2021/03/02
ID: 3411

Highly flexible pick & place with digitised pneumatics

Festo Motion Terminal enables positioning using pneumatics

The Festo Motion Terminal VTEM combines digitalisation and pneumatics. Quickly activated Motion Apps are revolutionising pneumatics by increasing flexibility and energy efficiency, and accelerating production processes. This also has benefits for handling technology, because the automation platform VTEM opens the door for positioning using pneumatics.

The Festo Motion Terminal VTEM is moving 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 over a decade ago, so too is the Festo Motion Terminal set to revolutionise automation technology. This new type of function integration – combined with software – simplifies the entire value chain, since only one piece of hardware is now required.

 

This means that users can execute different tasks with just one valve and operate 16 pressure regulation channels with eight valves. This significantly reduces the amount of work required, from engineering to format change-overs. This is why experts are calling the Festo Motion Terminal VTEM a revolution in automation technology.

 

Simplifying pick & place applications

With the Motion Terminal VTEM, users can realise all the functions in their pick & place application in just one system. There is no longer a need for components like shock absorbers or flow control valves. Since Motion Apps now take over many tasks and replace complicated mechanical structures, the design process is much easier. The process data can be read out at any time so users can respond quickly to deviations and thus ensure consistent quality.

 

Positioning using pneumatics

The app “Positioning” gives handling experts flexibility when positioning workpieces of different sizes. They can optimise the end-to-end motions for every possible workpiece size, for example by precisely defining the variables such as the motion speed and impact energy in the end position.

 

With the Motion App “Positioning”, pneumatic actuators can be freely positioned along the entire working stroke and the cylinder movement can be controlled using limit values for the speed, acceleration and jerk parameters. Gentle positioning is possible for selected series with strokes of up to 300 mm by specifying the limit values.

 

Pressure and vacuum control

By using the app “Proportional pressure regulation” safe transport with vacuum is ensured. The vacuum level is simply adapted to the weight to be moved. This enables plant manufacturers to also increase the energy efficiency of their application. Changeover times or manual format changes are a thing of the past as users simply switch over to the parameters they need. The virtually vibration-free travel into the end position with the app “Soft Stop” minimises wear – and shortens the cycle times.

 

Software instead of hardware

Thanks to the fast activation of new functions via Motion Apps, machine developers can create a basic machine type using the Festo Motion Terminal and then select the relevant Motion Apps to equip it with different functions and features as per the customer requirements. The ability to copy and transfer parameter sets makes planning easier and saves time. 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 leaks are automatically monitored and long lists of spare and wearing parts are a thing of the past. With the Motion App “Leakage diagnostics”, malfunctions can be detected and pinpointed to a specific actuator via diagnostic cycles and defined threshold values. This enables predictive maintenance.

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 SE & Co. KG
Application Festo Motion Terminal VTEM pick & place
Highly flexible pick & place: the Festo Motion Terminal positions using pneumatics.
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)