2019/11/13
ID: 2367

Revolution in automation for textile machines

The Festo Motion Terminal heralds the beginning of a new era

The Festo Motion Terminal VTEM, one of the first products of the Industry 4.0 era, combines digitalisation and pneumatics. Quickly activated software apps are revolutionising pneumatics by increasing flexibility and energy efficiency, and accelerating production processes. This also leads to many benefits for the construction and the operation of textile machines.

The Festo Motion Terminal VTEM catapults pneumatics into the age of Industry 4.0 – with apps that can replace over 50 individual components. Just as the smartphone turned the mobile communication market on its head a decade ago, so too is the Festo Motion Terminal set to revolutionise automation technology. The new type of function integration – combined with software apps – simplifies the entire value chain, since only one piece of hardware is now required. Thus the experts view the Festo Motion Terminal VTEM as a revolution in automation technology.

 

Full flexibility

Thanks to the fast activation of new functions via apps, machine developers can create a basic machine type and then, depending on which apps are selected, equip it with different functions and features as per the customer’s requirements. Assigning functions via software has the added benefit of preventing tampering and protecting know-how, since it’s not possible to tell from the outside which functions the valves are executing. Maintenance is also simplified, as long lists of spare and wearing parts will be a thing of the past.

 

True Industry 4.0

Piezo technology, integrated stroke and pressure sensors together with control via motion apps will open up entirely new perspectives for machinery and plant manufacturers. The fusion of mechanics, electronics and software featured in the Festo Motion Terminal will transform a pneumatic product into a true Industry 4.0 component, and enable flexible production. Changes in pneumatic functions and adaptations to new formats are controlled via apps by changing parameters The integrated intelligent sensors for control, diagnostics and self-learning tasks will eliminate the need for additional components.

 

Motion apps

Functions which up to now were only possible thanks to additional components in the pneumatic control loop can now easily be chosen via motion apps: from basic modification of the directional control valve functions to energy-efficient motion, and from proportional behaviour to different motion profiles. What makes this so special is that the same valve hardware is used for everything. Thanks to the fast activation of new functions via apps, machine developers can create a basic machine type and then select the relevant apps to equip it with different functions and features as per the customer requirements, Further apps are in development.

 

Assigning functions via software has the added benefit of protecting against tampering and protecting know-how, since it is not possible to tell from the outside which functions the valves are executing. Maintenance is also simplified, as long lists of spare and wearing parts will be a thing of the past.

 

Intrinsic energy efficiency

The specially developed motion apps as well as the leakage diagnostic function save energy during operation. However, the energy-saving piezo technology for the proportional valve's preliminary stage also plays its part.

 

The air consumption can be flexibly adapted to the requirements using the apps “Selectable pressure level” and “ECO drive”. With the selectable pressure level, a digitally selected pressure can limit the pneumatic force to the level required for the application. ECO drive reduces the compressed air consumption to the required minimum level, provided no pressing and holding forces are needed in the end position. This enables savings of up to 70% compared with standard operation, depending on the application.

 

Lower costs and complexity

The Festo Motion Terminal permits both fast and powerful movements and leakage diagnostics at much lower costs than current solutions. For example, fewer controllers are required compared with electrical solutions since one controller can control up to eight movements with the VTEM. Energy consumption is also reduced, and the required installation space is decreased by up to 65%.

 

In a comparison of the technology, solutions with the Festo Motion Terminal offer truly cost-effective alternatives for eight applications. Instead of a valve, a pressure regulator and a pressure sensor, in other words three components, only one single technology - a valve - is needed.

费斯托 (Festo)是一家全球性的独立的家族企业,总部位于德国埃斯林根。自成立以来,Festo在工业自动化技术和技术教育方面制定标准,从而为环境、经济和社会的可持续发展做出贡献。公司为超过35个行业的30万家工厂和过程自动化客户提供气动和电驱动自动化技术解决方案,其中生命科学和实验室自动化业务受到越来越多的关注。Festo产品和服务遍布176个国家。2022年,费斯托在全球61个国家的250多个分支机构拥有约20800名员工,实现销售额38.1亿欧元。每年约7%的销售额用于研发。在这家学习型企业,1.5%的销售额用于基础和进一步培训。Festo 教学培训 (Didactic SE) 是全球领先的技术教育和培训供应商,为全球客户提供工业环境中全面的数字化和常规学习解决方案。

Festo 数字控制终端VTEM,引领气动技术的数字化时代。
© Festo SE & Co. KG
VTEM Motion Terminal 1
Festo 数字控制终端VTEM,引领气动技术的数字化时代。(图片来源: Festo SE & Co. KG)
© Festo SE & Co. KG
VTEM Motion Terminal 3
Multi-Carrier-System®: Das flexible modulare Transportsystem lässt sich auf Knopfdruck via Software an unterschiedliche Formate anpassen.
© Festo SE & Co. KG
VTEM Motion Terminal 2
With the Festo Motion Terminal, pneumatic functions can be controlled via apps for the first time, without having to change or modify the hardware.