What is ctrlX AUTOMATION?

ctrlX AUTOMATION – The open automation platform by Bosch Rexroth

Machines and systems are evolving. Software, machine control, and IT are becoming increasingly integrated. Innovation cycles are getting shorter, and new technologies must be integrated more quickly. With ctrlX AUTOMATION, Bosch Rexroth is setting the standard for modern automation. This open, modular, and scalable platform combines decades of experience in industrial automation with the capabilities of modern software and app technologies. This gives machine builders and plant operators the freedom to flexibly select technologies, implement solutions quickly and tailored to their needs, reduce component and engineering costs by 30 to 50 percent, and take early advantage of new developments.
Two Steps Ahead.

Portrait of a man who stands inside a production building, the background is slightly blurred.

“Our mission is to make automation truly open, programmable for everybody and to enable co-creation like never before.”

– Steffen Winkler, Senior Vice President Sales, Business Unit Automation & Electrification Solutions at Bosch Rexroth

Game Changer since 1958

Technological progress and the courage to break new ground are part of Bosch Rexroth’s DNA, with roots dating back to 1795. The company has been setting key benchmarks in automation since 1958, the year Indramat GmbH was founded. Becoming part of Rexroth in 1965, Indramat played a defining role in shaping electric drive and control technology for decades.

Today, this wealth of experience is built into ctrlX AUTOMATION. Bosch Rexroth unites proven industrial expertise with open architectures, modern software technologies, and a consistently modular approach. As a result, the reliability of a globally established technology leader meets the openness and flexibility that machine builders and factory operators require today.

Learn more about the history of Bosch Rexroth

Our milestones – Ahead through tradition

From Indramat to ctrlX AUTOMATION: Our milestones highlight the technologies and innovations with which Bosch Rexroth has shaped drive and control systems over decades, consistently setting new standards.

Bosch Rexroth's technological milestones in drive and control technology since 1958.

WE AUTOMATE EVERYTHING: One solution for all automation tasks

“WE AUTOMATE EVERYTHING” represents the full scope of ctrlX AUTOMATION. The modular automation system includes all essential components for complete solutions – from controllers, I/Os, IPCs, and HMIs to drives and motors, as well as motion, PLC, and IoT functionalities.

The key lies in how the components work together: The individual modules can be freely combined, scaled, and tailored to the specific application. This enables solutions for a wide variety of requirements and industries – from handling and robotics to packaging machines and intralogistics, all the way to building automation applications.

Bosch Rexroth also offers preconfigured solution sets for numerous applications. These combine coordinated hardware and software into ready-to-use automation packages, thereby reducing the effort required for development and commissioning.

An infographic shows a city and various industries from a side view looking down.

From single components to complete systems: ctrlX AUTOMATION adapts to the automation task — not the other way around.

Discover our solutions

Open to new possibilities

The openness of ctrlX AUTOMATION extends from system architecture to software. A core foundation is ctrlX OS, the Linux-based operating system from Bosch Rexroth. It creates an open software environment where apps, custom applications, and third-party technologies integrate seamlessly.

ctrlX OS serves as the cornerstone of an architecture that decouples functions from rigid hardware dependencies. Software can be deployed and expanded flexibly, while open standards bridge the gap between OT (operational technology) and IT.

Expand functions via app

With the app-based approach, ctrlX AUTOMATION brings the flexibility of modern software worlds to industrial automation.
Functions can be easily added on demand and tailored to the specific application via apps.
In addition to apps from Bosch Rexroth, a wide range of solutions from the partner network ctrlX World is also available.
This allows functionality to grow alongside your requirements without compromising the underlying system architecture.

Seamlessly connecting IT and OT

With ctrlX AUTOMATION, the machine world and IT grow closer together.
Open standards and IoT technologies enable end-to-end data exchange from the machine and process level up to higher-level IT systems.
This allows machine data to be effortlessly integrated into advanced digital workflows and applications.

Simplifying engineering

ctrlX AUTOMATION combines traditional automation with established IT programming languages, tools, and methodologies.
Developers can work with familiar technologies, seamlessly uniting software expertise with automation know-how.
This expands engineering possibilities and opens up industrial automation to a broader community of software developers.

ctrlX AUTOMATION – Always a winning choice for your business

ctrlX AUTOMATION received the Automation App Award 2026 in the category “Engineering & Robotics”.

Picture shows ctrlX DRIVE cabinet-free: Awarded "Product of the Year 2026"

ctrlX DRIVE cabinet-free took first place in the "Products of the Year 2026" readers' poll in the Computer & Automation trade magazine in the Drive Technology category.

ctrlX SAFETY received the German Innovation Award 2025 in the category “Machines & Engineering”.

ctrlX FLOW^HS has been awarded the Red Dot Award 2025 in the "Industrial Design" category.

ctrlX OS App Model Connect has won the Automation App Award 2025 in the category "Engineering & Robotics".

ctrlX FLOW^HS was voted "Product of the Year 2024" in the "Robotics & Handling" category by readers of the trade magazine Computer & Automation.

ctrlX OS Icon with the Software & IT Award of the magazine computer & automation

ctrlX OS was voted Product of the Year 2023 in the Software & IT category by the trade journal Computer & Automation.

ctrlX CORE received honorable mention at the Engineers’ Choice Awards 2022 in the category “Control Systems: PLCs, PACs”.

ctrlX SAFETY was Red Dot winner 2022 in the category “Industrial design”.

ctrlX CORE was nominated for the Hermes Award 2022 and was placed among the top 3 finalists.

ctrlX AUTOMATION received the Deutscher Innovationspreis 2021 (German Innovation Award) in the category „Large Enterprises”.

ctrlX IOT received an award from the trade journal *Computer & Automation* as part of its nomination as one of the 2021 Products of the Year in the “Control & Drive” category.

ctrlX IOT received an award from the trade magazine Computer & Automation as one of the products of the year 2021 in the "Control & Drive" category.

ctrlX CORE was awarded the Red Dot Award in the "Industrial Design" category in 2020.

Two Steps Ahead – With an open industrial ecosystem

Openness in ctrlX AUTOMATION extends far beyond our own portfolio. With ctrlX World, Bosch Rexroth unites companies with diverse strengths and domain expertise within an open ecosystem. Partners expand ctrlX AUTOMATION with their own hardware, software, apps, and specialized know-how.

Machine builders and plant operators benefit from growing variety and choice, allowing them to freely combine Bosch Rexroth solutions with offerings from ctrlX World.

More than 100 partner companies are already part of ctrlX World — creating a thriving ecosystem that continuously unlocks new technologies, solutions, and capabilities for ctrlX AUTOMATION.