 70% since the final 30% is simply too pricey to equip the outdated apparatus.
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