Energy savings of 25 per cent and more in compressed air systems for machines and systems – often it’s the small actions that make the difference, such as reducing the pressure level, detecting leakages or shortening tube lengths. With the Compressed Air Energy Efficiency PreAudit, Festo is opening up enormous saving potentials for system operators throughout their entire compressed air system.

The compact servo drive CMMT-ST from Festo is the baby brother of the CMMT-AS. Both have their strengths when it comes to dynamic motion. This includes point-to-point and interpolating motion in demanding applications in assembly and handling technology, in packaging machines or in the electronics industry. The small CMMT-ST is ideal for continuous power requirements of up to 300 W, while its compact design means it takes up very little installation ...

Solving simple motion tasks electrically and intelligent communication from the controller to the cloud via IO-Link® is now possible with the Simplified Motion Series from Festo. The electric drive series combines the simplicity of pneumatics with the benefits of electric automation.

The valve control module VAEM from Festo makes precise switching of solenoid valves easier than ever. Up to 8 channels can be parameterised individually. A time resolution of only 0.2 ms and control of the valves via current – not voltage – ensure high precision, e.g. for dispensing applications. The holding current reduction saves energy and minimises heat input.

The proportional solenoid valve VPWS from Festo is the optimal choice for the safe and precise control of gas flows. It is a lightweight, compact 15 mm cartridge valve with a flow rate of up to 210 l/min at 2 bar. It is grease-free and oil-free and is suitable for oxygen, carbon dioxide, air, nitrous oxide or inert gases.

The Global Production Center Sofia in Bulgaria is one of the winners of the “Lean & Green Management Award 2019”. The plant was honoured in the “General Manufacturing” category for its successful measures for improving resource efficiency in industry.

Festo intends to further increase the productivity of its customers by means of self-learning machines. The company is relying here on artificial intelligence at three network levels: on edge, on premises and in the cloud.

Fast, reliable and efficient – the Festo Design Tool 3D Online configuration software reduces the risk of errors when designing and ordering system modules. The software is now available online, and no longer needs to be downloaded and installed locally. The online version is another module offered by Festo to support its customers entering the digital age.

Macros for Festo automation products for the Eplan circuit diagram software have been popular planning tools with high data quality for many years. With the “Schematic Solution” service, customers can now automatically generate complete Eplan projects for individually configured products such as valve terminals. Schematic Solution is another module offered by Festo to support its customers entering the digital age.

Nature impressively teaches us what the ideal propulsion systems for certain types of movement in water look like. For the BionicFinWave, which Festo is presenting for the first time at the Achema 2018, the bionics team was inspired by the undulating fin movements executed by marine animals such as the polyclad or the cuttlefish. With this form of propulsion, the underwater robot manoeuvres itself autonomously through a system of acrylic glass tubing. ...

The requirements placed on the cleaning of production facilities and their purity are increasing – particularly in future-oriented fields such as medical technology, laboratory automation or biotechnology. Thanks to superconductor technology, these demands could easily be fulfilled in future. At the Hannover Messe 2019 trade fair, Festo is once more showcasing two new concepts in this field: with the SupraMultitool, ...

With a global production volume of 1.8 billion car tires per year, the focus is very much on efficiency and productivity. This is where the Festo Motion Terminal VTEM comes in: it digitises pneumatics, thereby speeding up processes and reducing costs, for example when transferring the rubber layer to the tire building machine.

HoloLens, mobile phones, 3D printing or smart glasses – the gadgets that captured the public imagination in the blockbuster movie “Back to the Future” over 30 years ago have now become a reality. All thanks to digitalisation. As Industry 4.0, it is automating the modern working world and helping the machine and system building sector reach new heights. Which smart products and solutions from Festo support this move into the new world?

Short product life cycles and a high diversity of variants are requirements brought about by industrial change. At the same time, it is becoming increasingly important to ensure that employees can rapidly and intuitively adapt to new tasks. This calls for new forms of collaboration between people, machinery and software. A key role is played here by self-learning systems with artificial intelligence and by robot-based automation solutions that can work ...