New Industrial PC Range for Industry 4.0 Applications & Harsh Operating Environments

IndraControl VPB40.4 set to become a key element of Industry 4.0 applications

Leading drive and control specialist Bosch Rexroth has launched a new range of industrial PCs (IPCs) aimed specifically at Industry 4.0 applications and harsh operating environments.

Fitted with enhanced processors and offering a multitude of expansion options, the IndraControl VPB40.4 has been designed to withstand high demands on computing power created by the control and regulation of complex processes and systems.

Paul Streatfield, Product Manager of Bosch Rexroth explained: “Intensifying demands on manufacturing system performance and the growing adoption of Industry 4.0, with its requirements for maximised automation and connectivity, have placed the spotlight firmly on the role of IPCs.

“The new IndraControl VPB40.4 IPC generation boasts significantly more computing and graphics performance. The latest multi-core processors are combined with a variety of interfaces and expansion options to enable customers to solving demanding automation and networking tasks in applications involving the Internet of Things.”

The new IndraControl VPB40.4 range draws on the proven system architecture of the previous IndraControl generation which is tried and tested in rugged conditions. Equipped with the latest Intel processors, these devices offer several times greater performance than their predecessors.
As well as significantly enhanced graphics performance, the VPB40.4 range supports the most demanding visualisation requirements required for future machines and system concepts.

For system visualisation and operation, the range can be paired with the tried and tested operating displays of the IndraControl VDP series, including multi-touch version.

The new IPCs include two Gbit LAN network connections and seven USB interfaces, as well as a connection for the operating display and another for monitors with display port interfaces. Either two or four plug-in locations for PCI and PCIe plug-in cards are available for hardware extensions.

For mass memory, users can choose between conventional hard disks and wear-free solid state storage, and select from a Windows 7 or Windows 10 operating system. The pre-installed software includes language extensions, embedded and security features, as well as software tools for maintenance and diagnosis.

The range is supplemented by high-performance software packages for tasks such as control, regulation, visualisation, data processing, analysis and networking.

Paul added: “The power, robustness and versatility of the IndraControl VPB40.4 range makes it the optimum solution for a broad spectrum of requirements in both current and future Industry 4.0 applications.”