Placement Interview · 9 April 2026
Prepared for Bosch Rexroth

Automation,
from first principles.

Zach Slater2nd year IMEE · University of Bath
01 / 11Cover
X-AXISMS2N · 3.3 NmY-AXISMS2N · 1.4 NmSENSOR GRID 5 × 1ctrlX DRIVE
FIG. 00 — IRRIGATION RIG SCHEMATIC
02 · Introduction
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Zach Slater

An engineer who learns by building things, not just reading about them.

Focus
Practical automation
Background
Raspberry Pi · ESP32 · Arduino
Studying
2nd-year IMEE, Bath
Works best
Collaboratively
FIG. 01 — HOME WORKBENCH · MOISTURE SENSOR & PUMP
Zach Slater · Placement Interview9 April 2026
03 · Project
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Automation in Practice

A closed feedback loop, built on the bench.

MOISTURE SENSORARDUINOMICROCONTROLLERPUMPREADTRIGGERWATER RETURN
What it does
When soil moisture drops below a threshold, a pump fires. It stops when saturation is reached.
Why it matters today
The same loop scales to an industrial gantry — with Bosch Rexroth products and ctrlX open-source software doing the heavy lifting.
Zach Slater · Placement Interview9 April 2026
04 · Academic Foundation
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Solid Mechanics · 85%

Theory sticks when I can trace it to something real.

First principles
If I can derive it, I can rebuild it from scratch under exam pressure.
Practical use
The belt-drive lab gave physical meaning to every equation on the sheet.
→  That's why this presentation stays practical — a real working demo, not a product spec recital.
FIG. 02 — FREE-BODY DIAGRAM
Where first-principles meets the real world — the overlap I design my thinking around.
Zach Slater · Placement Interview9 April 2026
05 · Product One
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Servo Drives & MS2N Motors

Why these products suit the irrigation rig.

MS2N · SERVO MOTOR
ctrlX · SERVO DRIVE
Features that matter for a moving gantry
Compact form
Fits a moving gantry
Small footprint; light enough to be carried by the X-axis.
Single-cable
Power + feedback
Simpler cable management on moving parts.
Customisable torque
Match axis to load
X-axis moves Y-axis; different duty, same family.
Multi-axis drive
One ctrlX drive, two motors
Independent control of X and Y from a single unit.
Zach Slater · Placement Interview9 April 2026
06 · Live Demo
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ctrlX Configurator

Let's build it in the configurator.

Motors first, drive sized accordingly.
The drive must support ctrlX CORE with the Motion and PLC apps.
[ LIVE SCREEN — CONFIGURATOR WALKTHROUGH ]
Zach Slater · Placement Interview9 April 2026
07 · System Architecture
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Irrigation Rig — Let's build it

Four components, one open-source loop.

01
Python Client
Simulates the moisture-sensor grid
02
ctrlX Data Layer
API bridge between client and drive
03
PLC Engineering
Writes jog instructions to each axis
04
ctrlX CORE VM
Drives X & Y axes in simulation
Built with Rexroth's open-source software stack — a junior engineer can put together a working multi-axis demo on their own.
FIG. 03 — DATA FLOW
Zach Slater · Placement Interview9 April 2026
08 · Product Two
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Smart Function Kit — Pressing

One kit, many factory tasks.

FIG. 04 — KIT COMPOSITION
01
Testing
Measures force against displacement — verifies whether a product meets its stiffness spec.
02
Force-controlled joining
Joins two parts under a constant force — the integrated force sensor holds the setpoint regardless of conditions.
Why it's different
Flexibility is built in — reprogram it for a new product, don't replace it.
Zach Slater · Placement Interview9 April 2026
09 · Live Demo
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LinSelect

Sizing the kit from technical requirements.

  1. 01Choose actuator
  2. 02Configure mounting
  3. 03Add force sensing
  4. 04Set technical requirements
  5. 05Verify cycle life
Zach Slater · Placement Interview9 April 2026
10 · Case Study
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Moccamaster — Automated Testing Line

Flexibility, in the real world.

“
Thanks to the automated procedure, the process is now much quicker and the output has increased.
Moccamaster engineering team
Recognises product
Barcode scan loads the right test parameters automatically.
Data-rich
Captured results drive faster diagnosis and line tuning.
FIG. 05 — UNIT UNDER TEST
Zach Slater · Placement Interview9 April 2026
11 · What I'm Looking For
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Internship Expectations

Three things I'd bring, and three things I'd take away.

01
Real-world experience
Practical application of the engineering I'm being taught — not just theory on the page.
02
Learning environment
The Rexroth Academy and online resources set a high bar. I want to learn from teams who take teaching seriously.
03
Teamwork & collaboration
I do my best thinking out loud with other engineers. The ideas compound.
Thank you. I'd welcome your questions.
Zach Slater · zs828@bath.ac.uk