The lockdown in spring 2020 meant that the majority of Festo employees had to join the ranks of those working from home. Yet within the space of just four weeks they managed to develop a suitable solution for an emergency ventilator for a COVID-19 treatment, thanks to an agile development process and standard components that were quickly delivered.

Festo has upgraded its PROFINET bus interfaces for the CPX automation platform. The new generation has four new key features based on the new PROFINET controllers and software, with the “S2 system redundancy” being the most important one.  

No one enjoys going to the dentist; young children even less so. To help future dentists and dental assistants deal with children during dental treatments, the Japanese company tmsuk has developed a humanoid robot that realistically simulates the behaviour of young children during these treatments, complete with fidgeting, flinching or closing the mouth. The dummy’s realistic movements are produced using proportional pressure regulators with ...

The term "sustainability" all too often turns into mere lip service. Not so at Wellspect. This world leader in manufacturing solutions for medical continence care has made sustainability an integral part of its corporate strategy and is committed to putting it into practice. No wonder the company’s plant in Mölndal near Gothenburg, Sweden, relies on Festo Energy Saving Services which save Wellspect €37,000 a year in energy costs.

Fast MDx shows how many pathogens can be detected with unrivalled speed without the need for expensive biosecure laboratories. This near-patient testing system, developed by London-based company Fast MDx, cuts the typical 24 to 48 hour waiting time to just one to two hours. The new system uses automation technology from Festo.

The sustainability of cardboard packaging is leading to its increasing use instead of plastic packaging. A key step in the manufacture of folding boxes is the highly precise gluing of the box blanks. The company Baumer hhs is a specialist and global market leader for applications of this type with its dual-piston pump DPP – supported by the proportional valve VPPM from Festo.

The future belongs to human-robot cooperation. System builder BEC developed such a collaborative solution for Siemens Healthineers. It inserts coils weighing several tonnes precisely into the magnets of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines. Electric cylinders from Festo, which ensure the coils are securely gripped, play a crucial role here.  

The decentralised IO system CPX-AP-I allows compact and lightweight I/O modules as well as the decentralised valve terminals from Festo to be integrated into major host systems in a flexible and scalable way. Another advantage of CPX-AP-I is its seamless connectivity from the field level right through to the cloud, providing access to features such as predictive maintenance. This makes digitalisation incredibly easy.

Thanks to high-pressure pneumatics, stretch blow moulding machines achieve an output per blow moulding station of between 1,000 and nearly 3,000 PET bottles per hour. The key to this success is precise control using valves and valve blocks and the proper compressed air preparation. These are supplied by Festo, along with global services, from design engineering tools to operation. At drinktec in Munich in September 2022, innovative digitalisation ...

Every day, sensors in production plants collect huge amounts of data. However, companies seldom realise how valuable the correct evaluation of large amounts of data is. This creates data graves whose potential remains undiscovered. The Heubach Group had a similar experience. However, with Festo AX artificial intelligence, it was proven that benefits for maintenance, engineering and productivity can be achieved from central PID data.

Operating costs for pneumatic equipment can be reduced by up to 60% if system operators put into practice the results and analyses of the Compressed Air Energy Efficiency Audit GFAA by Festo. Energy efficiency experts from Festo use an integrated approach to analyse the entire compressed air system, from the compressor to the application, and recommend measures to reduce energy consumption. Climate protection is also included in the service, since the ...

High energy prices, increasing cost pressure and the goal of climate-neutral production have pushed energy efficiency to the top of the agenda in many companies. Festo Energy Saving Services to DIN EN ISO 11011 offer a customised range of services to provide support with this topic. As part of these services, energy efficiency experts from Festo work with customers and users to identify potential savings in how compressed air is used ...

When it comes to reducing product-related CO₂ emissions, Festo can leverage two important aspects and also focuses on an all-encompassing approach to the CO₂ emissions caused by its products. The design of a machine lays the foundation of the CO₂ footprint at machine level. Festo supports this process first and foremost through free engineering tools. In addition, the key to a carbon-neutral future is to look at and assess ...

Industrial automation specialist Festo has introduced a new cantilever electro-mechanical drive that is designed to meet the demanding specifications of modern production facilities. The new ELGT drive combines precision with high load-bearing capacity and rigidity, which makes it ideal for small parts and Lithium-ion battery manufacturing.

In medical practices, mobile analytical devices featuring "lab-on-a-chip" technology enable fast testing to identify pathogens in the case of bacterial or viral diseases. In order to lighten the load of manufacturers of these devices for in vitro diagnostics, Festo offers ready-to-install automation solutions, including customer-specific engineering.

Handling the smallest amounts of liquids down to the microlitre range requires high levels of precision and flexibility because of the changing fluid properties of the different media. Pressure-controlled liquid handling systems enable precise, scalable liquid handling. Festo has suitable solutions for these systems, whether for pipetting, dispensing or aspirating. Individual modules are available, such as the smart pipette head DHOP, but as well the ...