Adjusting the proximity switches for detecting the end position of a pneumatic cylinder’s piston stroke is often a complex process. Not so with the SDBT-MSX from Festo, the first proximity switch with automatic switching point adjustment.

Festo SE & Co. KG and the joint venture FlexFactory GmbH of MHP, Munich Re and Porsche are consolidating their strategic partnership and entering the market with a joint offering for machine and plant manufacturers as well as plant and equipment operators. The aim of the partnership is to enable the production of a wide range of product variants in a more flexible and cost-efficient manner.

From components to the cloud: to achieve seamless automation and digitalised machines and systems, system planners and design engineers can now rely fully on Festo. That applies to all levels of automation, from mechanical to electrical, as well as intelligent connectivity, regardless of the standard used by the customer.

In no other industry is there such pressure to innovate and keep prices low as in the semiconductor and electronics industry. For OEMs, this means developing ever faster and more productive machines and plants in time frames of less than 18 months. On top of this, reliable compact and cost-efficient automation components are also needed. The Festo core range offers the perfect solution: it is quickly available worldwide, has a long service life ...

In 2020, Festo was able to increase sales in the "machines and systems for battery production" segment by 40 percent. The demand for automation for battery cell production and other e-vehicle components is increasing continuously. 

With the Handling Guide Online, design engineers can create the right ready-to-install handling system from Festo in record time, whether for a 2D linear and planar surface gantry, a 3D gantry or a new 3D cantilever system. Not only can they now plan extremely compact or extremely dynamic Cartesian robots using the intuitive configuration and ordering software, but they also benefit from the circuit diagram service from Eplan and commissioning files.

Degassing and sealing are core processes in battery cell production that directly follow the initial contacting of the battery cells with electrical voltage. The battery cells are pierced with lances and the forming gas produced during contacting is extracted. Pneumatic and electric actuators from Festo are used to handle and pierce the battery cells.

When wafers need to be transported and stored in the semiconductor industry, the N2 purge system from Festo prevents oxygen from oxidising the wafers. The cost-efficient, pre-assembled flow controller continuously supplies the wafer reservoir (FOUP) with inert nitrogen for this.

Precisely gluing smartphone displays, applying thermal paste or gluing micro cameras in place are just a selection of the adhesive processes that represent the dosing and dispensing competencies of ViscoTec. Now the company has brought out cartridge applicator units designed for exact and clean feeding of adhesives, pastes and silicones of different viscosities, supported by a pneumatic control module supplied by Festo right to the ViscoTec assembly ...

Product dimensional inspection skills are key for manufacturing excellence and quality control in a globalized, competitive world. To ensure strict product compliance with design specifications, expertise in product measurement, interpretation of technical drawings, and statistical techniques should become second nature so that workers can correctly apply these skills as soon as they hit the shop floor.  

Recognising digital trends quickly and implementing them with maximum benefit for customers is becoming increasingly important for business success. Festo, a global player in automation and technical education, has opened its new Digital Sales Hub in one of the trend hotspots, Barcelona. With its dynamic environment, the start-up metropolis offers best conditions for this.

For the first time, apprentices in the job profiles of Mechatronics and Industry 4.0 met for the German Championships of WorldSkills Germany. These took place at the Festo Lernzentrum Saar in St. Ingbert at the beginning of October. The respective winning teams will represent Germany at the upcoming vocational championships WorldSkills 2022 and EuroSkills 2023.

Choosing the right drive technology in automation saves money and, at the same time, also protects the climate. So how do users find the right technology that enables them to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the long term? The new CO₂ & TCO Guide from Festo supports machine and system manufacturers to make the choice.

Festo has held preferred supplier status at Bosch since 2015. Now the company has won the Bosch “Global Supplier Award”, placing it among the world’s best suppliers to the technology and service company. Bosch was impressed by the global availability of Festo’s products and services, the global support from international project teams and the e-business services.

Precise, energy-saving, silent and fast – for the first time, piezo technology makes gas handling in medical technology and laboratory automation truly efficient. What are the differences compared with proportional solenoid valves? How can specialists in medical technology and laboratory automation easily integrate piezo components into their systems and devices? Festo, the automation specialists, will provide clear answers to these and many more ...

The Center of Vocational Excellence in Mechatronics at Festo in Esslingen, Germany, is now the official national training center for the German mechatronics team at the WorldSkills championships. "We do not only qualify our own apprentices, but also apprentices who will make up the national mechatronics team at the next WorldSkills Shanghai 2022," says Stefan Dietl, Head of Training at Festo.