Festo now offers CPX valve manifold configuration to Emerson DeltaV DCS systems for fast, simple, and effective programming, commissioning, and validation of Festo-based pneumatics for skids and machines. This first-of-its-kind third-party commissioning solution brings one of the world’s most versatile valve manifold control platforms, CPX, to the DeltaV DCS ecosystem. Fast commissioning enables system integrators…
Top trends in linear motion technology: Part 2 of 2
For the annual Design World Trends issue, we asked industry experts to share their insights into linear-motion trends. Here’s more of what they had to say on linear actuators, linear guides, and stages. Meet the experts Dave Walden | Applications engineer • PBC Linear Eric Rice | Product market manager — electric automation • Festo Samuel Orozco | […]
Top trends in linear motion technology: Part 1 of 2
We recently asked several industry experts about trends they’re seeing in the design and use of linear actuators, linear guides, and stages. Here’s what those experts had to say. Meet the experts Saurabh Khetan | Product line manager — Leadscrews • Thomson Industries Inc. Justin Lackey | Product manager — Systems • Bosch Rexroth Kelly Walden | V.P. […]
How design support and e-learning are addressing labor shortage
We recently asked several industry experts about trends they’re seeing in engineering training, software tools, and support. Here’s what those experts had to say. Meet the experts Nathan Andaya | Director Techline SBU • LINAK U.S. Boaz Eidelberg | CTO • SAAR Inc. James Gallant | Director of operations • ISL Products International Ltd. Chris…
The latest in EV, eBike, and AGV motion systems
We recently asked several industry experts about the trends they’re seeing in the design and use of electric vehicles (EVs), scooters, eBikes, and autonomous ground vehicles (AGVs). Here’s what those experts had to say. MEET THE EXPERTS Ian Blasch | Senior director— business development • Jabil James Gallant | Director of operations • ISL Products…
Top industrial connectivity and digital-transformation trends: Part 2 of 2
In the first part of this Design World Trends series, we heard from industry experts about discrete automation’s edge devices; efforts to promote standards for increased system compatibilities and interoperabilities; and the rise of fog computing as well as industrial uses for wireless technologies such as 5G. In this follow-up piece, we detail the holistic…
Top industrial connectivity and digital-transformation trends: Part 1 of 2
Discrete automation’s edge devices include actuators, sensors, and connectivity components such as gateways and motor-mounted controllers. Many of these components feature computational capabilities to minimize data bandwidth and latency issues associated with legacy versions of centralized control. Their installation at the furthest reaches of automated equipment means their processing power is situated to filter and…
Hannover Fair preview: Festo’s PhotoBionicCell and its automated cultivation of biomass
Algae are small climate savers. Even in their natural state they are extremely efficient photosynthesizers and absorb ten times more carbon dioxide (CO₂) than land plants. In bioreactors equipped with appropriate sensors, control technology and automation, the efficiency of algae can be increased to a hundred times that of land plants. This shows that they…
New Festo AI Solution improves machine usage, product quality, and energy efficiency
Festo introduces the Festo Automation Experience (AX), a new artificial intelligence (AI) platform for predictive maintenance, predictive quality, and energy optimization. Using advanced analytics, Festo AX maps data to learn a component, machine, product, or energy system’s healthy state. Festo AX provides actionable information to correct anomalies when data begins trending out of normal. At…
Festo introduces at Pack Expo AI for improved uptime, quality, and energy efficiency
Festo Automation Experience (AX), a new artificial intelligence (AI) platform for predictive quality, predictive maintenance, and energy optimization. Using advanced analytics, Festo AX maps data to learn a component, machine, product, or energy system’s healthy state. Festo AX provides actionable information to correct anomalies when data begins trending out of normal. Festo demonstrates AX at…
Festo wins coveted 2022 LEAP Award
Festo took home a silver medal in the recently completed 2022 Leap Awards. The LEAP Awards celebrates the most innovative and forward-thinking products serving the design engineering space. Festo won in the Sensors and Switches category covering equipment feedback devices such as mechanical switches and photoelectric, proximity, reel, and hall-effect sensors. Submissions also included devices […]
Festo Didactic and SICK release new curriculum for robot safety awareness: we got you covered.
Smart Technology is rapidly evolving, especially in the automation and engineering space. This can make it difficult for professionals and aspiring engineers to be adequately prepared throughout their careers. Festo Didactic, equipment and solution provider for industrial and technical education, developed the program to holistically teach students robot safety. Students can learn the latest industry…
Festo introduces smart positioner for process valve control
Festo has reimagined pneumatic process valve position control through the new CMSH smart positioner and VTOP modular installation platform. The CMSH contains a host of features, including HART communications protocol and integrated safety functions that can provide customers with up to 30% in savings. The attach-and-play VTOP ‒ with any combination of filter regulator, booster,…
Festo’s motion automation innovations provide reliability in battery assembly
In an active demonstration, as shown in this YouTube video of the demo, pneumatic and electric actuators from Festo handle and pierce battery cells. This new demonstration showcases the company’s motion automation innovations in battery and electric vehicle assembly. In battery production applications, high speeds and throughput are required, as are reliability and repeatability. In […]
Festo introduces the UR+ certified multi-axis cobot system
Festo announces the development of its UR+ certified multi-axis solution for Universal Robotics (UR) cobots. The certified UR system adds up to four axes of motion beyond the UR cobot six axes, and embodies Festo precision, reliability and longevity. This solution from Festo lowers customer engineering time and speeds startup as it arrives ready to…
Festo and the power of worker upskilling at the Oracle Industry Lab
Oracle and Festo are joining forces to help educators create new opportunities and solve tough challenges at the Oracle Industry Lab. Opened today, the facility provides hands-on, simulated industry settings for customers to experiment, learn, and bring transformative technologies to life. At the lab, visitors will interact with a sophisticated Festo “Learning Factory” used in…
Festo and MassRobotics leading healthcare robotics innovation
The Festo-MassRobotics Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst program celebrates the milestones achieved by the program’s four selected global startups at the Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum. Key life sciences and robotics speakers to lead the event. The successful Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst program came to an end on April 7th, 2022. The concluding ceremony will be held…
Pandemic impacts linear motion component manufacturing, applications
Linear motion components include everything from various types of linear actuators to linear guides, slides and ways, and a host of components in between. One thing they all have in common is that their development and production are influenced by both technological trends as well as broader market forces. One of those forces is has […]
Using blood plasma efficiently
Blood plasma contains more than 120 valuable proteins and is an indispensable resource in the production of life-saving medicines. It is in high demand on global markets. To make more efficient use of this valuable commodity, Biotest AG developed a new large-scale plant for plasma fractionation, with which it is possible to obtain five instead…
A Swabian recipe for success
Achieving the perfect pretzel takes skill, practice, and time. Or simply a clever automation solution. The Schill bakery produces 10,000 pretzels a day. The dough is automatically kneaded, divided into portions, and shaped into a strand. Then it is precisely aligned by a positioning unit from Festo, followed by the twisting process using gripping technology…
Fiber balls in the fight against micropollutants
Each year, 8,000 tons of pharmaceutical products and 10 tons of microplastics end up in Germany’s largest river, the Rhine, alone. Conventional wastewater treatment plants will always struggle to deal with such large quantities of micropollutants. That is why the town of Barntrup in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia added a purification stage for…
Intelligent magnetic gripping revolutionizes ferrous automation applications
Festo reports surging interest in the Electric Series (E-Series) of intelligent magnetic grippers from Magswitch, Lafayette, Colorado. Festo has been a Magswitch distribution partner since 2019. Magswitch E-Series intelligent magnetic grippers are not electromagnets nor are they EPMs (electropermanent magnets). Magswitch E-Series units contain proprietary switching technology that enables reduced energy consumption, faster actuation, intelligent…
Festo emphasizes process industry solutions at Automation Fair
Festo introduced several new products at Automation Fair last week, including the KDFP online configurator for quarter turn actuators and the CMSH smart positioner with HART communication. Festo also featured such process industry solutions as the VTSA-F-CB pneumatic valve manifold for PLd, (up to CAT 3 for PUS) safety; the CPX-MPA modular valve terminal…
Festo offers better gripping with intelligent picking robots
Production, warehouse, shipping — where goods are produced, stored, sorted or packed, picking also takes place. This means that several individual goods are removed from storage units such as boxes or cartons and reassembled. With the FLAIROP (Federated Learning for Robot Picking) project Festo and researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), together with…
Resilient pneumatics keep pace with changing demands
Pneumatic actuation has long been a tried-and-true motion method in many industries and applications. But today’s pneumatics companies are not your grandfather’s pneumatics – they are changing along with broader industrial and manufacturing trends, and continue to evolve their product offerings in line with new industry demands. Fluid power actuation, like pneumatics, is not going […]