The rising demand for specialised semiconductors – ranging from MEMS and SiC PowerChips to 2 nm GPUs and AI accelerators – is increasing the pressure on fabs and OEMs to operate their equipment cost-effectively whilst maintaining high process stability and repeatability. With solutions based on Controlled Pneumatics, a new generation of digitally controlled pneumatic technology, Festo supports machine builders and semiconductor manufacturers in optimising process stability whilst reducing the use of process media and energy consumption.

Wherever inert gases need to be precisely controlled, the mass flow controller VEFC from Festo is the right choice. Thanks to piezo technology, it is compact and flexible, and offers an excellent price/performance ratio. It is especially suitable for use in electronics manufacturing, food production, and anywhere in machine building where shielding gas is required.

Controlled Pneumatics is the revolutionary compressed air technology from Festo that is opening up new perspectives for pneumatics. Thanks to this technology, the pressure control of the compact proportional valve terminal VTEP is extremely sensitive, down to less than 1 mbar. This is perfect for applications such as wafer polishing or patch clamping in life science. In addition, Controlled Pneumatics uses high-precision piezo valves to reduce compressed air consumption by up to 50%.

The production of tyres and the production of wafers seem to have absolutely nothing to do with each other. In terms of automation technology, however, they use the same technology: Controlled Pneumatics. That is why Festo has further developed compressed air technology to make pneumatics sustainable, resource-saving and energy-efficient.