Rexroth’s Open Core Interface lets machine builders create functions without a PLC

Machine builders can gain a competitive edge with new capabilities for high-level language programming and access to the core of the control system

Rexroth’s standard control platforms support the company’s Open Core Interface, which allows the expansion of individual machine functions created with high-level programming languages.

Part of its Open Core Engineering (OCE) framework for PLC automation, Rexroth’s Open Core Interface technology provides a new degree of freedom for mechanical engineering and machine programming. The Open Core Interface allows for high-level language programming with enhanced access to the core of the control system, enabling machine builders to create their own individual functions without the need for additional hardware.

There are often no economical alternatives to standard control systems. As a result, machine manufacturers were previously limited to implementing the same functions available to all other competitors. Rexroth has now done away with this limitation. For the first time machine manufacturers can create individual and real-time machine functions outside of the PLC program with Rexroth’s Open Core Interface technology.

The standard Rexroth control platforms IndraLogic XLC (PLC), IndraMotion MLC (motion-logic) and IndraMotion MTX (CNC) support the direct implementation of individual high-level language programs into the control system. The programs have direct access to the firmware, enabling machine manufacturers to create control algorithms for complex functions and kinematics quickly and independently. The programmers do not require any PLC skills and can use standard high-level languages such as C/C++ instead.

Rexroth also provides machine manufacturers with an extensive library that programmers can use to directly access the control function when developing individual functions. This enables them to directly control axes without writing a single line of a PLC program. Using Open Core Interface is therefore the ideal way to protect the machine manufacturers’ expertise.

Shorter cycle times and higher productivity

This new degree of freedom replaces the additional control hardware previously required for complex process functions such as quality assurance with camera systems, register control for optimized material processing, or decentralized order scheduling at the machine. Previously, machine manufacturers had to perform these process flows–which are programmed in high-level languages–outside of the machine control system on a separate control. The need to communicate between both control systems increased the complexity of the automation architecture and the engineering workload.

Direct processing in the machine control system reduces this complexity and significantly shortens the cycle times. Manufacturers of printing presses, for example, can therefore lower system costs with Rexroth’s Open Core Interface by completely relocating the register control into the Rexroth motion-logic system. This prevents registration errors and increases productivity.

Efficient PLC automation

In addition to the new interface technology, Rexroth’s overall OCE platform includes all the software tools, function tool kits and open standards for efficient PLC automation. The predefined technology functions cover almost all standard tasks and lower engineering costs and effort. Rexroth continuously focuses on open standards as part of this process. For the machine manufacturer, this means the software they create is more future-proof.