Q1. What inspired you to develop CytroBox?

Andreas Günder (Project Manager):
“Hydraulic power units have looked the same for decades. It was time for a new approach. We sat down with our Bosch Thermotechnik colleagues and adopted proven operating elements from the consumer sector. We looked at how they realized and designed their future heating systems. It was from that workshop that our team came up with this completely new approach to the CytroBox design.” 

Q2. What was your greatest challenge?

Marco Scholz (Engineer – Hydraulic Manifolds):
“Development can take time, so we used an agile working approach and we worked in close cooperation with our pilot customers. This method reduced the period required to improve the technology and the quality of the product.”

Q3. How did an agile approach benefit the project? 

René Hüttl (Engineer – Hydraulic Power Units):
“Our agile working method enabled us to test new functions with additive manufacturing prototypes, even in real customers’ machines, to achieve proof of concept at an early stage.”

Janette Kothe (IIoT Solution Architect):
“Being a cross-functional agile and empowered team means we’re in full control of product development and can adapt to customers’ needs with speed and flexibility.”

Jan Bierod (Engineer – Hydraulic Power Units):
“Supported by specialists on different areas, each of us concentrated on his or her specific topic. And we often met up for whole-day workshops to work together on concrete challenges. By combining short timelines with early trial-periods, we were able to make rapid progress and identify problems at an early stage.”

Q4. Which markets do you think might most benefit? 

Andreas:
“Hydraulics can be found in many applications, industry sectors and countries. That meant our approach had to be diverse in order to fulfil all manufacturing requirements. Our approach is to provide a connected, efficient hydraulic energy source in a quiet, compact unit.” 

Q5. CytroBox is 50 percent smaller than traditional HPUs. Why is the compact nature of CytroBox important?

Marco:
“Installation space and footprint are the most important criteria for a factory layout designer. Traditional HPUs are wider and deeper.” 

Q6. Why is noise emission so important?

René:
“In the future, factories will need a high degree of flexibility with a decentralized power supply sited near the machine operator. So it’s very important to have a quiet HPU that allows the machine operator to work in comfort.”

Q7. How have you achieved a 60 to 80 percent energy reduction?

Jan:
“We changed from a constant speed drive unit to a variable speed drive unit – with a servo frequency converter positioned in front of a synchronous motor.”

Q8. What’s so special about the connectivity concept of CytroBox?

Janette:
“Due to its automation functionality, pre-installed sensors and open interface, CytroBox is a highly modular drive unit. We reduced up-front risk and the total cost of ownership of the IoT features by offering CytroConnect as a Freemium Service with a subscription option for further add-ons.”

Q9. What’s the most impressive aspect of CytroBox?

Andreas:
“Creating a completely new product within a field of traditional technology where everybody thought there was no further room for innovation.”