Innovative guide technology, high rigidity and guide load capacity for more load in the same installation space - these are the features of the new ELGD axis family from Festo. In addition, powerful drive elements offer high feed forces and accelerations for shorter cycle times and a long service life. A stainless steel cover strip is friction-free on the outside and does not allow any particles to form there. This makes the drives in the axis family ideal for use in cleanrooms.

Innovation in stepper motor technology means the gap between stepper and servo technology is narrowing. In applications where the performance of a servo motor is not required because there are no highly dynamic loads or high speed demands, the stepper (with its choice of battery-less encoders and motor brakes) offers closed loop positioning.

Electric automation can deliver enhanced efficiency, consistency and precision over traditional pneumatics in many industrial automation applications. However, simple oversights during design and specification can cause serious problems, turning your electric automation dream into the ‘axis of all evil’, according to industrial automation specialist Festo.

Mondelez has chosen Festo electric drive technology for a new automated chocolate Easter egg mixing installation at its site in Herentals, Belgium. The egg mixing line uses an ingenious system of conveyors to ensure that everyone finds a nice mix of flavours in their pack of chocolate eggs at Easter. Electric drives were chosen over pneumatics because they offer lower energy consumption, higher safety and more flexibility in controlling speeds and positions.