Ground-breaking piezo proportional flow control valve from Festo
The new VEMD proportional flow control valve from Festo uses the latest piezo technology to deliver highly dynamic control for numerous medical and other industrial control applications.
The VEMD is a mass flow controller integrating a flow sensor with a proportional valve and controller and is designed to proportionally control the flow of compressed air and inert gases within a small, neat and calibrated package. It compares the required signal value with the actual, sensor-measured value within its closed loop electronic controller and then adjusts the output using the piezo pilot valve. The piezo pilot valve provides a wide variety of advantages including silent operation, the absence of heat generation, a compact and lightweight design and long service life – as well as an unmatched low power consumption of only one Watt.
These characteristics make the VEMD eminently suitable for life sciences and mobile applications, ranging from ventilators and anaesthesia to operating equipment for ophtalmology and dental drills. Its small size, energy efficiency and silent operation make it ideal for patient-side operation for those who are bed bound and need rest uninterrupted by noisy solenoids. It is also very attractive for patients reliant on portable oxygen delivery systems where it is less socially intrusive than alternative designs. An additional benefit is that it is non-magnetic and so does not interfere with other medical equipment.
Other industries can also benefit for the VEMD’s unique characteristics, including applications in semiconductor / electronics manufacture (control of combustive gases), food and beverage (quality inspection, protective gas delivery) and pharma (bioreactors and fermenters). In special purpose machine building, the VEMD can be specified for a wide variety of tasks, such as mixing of air into test stations, controlling humidity, inert gas welding, 3D printing, mass spectrometry and many more.
Easy to control, precise dynamics
The VEMD is designed to control flows of up to 20 l/m at a maximum pressure of 2.5 bar. The modular design of the VEMD addresses the needs of OEM customers as well as end users.
The gas flow at the output of the valve can be adjusted very easily and controlled in linear mode by entering a setpoint between 0 and 10 V. An integrated control circuit with thermal sensor makes the VEMD precise and dynamic. It responds up to 35 times faster than comparable products to a setpoint change, and is ready for operation straight out of the box.
The VEMD proportional flow control valve is part of Festo’s high performance piezo technology gas handling range, which includes a selection of proportional valves and pressure regulators. Based on this technology platform Festo’s specialist application engineering team has worked closely with clients in medical, semi-conductor and other sectors to provide application specific solutions e.g. for oxygen and other volatile gases.
About Festo
Festo is a leading international supplier of automation technology with a turnover in 2023 of around €3.65 billion. Festo employs over 20,600 people worldwide and is a proven innovator and problem solver in pneumatic and electrical automation, where it is the performance leader. Festo offers around 33,000 pneumatic and electric products in hundreds of thousands of variants for factory and process automation technology, many of which can be tailored to specific customer needs. Sustainability, reducing its CO2 footprint, digital learning, innovation, performance and speed are the key drivers for the company's future. Festo GB operates as a carbon neutral organisation and uses the PAS 2060 standard externally audited by NQA to validate this claim to customers, employees and other stakeholders.
Festo Industrial Automation's innovative strength is demonstrated through the launch of around 100 new products every year. The company invests over 7% of its turnover in R&D, resulting in over 2,600 patents held worldwide. For more information about the company's products and UK / Irish services, please visit: www.festo.com/gb and www.festo.com/ie
Festo and Industry 4.0 - Festo has engaged with the Industry 4.0 initiative from its inception: as a user, manufacturer and trainer. As a member of the steering group, the company has taken an active role in defining the core standards such as the RAMI model and the Administration Shell. Festo Didactic has installed Industry 4.0 Cyber-Physical Factory training hardware systems in many leading universities and training centres. It also provides Industry 4.0 training courses for change managers and practical workshops for employees. Industry 4.0 technologies such as OPC-UA communications are embedded in the latest generation products. For more information, go to www.festo.com/digitalisation
Festo Didactic training delivers training for industry – by industry. Combining Festo's industrial heritage with its future-focused manufacturing and engineering expertise to deliver courses for greater productivity and competitiveness. Offering a wide range of open courses, structured development programmes and tailor-made, customer-specific projects on technology and Industry 4.0 and the industry-leading online training suite, Festo LX. Festo also provides state-of-the-art training equipment solutions for industrial companies and educational institutions around the world. Festo Didactic has around 56,000 education customers worldwide. More information on Festo training and consulting services can be found at: www.festo.com/didactic
Festo Bionic Learning Network encapsulates the innovative nature of Festo, raising awareness and attracting talent to the company. Exploring the links between nature and technology opens new areas of innovation and demonstrates complex ideas in a stimulating and enjoyable way. Festo works with an alliance of internal R&D, external educational establishments and specialist companies to advance bionic solutions for automation applications of the future. The objective is to benefit from bionics as a source of inspiration and to realise these in industrial automation. For more information about Festo's Bionic Learning Network, please visit: www.festo.com/bionics
