Bosch Rexroth and Arkite Partner to Deliver Intelligent Workstations for Zero-Defect Manual Assembly

Bosch Rexroth Delivers the Workstation. Arkite Makes It Smarter.

Bosch Rexroth and Arkite have entered into a strategic collaboration to bring intelligent operator guidance to manufacturers worldwide. By combining Bosch Rexroth’s globally proven workstation technology with Arkite’s Operator Guidance Platform, manufacturers can transform manual assembly into a digitally guided, validated and data-driven production process.

Bosch Rexroth provides the ergonomic and modular infrastructure that forms the physical foundation of the workstation. Arkite adds the software intelligence that tells operators exactly how to build, validates each manual action in real time and converts every assembly step into structured production data.

Why Manual Assembly Still Matters

Despite increasing automation, many critical manufacturing processes still depend on manual work. Complex assemblies, frequent product changes and strict quality requirements make human execution indispensable. However, paper instructions and tribal knowledge create variation between operators, shifts and plants.

Arkite addresses this challenge by standardising manual work. Engineers create digital work instructions in a no-code environment and deploy them instantly to connected workstations. Operators receive step-by-step guidance directly in their field of view, while every important action is validated and logged.

A Complete Industry 4.0 Workstation

Bosch Rexroth contributes modular aluminium profile systems, ergonomic workstations, material flow solutions, tightening systems and automation technology. These standard components are available globally and can be configured rapidly for new projects or retrofits.

Arkite completes the digital manufacturing stack. ERP decides what to build. MES decides when to build. Arkite tells operators how to build. The platform connects the operator layer to the broader manufacturing ecosystem through APIs and industrial protocols.

One Platform, Three Levels of Operational Maturity

Arkite GUIDE provides digital work instructions with projected Augmented Reality. Arkite VALIDATE adds real-time 3D validation of operator actions using a smart sensor. Arkite VISION adds in-process product inspection using high-definition cameras.

All three levels run on one software core and one common architecture. Manufacturers can mix license types across workstations and progressively increase process control where quality requirements are highest.

How the Platform Works

Production orders are sent from the MES to the Arkite server. Engineers create or update digital workflows and deploy them centrally. Operators log in with their badge and automatically receive the correct job and product variant.

Projected instructions highlight picking bins, assembly locations and tooling positions. Smart tools, barcode scanners, PLCs and cobots can be integrated into the workflow. During execution, Arkite records cycle times, step durations, torque values, errors and operator performance data.

Integrated Real-Time Quality Control

In Arkite VALIDATE, a 3D sensor monitors operator actions and immediately detects deviations from the defined process. In Arkite VISION, additional cameras inspect dimensions, presence, orientation and other critical product characteristics.

Quality is therefore controlled during execution rather than after completion. This improves First Pass Yield and supports near-zero-defect assembly in manual production environments.

Production Intelligence from Manual Work

One of Arkite’s core strengths is the ability to convert manual actions into structured data. Every relevant event is timestamped and stored for analysis. Manufacturers gain visibility into bottlenecks, training needs, variant performance and process stability.

This information is commonly exported to business intelligence tools such as Microsoft Power BI to support continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making.

Proven Results

According to Bosch Rexroth, Arkite deployments have achieved up to 90% reduction in manual errors, up to 80% reduction in scrap and rework, and up to 50% reduction in training time.

In a PCB assembly project, Arkite reduced the error rate to zero, cut scrap and rework by 64%, halved training time and increased productivity by 7%. These results demonstrate the operational impact of standardised digital execution.

Global Availability Through Certified Excellence Partners

Manufacturers can now obtain Arkite’s Operator Guidance Platform not only directly from Arkite, but also through Bosch Rexroth’s Certified Excellence Partners. This global network provides local sales, engineering and support while leveraging Bosch Rexroth’s established relationships in industrial markets worldwide.

Executive Perspective

“Integrating our Operator Guidance Platform into Bosch Rexroth’s global partner network is a decisive step for us,” said Johan Smeyers, CEO of Arkite. “It means manufacturers in any region can now access a proven guidance solution through partners who already know the factory landscape of their customers. The network is in place, now we scale.”

The New Standard for Smart Manual Assembly

Together, Bosch Rexroth and Arkite provide a scalable manufacturing standard for digital work instructions, real-time validation, in-process quality control and production intelligence.

Bosch Rexroth delivers the workstation. Arkite makes it smarter.