in automation - Festo · “Industry 4.0”, machines will understand their environment and communicate with one another using the Internet Protocol. The ﬁ rst factories of the

trendsin automation

The Festo Customer Magazine 2.2012

Hand in hand for success

Innovative, intelligent, intuitive concepts

such as the ExoHand are providing

new scope for cooperation between

humans and machines.

www.festo.com

27 – 29 Nov. 2012

Hall 9, Stand 361

“At the forefront of automation”Festo is developing the next evolution in automation. This is

what you can expect from us. To be able to maintain this claim

in a sustainable way Festo is continually investing in future

oriented technologies. Some of the projects and ideas are far

out into the future. However, if you want to create break-through

innovations, you need to overcome traditional barriers. To think

differently, to ignore the status-quo and try new paths.

In this issue of our magazine you will read about intelligent

products and new ways in which humans can interact with tech-

nology. Devices are becoming more powerful and contain more

embedded functions. This is what we experience every day in

our private and professional lives. But what really counts is

how to turn this additional functionality into a real benefi t. The

processes, the environment and the interfaces have to be taken

into consideration to create value. A very good example is the

interaction between humans and “machines”. Today we talk to

our GPS system in the car or swipe over apps on our cell phones.

In this issue of trends in automation you will read about a few

more upcoming methods of interaction with machines. This is

only the starting point and we will see many more of these

technological developments which will change our behaviour.

We at Festo live and breathe technology and innovation. It is

in the genes of Festo. Not only in the very strong research

departments, it is in every employee and part of the identity of

Festo as a company.

We love and take care of the details but we also never lose

sight of the big picture to create real value for our customers.

Thomas Lichtenberger

Thomas Lichtenberger,

President Festo Inc.

2.2012trends in automation

Cover story Intelligent products and processes:

In the factory of tomorrow, products will be

able to tell you what is to be done with them.

Cyber-physical systems will communicate

with one another using the Internet of Things.

Microsystems will make decisions autonomously

and highly sensitive robots will support employees

so that they can continue to work even in their

later years. In this issue of trends in automation,

we take a glimpse into the future of production,

a future that is already beginning to take shape.

Editorial 3

Panorama 6

Festo worldwide 49

Competition/About this magazine 53

Soft Stop 54

(R)Evolution 4.0

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wahlster is one of

the world’s leading experts in artifi cial

intelligence. In this interview he talks

about the “fourth industrial revolution”,

Industry 4.0, in which machines will

understand their environment and

communicate with one another using

the Internet Protocol. 8

Movement of the third kind

With SmartInversion, the intelligent

combination of lightweight design,

electric drives and open- and closed-

loop control makes endless inversion

in the air possible. 12

Movement by the power of thought

Can people sense what robots feel? Can

machines really be controlled by thought?

Yes, they can – thanks to advanced

technologies such as the ExoHand and

CogniGame from Festo. 16

Small in size, big in ability

Microsystems engineering combines

sensors, actuators and processors to

create intelligent complete systems in

the smallest of spaces. A big task for

this small technological wonder. 20

“A critical success factor for

Industry 4.0 is semantic

communication between all of

the machines in a factory.”

SmartInversion: Forward

motion through inversion.

8

12

Inspiration

Compass

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Download service You can now

view or order

this magazine

online at

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Impulse

Synergies

Humanoid robots: Intelligent

and fast learners.

Ready-to-install handling gantry

ensures maximum dynamic response

and rigidity during wheel checks.

22

34

Cover story

When things start to think

Experts believe that intelligent

machines are the next big thing in

science and technology. Today’s

prototypes are laying the founda-

tions for the production of the

future. 22

Further related articles

(R)Evolution 4.0 8

Movement by the power

of thought 16

Small in size, big in ability 20

Power to the East

China is taking the big leap into the

high-tech age. The automation and

automotive industries in particular are

benefi tting from the emergence of China

as a key market. 28

Alloy wheels, through to X-ray!

A fully automatic testing facility is helping

alloy wheels get into gear before they

even hit the road. The high throughput

rates are achieved thanks to a ready-to-

install handling gantry. 34

A grip on healthcare

In a Copenhagen hospital, the world’s fi rst

fully automated, sterile warehouse for

surgical instruments is making savings

amounting to ten man-years. 38

Stress-free metal sheets

A newly developed vacuum stacker

quickly and gently transports and

palletises metal sheets. It is controlled

using 105 vacuum valves. 40

Water for the Cape Whale Coast

The holiday resort of Hermanus on

South Africa’s Cape Whale Coast has a

problem. It is located in an area where

drinking water is scarce. Pneumatic

automation technology comes to the

rescue at the Preekstoel water treatment

plant. 46

2.2012 trends in automationContents 4 – 5

The Cybertecture Egg illustrates what

happens when the worlds of intelligent

technology and architecture collide. The

33,000 m2 offi ce building in Mumbai,

India, is a well thought-out cosmos for

an innovative working environment. A

sky garden provides shade and natural

cooling and is used for water treatment.

Process water is recycled and then topped

up with harvested rainwater. The intelli-

gent glass façade with integrated photo-

voltaic modules supplies energy and

at the same time controls the amount of

incident solar radiation. The interior

lighting is controlled on the basis of

weather data. A cooling water reservoir

located deep underground supports the

air conditioning systems of the Cybertec-

ture Egg. The individual systems are

controlled and coordinated by intelligent

building management systems. The

health of employees is also taken care

of. In the bathrooms, “Cybertecture

Health” checks employees’ vital functions

such as the blood pressure and calls the

doctor in case of an emergency.

Intelligence in the cyber egg

PhotPhotPhotPhothhothoohoo o: Jo: Jo: J: JJ:oo:o: amesamesamesee LawLawLawLawLaw CybCyCybCybCybbyyyy erteerteerteertee cturcturctutururure Ine Ine Ine Ine Ie Iee ternternteternternrre atioatioatioatioiooiooatiatiiaa nalnalnanalnan

(R)Evolution 4.0

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Wolfgang Wahlster, one of the world’s leading experts in artifi cial

intelligence, gives us a glimpse into the industrial processes of the future. In the world of

“Industry 4.0”, machines will understand their environment and communicate with one

another using the Internet Protocol. The fi rst factories of the new industrial evolution are set

to begin operation in just fi ve years’ time.

Interview

trends in automation: Prof. Wahlster, we often hear the term

“Industry 4.0” being mentioned in expert discussions and

specialist media. In the future, machines will be able to com-

municate with one another and thus revolutionise conventional

industrial production. Are we actually heading towards a

fourth industrial revolution, as many commentators believe?

Prof. Wolfgang Wahlster: Yes, cyber-physical production sys-

tems will revolutionise conventional manufacturing logic, as

the individual workpiece will work out itself which services

it requires from the plant. This entirely new architecture for

production systems can be implemented gradually through the

digital upgrading of existing production facilities, which means

that the concept can be realised not only in completely new

factories, but also rolled out step-by-step in existing factories

in an evolutionary process. In the current Industry 3.0, we are

already seeing signs of the imminent change from rigid central

industrial control to decentralised intelligence. Vast numbers

of sensors are recording their environment with incredible

precision and are making their own decisions in embedded

processor systems, independently of a central production

control system. The only things missing right now are compre-

hensive wireless networking of the components, the perma-

nent exchange of information, the merging of different sensor

evaluations for the identifi cation of complex events and critical

states and their situation-dependent interpretation, as well as

further action planning based on these fi ndings.

Why does industrial production need such a high degree of

networking of intelligent machines?

Wahlster: In today’s factories, huge volumes of data are being

produced by an ever increasing number of measuring points.

These are handled easily by machines, but humans can no

longer process them at the same pace. It is therefore useful if

machines can communicate with one another in certain areas

of production. Many processes can be made more effi cient,

fl exible and cost-effective by creating instrumented environ-

ments. Extremely small, low-cost wireless sensors are

distributed throughout a production plant, allowing objects

to register their environment and communicate wirelessly.

Several different types of technical sensor, such as opto-

electrical sensors, pressure, temperature and infrared sensors,

work together to create an overall picture of the situation,

sensing what is currently going on in their environment.

In the world of Industry 4.0, products and production facilities

will become active system components, controlling their own

production and logistics. They will contain cyber-physical

systems that link the cyberspace of the Internet with the real

physical world. However, they are different from current

mechatronic systems as they have the ability to interact with

their environment, plan and adapt their own behaviour to

suit their environment and learn new behavioural patterns and

strategies and thus be self-optimising. They allow even the

smallest of batches with rapid product changes and a large

number of variants to be produced effi ciently. Embedded

sensor/actuator components, machine-to-machine communi-

cation and active semantic product memories are giving rise

to new optimisation methods in order to conserve resources in

industrial environments. This will facilitate environmentally

About the person

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Wolfgang WahlsterThe Doctor of Computer Science is a researcher and lec-

turer in the area of artifi cial intelligence at the Saarland

University. Wolfgang Wahlster is CEO and Technical and

Scientifi c Managing Director of the German Research

Center for Artifi cial Intelligence (DFKI) in Kaiserslautern,

Saarbrücken, Bremen and Berlin. As a member of the

Federal Government’s research alliance and Chairman

of the highest advisory body in the European Union on

the Internet of the future (FI-PPP programme), he advises

Europe’s political decision-makers. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang

Wahlster is one of the world’s leading experts in

the area of artifi cial intelligence. He is a winner of the

Federal President’s German Future Award for his

research work.

www.dfki.de

2.2012 trends in automationInspiration 8 – 9

friendly and sophisticated production at a reasonable cost in

Germany in the future.

Does this mean entirely new possibilities for production?

Wahlster: Yes, the ability of machines to understand a given

situation will result in a whole new level of quality in industrial

production. The interaction between a large number of

individual components will produce solutions that have never

before been programmed in a production plant. In physics and

biology we call this phenomenon ‘emergence’. A good example

is an ant colony, in which the individual insect is not particu-

larly intelligent, but when a large number of ants work together

they can produce astonishing solutions for fi nding food and

fending off predators. In essence, the whole is greater than the

sum of its parts. This phenomenon is also found in “Factory

4.0”. If a component is damaged or if a part fails completely,

the remaining operational components together develop a type

of self-healing process, which identifi es the damage, estimates

its extent, fi nds alternative solutions for the current production

task and authorises corresponding maintenance or repair work,

which must, of course, be carried out by trained personnel as it

has always been.

Just like in the ant colony, this demands highly effi cient

communication. How is this resolved in Industry 4.0?

Wahlster: A critical success factor for Industry 4.0 is intelligent

interpretation of the environmental information. The software

therefore plays a key role. It should not only record the sensor

information and relay it as a bit sequence, but it must also

understand the content in context. To this end, the factory

software of the future will also have a system of concepts

that allows the function of system components, production

tasks, states and events to be clearly described. Industry 4.0

thus facilitates high-quality semantic communication, which

can be understood not only by the people in the factory, but

also by the factory machines. In order for this to work, we need

standardised description languages and the Internet as a com-

munication platform in the factory. The current chaos created

by countless bus systems will be replaced by a single, world-

wide standardised protocol: Internet Protocol on a real-time

capable WLAN or Ethernet.

So Industry 4.0 uses the Internet for communication between

system components?

Wahlster: That’s right. That’s why we talk about the “Internet

of Things” in this context. The individual machines have

miniaturised web servers no bigger than a lump of sugar, which

provide services and can communicate with the workpieces in

the manufacturing process. In Industry 4.0, a workpiece can be

taken from a mobile workpiece carrier to the production com-

ponent that can implement the next required processing step

the quickest and at the lowest cost, just like service providers

bidding for business in a real marketplace. The processing chain

thus created for each workpiece is like a kind of navigation

through the factory. This ensures a high degree of fl exibility,

reliability and stability for Industry 4.0. In the changeable

production environment of Industry 4.0, the unmachined part

tells the system what it should make from and with it. The

system component must in turn communicate the services it

offers to the product. The product then decides whether and

in what form it wants to accept the service and saves it in its

semantic product memory.

Does this already exist in industry?

Wahlster: Yes, this concept is already in use in some areas of

logistics. For example, a product with a specifi ed maximum

temperature in the cold chain can monitor the ambient tempera-

ture during transport using a cyber-physical system installed in

the packaging. When a defi ned threshold is exceeded, the pack-

aging triggers an alarm and alerts the refrigerated truck, for

example. The truck can then react and lower the temperature.

This technology is already being used for the transport of blood

plasma bags. The major advantage here is the direct communi-

cation between the object and the climate control without the

need for human interaction.

How long will it be until the fi rst Industry 4.0 production plants

commence operation and can existing plants also be converted

or upgraded?

Wahlster: The big advantage of Industry 4.0 is that it can

be implemented gradually. With cyber-physical systems, you

can convert a factory while it is in operation. This involves

integrating sensors as required, fi tting system components

with miniature servers and replacing the bus system. This

means that you can start with individual machines and then

convert the entire plant. The much talked about “fourth

industrial revolution” is actually machine evolution. There

is no Factory 4.0 yet in commercial operation, but research

and industry partners are working hard to make it a reality.

At the German Research Center for Artifi cial Intelligence (DFKI)

in Kaiserslautern, south-west Germany, we have been operat-

ing the world’s fi rst smart factory as a living laboratory for a

number of years. This is used as a reference architecture for

Industry 4.0. The fi rst new factories that fully comply with the

Industry 4.0 principle will go into production in fi ve years’ time

at the earliest. Things are moving faster in the area of conver-

sion and upgrading of existing plants. Here, it can be assumed

that the fi rst plants will be operating according to some cyber-

physical production principles in two to three years’ time.

Will people still be needed in the industrial production of the

future?

Wahlster: More than ever. Complex, one-of-a-kind premium

products cannot be produced without the work of skilled

workers. In Factory 4.0, production will follow the pace set

by the human workers and not the other way around, as is

currently the case with centralised control. However, some of

the tasks that people perform in the future will be different.

A new generation of intelligent lightweight robots will work

together directly with the human workers. In Industry 4.0,

the robot will actively cooperate with humans, as it will have

humanoid avoidance behaviour thanks to its intelligent sensors

and thus no longer present a danger for humans. Because it

senses its environment and can assess even complex situations,

it can support employees in performing manual tasks as part

of an industrial assistance system. Festo is a pioneer in this fi eld

thanks to its research in the area of bionics. The dedicated

development team has achieved a major step forward with the

Bionic Handling Assistant and the ExoHand. At the end of

the day, the main benefi ciaries of Factory 4.0 will be humans.

“At the end of the day, the main beneficiaries

of Factory 4.0 will be humans.”Wolfgang Wahlster, DFKI Saarbrücken

2.2012 trends in automationInspiration 10 – 11

Movement of

the third kind

Festo develops the SmartInversion inversion drive

The modern world moves from A to B or in a circle –

translation and rotation. The third type of drive system

based on inversion turns itself inside out – something

that until recently was only possible in theory and in

models. With SmartInversion, Festo has developed the

fi rst freely fl oating inversion drive.

An unidentified flying object

fl oats several metres above the

ground, moving silently and

gracefully. A geometrical band

made from transparent prisms constant-

ly turns itself inside out. It contracts,

closes to form a compact shape, then

opens and turns itself inside out. Sus-

pended in and on air, it pushes off and

achieves forward propulsion through

rotation. To the observer’s eye, it is a

fascinating spectacle, though in his

mind he can’t quite believe what he is

looking at. Until now, the inversion drive

only existed in theory or as a model.

A fascinating discovery

The two classic drive systems are easy

to visualise. A linear drive can be com-

pared to a cue which moves a billiard

ball in a straight line in one direction.

We use rotary motion when cycling. The

third kind of drive based on inversion,

with its idiosyncratic sequence of move-

ment, really tests our powers of percep-

tion and reasoning. It was identified by

Swiss artist and engineer Paul Schatz,

who discovered the geometrical band at

the beginning of the 20th century. What

makes it unique is the “forced movement”,

whereby when one part of the system

moves, the entire system moves with

it. Festo engineers used this basic

principle in the development of Smart-

Inversion.

Freely fl oating prisms

With SmartInversion, the intelligent com-

bination of extremely lightweight

design, electric drives and open- and

closed-loop control makes endless

inversion in the air possible. Move-

ment is divided into four phases, two of

which generate propulsion. The prisms

are f illed with helium so that they can

fl oat freely in the air. Carbon-fi bre rods

form an ultra-light framework, which

is enclosed by a gas-tight membrane.

The fascinating shape is set in rotation

by three servo motors, which move the

connecting axes forwards or backwards

depending on the drive phase. Smart-

Inversion can be controlled from a

smartphone using software specially

developed by Festo.

Four coordinated phases

In order to achieve inversion of the

geometrical band, the three servo mo-

tors are coordinated by an on-board

unit. Two of the servos run forwards

and one in reverse, depending on the

Design competition: Principle to Product

To investigate the phenomenon of

inversion in greater depth, the

Festo Bionic Learning Network and

the German Design Council have

initiated a nationwide design

competition. The Festo Challenge:

Principle to Product is looking for

creative ideas for the functional

application of inversion in indus-

trial environments.

The competition has a prize fund

totalling more than 30,000 euros

and is open to design and engineer-

ing students. The winning idea will

be implemented in cooperation with

Festo and presented at the 2013

Hanover Trade Fair.

For more information, see

www.festo.com/bionic

www.german-design-council.de/

en/design-awards/festo-chal-

lenge.html

motion phase in question. At certain

times, SmartInversion moves the servo

motors in the opposite direction. Motion

is based on a mathematical model of

the geometrical band, which is stored

in the on-board unit. This guarantees

inversion without a dead centre, which

means that the inversion process can be

initiated at any point. While SmartInver-

sion is in motion, the battery charge and

current consumption are continuously

recorded and monitored in real time via

a condition monitoring system tailored

to the requirements of SmartInversion.

Ideas without limits

With its Future Concepts, Festo is con-

stantly seeking out new approaches in

the fi eld of drive, control and gripping

technology. Natural principles, artistic

input and mathematical processes

provide new impulses for industrial

application. With the SmartInversion

Future Concept, engineers and designers

are now investigating where and how

inversion can be put to use in technol-

ogy. Festo has broken new ground with

the realisation of the inversion drive in

the form of SmartInversion. By pushing

the boundaries of what is technically

feasible, the developers are constantly

discovering new potential for the future

use of innovative technologies.

www.festo.com/en/smartinversion

2.2012 trends in automationCompass 14 – 15

Foto: Daimler AG

New developments in human-machine interaction

Movement by the

power of thoughtCan people sense what robots feel? Can machines really be

controlled by thought? Yes, they can – thanks to advanced

technologies such as the ExoHand and CogniGame from Festo.

They represent milestones on the journey towards interaction

between humans and machines in mass production.

Working without getting

tired, feeling and moving

without direct contact –

the ExoHand is a fascinating

development from Festo that expands

the manual capabilities of humans.

The exoskeleton, which is worn like a

glove, allows active fi nger movement.

The strength of the hand is amplif ied,

movements are registered and trans-

mitted to the robotic hand in real time.

The ExoHand from Festo thus combines

human intelligence with the capabilities

of a robot. It has all the principal physi-

ological degrees of movement of its

human counterpart and thus supports

the human hand’s diverse techniques

for grasping and handling objects.

A longer and healthier working life

Despite a high level of automation, there

are still many tasks in industry that can

only be performed by humans. However,

many repetitive tasks easily lead to fa-

tigue. The ExoHand amplifi es the strength

of the human hand and helps employees

remain in work longer without incurring

permanent physical damage. To prevent

fatigue and physical wear and tear, the

ExoHand can be worn for activities

carried out in the assembly process,

thereby functioning as an assistance

system that makes for more pleasant

working conditions.

Handling without risk

Another area of application of the ExoHand

is the remote manipulation of a robotic

hand in an industrial setting. Danger-

ous tasks can thus be performed from

a safe distance. As a force feedback

system, the ExoHand also extends the

One more question

trends in automation: Can you describe

in just a few words the core components

of the ExoHand and how they work?

Elias M. Knubben: We produce the Exo-

Hand from polyamide using the selective

laser sintering technique (SLS). The exo-

skeleton is created from a 3D scan of the

user’s hand. Eight pneumatic, double-

acting actuators – DFK-10 cylinders from

Festo – are attached to the outer layer.

They allow the wearer to open and close

the fi ngers with utmost precision. The

index fi nger can also be pivoted to either

side, and the thumb can be rotated

Elias Maria Knubben,

Head of Corporate

Bionic Projects at Festo

towards the palm. Linear potentiometers

register both the positions of the fi ngers

and the force applied by each individual

drive unit. The corresponding pressure

in the various chambers is regulated by

piezo proportional valves. Sensors on

the valve terminal regulate the pressure

and give an indication of the forces ap-

plied by the cylinder.

Fingertip precision: Precise orientation of

all fi nger joints and fl exible movement with

complete freedom.


Foto: Daimler AG

freedom of action of workers in produc-

tion. It can be fi tted not only over the hu-

man hand, but also over an artifi cial hand

made of silicone and functions simulta-

neously both as the operator interface

and a robotic hand. Information fl ows

from the person to the machine and from

the machine to the person. The operator

need no longer rely merely on his or her

visual and acoustic perception, but can

actually feel forms and resistances or the

effects of applied forces.

Strength in everyday use

In the area of rehabilitation, the ExoHand

will in the future be suitable for use as

an active manual orthosis – a medical

device that stabilises, relieves or con-

trols limbs. The active manual orthosis

can help stroke patients who are show-

ing the fi rst signs of paralysis to restore

the missing connection between brain

and hand. A brain-computer interface

recognises the electroencephalography

signals (EEG) from the brain and thus

the patient’s desire to open or close the

unique is the fact that one player

controls his bat by thought alone via

a brain-computer interface (BCI). The

brain-computer interface measures volt-

age fl uctuations on the player’s head

by means of fi xed electrodes.

Using your head to move

For this game, Festo developed Cogni-

Ware, a proprietary software solution

that allows control of the bat by means

of thoughts and biological signals.

CogniWare establishes communication

The heart of the new operational

concepts: Software as a channel for

human-machine communication.

between the brain and hardware with-

out the user having to interact by means

of voice commands or input devices.

The brain-computer interface and the

CogniWare software register the thought

patterns in the player’s brain, process

them and convey them to the hardware.

For CogniGame, the developers from

Festo made use of a commercially avail-

able brain-computer interface that is

fitted out with a total of 14 signal elec-

trodes and two reference electrodes.

This interface samples the brain signals

at a rate of 128 times per second. These

signals are then fi ltered and conveyed

to the software. Operation of the

brain-computer interface is linked with

measurement of the “mu rhythm” that

is generated by the motor-sensory cortex

of the brain. The mu rhythm occurs as a

result of physical movement or even the

hand. The movements are carried out

by the ExoHand with the brain-com-

puter interface. This creates a training

effect, which over time helps patients

to move their hand again without any

technical assistance.

The power of thought

The brain-computer interface represents

the next generation of human-machine

interfaces. CogniGame from Festo shows

how a thought-controlled operational

concept can work in practice. It is a rein-

terpretation of a well-known video game

from the 1970s. Based on the game

of table tennis, players used a joystick

to move a paddle up and down on the

screen to return the ball to their oppo-

nent. For CogniGame, the developers

at Festo transferred the virtual game

to a real playing fi eld built using Festo

components. What makes CogniGame

CogniGame: Control by the power of thought

with a brain-computer interface and conventional

operation with muscular force (top).

Training for the brain and muscles: The ExoHand

in combination with a brain-computer interface

(bottom left).

A possible future scenario: Controlling machines

by thoughts (bottom right).

mere thought of such movement. It

is therefore suffi cient to simply imagine

the left hand moving, for example,

in order to move the hardware in that

direction.

The future is interactive

The ExoHand and CogniGame show the

enormous potential that human-machine

interaction holds for the future. In in-

dustry, operators will be able to perform

laborious tasks, which can currently

only be performed by the human hand,

with incredible flexibility.

Robots with highly sensitive remote-

control operation not only allow

high-precision work to be carried out

over long distances, but also let people

feel what and how the robot grips. By

bridging the gap between the human

brain and the hardware to be controlled,

humans and machines can become

partners for a future that until just a few

years ago only researchers and science

fi ction authors could dream of.

www.festo.com/bionic


Foto: Daimler AG

automation. They are becoming increas-

ingly important in the miniaturisation of

sample quantities. “In diagnostics we

are currently witnessing a trend for the

inclusion of a laboratory function on

prefabricated carriers,” says Jens-Heiko

Adolph, Head of ISM Electronic, Assembly,

Solar, Display at Festo. “These functions

The future belongs to microsystems engineering

Small in size, big in abilityBeing small is simply not enough. Microsystems must be able to see, hear or feel, make

decisions and initiate the right processes. A big task for these small technological marvels.

We may not be aware of it, but

our professional and daily

lives are increasingly being

controlled by microsystems.

They go quietly about their work as “sta-

bilisers” in computers, as an intelligent

combination of sensors, processors and

actuators in airbags or in the form of an

intelligent gripper with miniature camera

in automation. Microsystems engineer-

ing is thus an expanding sector of the

economy, with experts predicting double-

digit growth. According to market re-

search company Prognos, sales in the

microsystems engineering sector in

Germany alone are set to rise from 82

billion euros in 2009 to 245 billion euros

in 2020. Microsystems engineering is

providing a new impetus in mechanical

and plant engineering, the electrical

industry, automotive engineering, infor-

mation and communications technology,

biotechnology and medical technology.

Subsystems that make their own

decisions

Microsystems engineering combines

sensors, actuators and processors to

create intelligent complete systems in

the smallest of spaces. Microsystems

engineering is therefore not just about

making components smaller, but also

about providing a proper “training pro-

gramme” for subsystems. In microsys-

tems engineering, an intelligent gripper

is no longer subordinate to a PLC. It can

function independently – without the

need for an additional computer – to

identify parts, distinguish them by

size, design and quality, grip them and

forward them to different users depend-

ing on the process type. In addition

to a lower weight and reduced energy re-

quirements, an intelligent microsystems

engineering gripper offers faster re-

sponse times thanks to shorter informa-

tion channels.

A laboratory no bigger than a credit card

Microsystems play a key role in modern

medical technology and laboratory

The piezo valve terminal VEMA provides precise

pressure regulation and therefore exact metering

in liquid handling.

One more question

trends in automation: What signi-

fi cance does microsystems engineer-

ing have in current research and

why is cooperation in networks so

important?

Dr. Volker Nestle: The days of major

research funding programmes for

microsystems engineering are over,

but current trends in automation such

as “Smart & Intuitive” or “Systems of

Systems” have no chance of success

without the consistent use of micro-

systems engineering. We will there-

fore be focussing even more strongly

on effi cient small-scale microsystems

production in future. This cannot be

achieved without an excellent network,

which is why we are intensively involved

in technology clusters and networks.

Dr. Volker Nestle,

Head of Research

Microsystems

at Festo

are also known as lab-on-a-chip appli-

cations. The entire fl uidic system, includ-

ing reservoir, pumps and sensors, must

fi t on a credit-card sized carrier,” explains

the microsystems engineering expert,

citing medical technology as an example.

The miniaturised fi nal product requires

similar assembly processes, including

pick & place, plastics welding and feeding

devices in the nanolitre range.

Success in the smallest of spaces

Festo identifi ed the trend towards mini-

aturisation at an early stage and was

a driving force in making components

including valve terminals even smaller.

Miniature valve terminals allow even the

smallest of drives to be activated in the

smallest of spaces and even installed

on moving components. Compact piezo

valves play an important role here as

their volumetric capacity is more than

three times that of conventional valves

of the same design.

However, Festo doesn’t want to merely

settle for innovative dosing valve tech-

nology, and is thinking beyond the limits

of what is currently feasible. The compa-

ny is therefore involved in the KonKaMis

project of leading-edge cluster MicroTEC

Südwest. The objective of KonKaMis is

the development of a confi gurable cam-

era for microsystems, which can monitor

the highly dynamic fi lling processes of

very small volumes in various laboratory

automation applications. For the follow-

up project INSERO3D, for which an ap-

plication has already been submitted,

KonKaMis is supplying the basics for the

confi guration of a miniaturised 3D camera,

which will allow service robots to move in

three dimensions for the fi rst time, thus

opening up new opportunities for inter-

action between humans and technology.

Mini is the next big thing

As far as Dr. Volker Nestle, Head of

Research Microsystems at Festo, is

concerned, the future clearly belongs to

microsystems engineering and to micro-

pneumatics in many areas of automation.

He believes that micropneumatics and

microsystems engineering, because

of their innovation potential, will also

make a signifi cant contribution to en-

hancing Germany’s future competitive-

ness as a technology centre.

Small, but effective: Detonators (left) trigger airbags

like the front airbag of the new Volvo 40, which

protects pedestrians in the event of a collision. Phothoto: Vo: Volvoolvo CarC Corporation


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becoming increasingly intelligent. Many experts believe that intelligent machines are going

to be the next big thing in science and technology. Today’s prototypes are laying the foun-

dations for the production of the future. But does intelligence on the outside always mean

intelligence on the inside? And what will the products and processes of the future look like?

Intelligent products and processes

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2.2012 trends in automationImpulse 22 – 23

� Intelligent logistics: The digital product memory

will make the fl ow of goods faster and more reliable.

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ignited the smartphone boom fi ve years ago with the

iPhone. Today’s smartphones work intelligently with house

automation technology, vehicles, machines and systems.

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and applies it to new problems.

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vehicle and environment. The integration of a smartphone

and the Internet plays a key role in the BMW i8 concept,

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Just a few short years ago, a car was

a car and a mobile phone was a

device for making calls while on the

move. Today, a car is a highly com-

plex means of transport that “communi-

cates” with the driver and makes driving

safer and more comfortable thanks to

numerous assistance systems. Today’s

mobile phone is “smart”. It can navigate,

provide information about restaurants

and shopping in the local area in just

a few seconds, and do all of this on the

basis of learned behaviour patterns from

its owner. So what does the future hold?

Experts are convinced that in the not-

too-distant future, coats will be able to

record the bodily functions of the people

wearing them and alert the emergency

services in the event of a problem, which

will be particularly useful for elderly

people, for example. The same applies

to refrigerators, which will independently

order milk and butter when needed, or

washing machines that will only wash at

times when electricity is cheap. Industrial

production is set to form complex net-

works over what is known as the “Internet

of Things”, in which the raw material will

communicate with the processing system

and tell the system what to do with it.

Things that think

Can objects really be intelligent? For

example, is an autonomous industrial

vision system with a built-in minicom-

puter that can identify and analyse even

complex patterns intelligent? For

hundreds of years, philosophers have

attempted to understand the phenom-

enon of intelligence in general, while

scientists have focussed on human

intelligence. Compared with the complex-

ity and capability of the human brain,

no machine can currently be described

as truly intelligent. However, compared

with a steam engine from the age of the

industrial revolution, a robot used in

automotive production that can replace

a huge number of manual tasks performed

certainly can be described as intelligent.

It can detect different workpieces, make

decisions with regard to their processing

and perform the necessary work steps

independently.

Weak AI versus strong AI

A more feasible approach to achieving

intelligence in objects lies in artifi cial

intelligence (AI), a concept which has

been around since the 1950s. John

R. Searle, Professor of Philosophy at

Berkeley University, was the fi rst person

to make a distinction between “weak AI”

and “strong AI”. In doing so, he freed

machines from the as yet unfulfilled

expectation of having to have possess

consciousness in order to be considered

intelligent. According to Searle, weak AI

involves the simulation of human intelli-

gence, which attempts to solve problems

and perform tasks. It mimics intelligent

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behaviour using mathematics and

information technology. Strong AI, on

the other hand, involves the develop-

ment of consciousness and genuine

understanding, i.e. a type of artificial

intelligence that matches or even

exceeds human intellectual abilities.

The thinking robot

Released from the demand for real con-

sciousness, machines that perform tasks

autonomously can in good conscience be

described as intelligent. A highlight among

intelligent machines is the HIRO robot

(Human Interactive Robot) developed at

the Tokyo Institute of Technology under the

direction of Professor Osamu Hasegawa.

The robot uses the SOINN algorithm (Self-

Organizing Incremental Neural Network)

to record commands and collects the

necessary data and information in order

to later execute the commands. If HIRO

doesn’t know something, he fi nds out for

himself. What makes HIRO really interesting

is that he saves all new information for later

use and can apply it to new problems. The

robot thus constantly develops itself in

order to be able to perform tasks for which

it was not originally programmed. Hase-

gawa hopes that SOINN will one day also

be used in practical applications such

as the control of traffi c light systems, for

example. Traffi c congestion could thus

be reduced by analysing public monitor-

ing equipment and accident reports, for

example.

The intelligent box

With the inBin, the Fraunhofer IML and the

Chair of Materials Handling and Warehous-

ing of the TU Dortmund have developed

the fi rst real intelligent bin. inBin communi-

cates with people and machines, makes

decisions independently, monitors

environmental conditions and controls

logistics processes. The intelligent

bin uses inverted light barriers to locate

its position and integrated sensors

to measure important environmental

parameters such as air temperature. The

inBin can therefore decide whether it is

at the right location in a complex storage

system with different climate zones. What

makes the intelligent bin truly special is its

ability not only to communicate with other

inBins in order to optimise the logistics

process, but also to establish contact with

humans. In doing so, the intelligent bin

establishes a connection between

humans and the Internet of Things.

Artifi cial intelligence

Artifi cial intelligence (AI) deals with the

question of how intelligent behaviour

can be automated. However, scientists

are having diffi culty agreeing on a single

term, as there is no unique defi nition

for the term “intelligence”. In research

and development, AI refers to the crea-

tion of a form of intelligence with

human-like traits. Examples include

computers which fi nd solutions to

problems independently. However,

in many cases – computer games

being a good example – the concept of

artifi cial intelligence is used to describe

an assumed pseudo-intelligence that

uses simple programs to mimic

intelligent human behaviour patterns.

inBin: The intelligent bin is

able to manage and control

the entire picking process.


Interview trends in automation: How do

you think the production of the future

will look?

Dr. Peter Post: I think the future of

production will demand a great

degree of fl exibility and adaptivity.

Huge amounts of time and money

are going into the construction of

production plants that meet specifi c

requirements. If something changes

in the product, you have to completely

redesign and convert parts of the

plant. I believe that in the future, pro-

duction plants will have components

that are networked in an intelligent

way, carry out their own confi guration

with minimal effort and independently

meet the varying requirements in pro-

duction orders. This will give us maxi-

mum fl exibility.

trends in automation: So the

production plant of the future will

have decentralised intelligence?

Dr. Peter Post: In the context of the

production of the future, decentra-

lised intelligence means that tasks

that are currently still performed by

the master computer will be taken

over by the component. Everything

required to control a single partial

order could therefore be carried out

in the mini control system on site by

the component.

You can read the entire interview at

www.festo.com/research

Dr. Peter Post, Head of Corporate Research

and Programme Strategy at Festo

The Internet of Things

Futurologists believe that there will

soon be more things than people on the

Internet. Entire systems will be able to

communicate beyond their own physical

boundaries. This will be made possible

thanks to the so-called “Internet of

Things”. A milestone in this development

was reached in June of this year. Most

people will have been completely un-

aware of the switchover to the Internet

Protocol Version 6, which increased the

number of available IP addresses from

4.3 billion to 340 sextillion (sextillion =

a number with 36 zeros). This develop-

ment will allow mobile phones, comput-

ers, cars, transport containers, articles of

clothing and machines to be assigned

their own IP addresses. Hans Vestberg,

CEO of Ericsson, the world’s biggest

provider of telecommunications equip-

ment, believes that up to 50 billion

devices such as cars, for example, will be

networked with one another by 2020.

Sensors installed in a car will detect ice

on the road and send a warning to the

cars behind. Prof. Wahlster, Director of the

German Research Center for Artifi cial In-

telligence (DFKI), believes that this technol-

ogy will be ready for production in two

to three years. (You can read more about

this topic in the interview on page 8.)

The digital product memory

In the industry of the future, the internal

states of devices, materials, objects and

environments will be recorded using inte-

grated information technology and linked

with the real states of industrial process-

es. For example, the material to be pro-

cessed will use RFID to inform the machine

which work steps have already been car-

ried out and which are still out-standing.

Machines will identify the individual pro-

duct and perform the required work steps

automatically along with any tool changes

that are necessary. The product memory

will also serve as life-long documentation.

Intelligent textiles: Fabric with an integrated electronic component (LED) and with woven-in

insulated electrical conductors. Possible use in protective clothing with signal messages.

Photo: ITV Denkendorf, Forschungsbereich Smart Textiles

Photos: DFKI GmbHHH

Enormous potential also exists in the

area of logistics. Networked robots will

be able to fetch products from the

shelves. And with smart labels, it will be

possible to track the entire life cycle

of a product – from producer through to

logistics company, retailer, and fi nally

fi nishing with the end customer – at any

time. The digital product memory will

make the fl ow of goods faster and more

reliable.

The fourth industrial revolution

Many experts agree that the economy

is on the cusp of a fourth industrial

revolution, also known as Industry 4.0.

This involves a shift from our current

understanding of production to Internet-

based manufacturing, in which the raw

materials incorporate the features of the

future product. Products will control

their own production processes and

unfi nished parts will send their produc-

tion schedule wirelessly to the plant –

thus becoming active control compo-

nents. The intelligent production of the

future will thus significantly increase

the speed of industrial processes.

Workflows will become more flexible,

organise themselves and arrange

changes, maintenance work and con-

tinuous optimisation of their own

accord.

Industry 4.0 promises intelligent

production for maximum flexibility. For

science and the automation industry, the

road to real implementation is a long, but

exciting one. Companies from various

sectors, research institutes and special-

ists from a wide range of expert groups

are working together to drive development

forward. But where do humans stand

on the road to intelligent production? How

will our role change in the future? Quo

vadis homo faber – man the creator?

trends in automation will keep you

updated with developments.

The swarm network

Together we are not only stronger,

but also more intelligent. Swarm

intelligence is a perfect example of

this principle in action. Its inspiration

comes from nature, as shown by

shoals of fish, flocks of birds and

colonies of ants. While an individual

ant possesses only a limited amount

of intelligence, ants working together

as a community can deal with com-

plex challenges with a high degree of

intelligence.

AquaJellies from Festo show how

swarm intelligence can already be

replicated by humans. These artifi cial,

autonomous jellyfi sh with an electric

drive unit have an intelligent, adaptive

mechanism that emulates swarming

behaviour. When provided with the

capacity to communicate, a swarm

of AquaJellies can act as a highly de-

veloped, self-controlled system.

www.festo.com/en/aquajelly

AquaJellies from Festo: Artifi cial jellyfi sh

with swarm intelligence.

Vision of the future for city cars: The EO smart connecting car is extremely

agile, changing its shape and adapting to the current traffi c situation.


PhotPhoto: Lo: Lesleesley May Magno gno / ge/ gettyittyimagemagess

Power to

the EastChina is changing: The erstwhile low-wage country

is taking the big leap into the high-tech age. The

automation and automotive industries in particular

are benefi tting from the emergence of China as a

key market. Despite a recent decline in growth, the

Chinese “Red Dragon” remains fi rmly on target.

China: The economic powerhouse

Symbol of good luck: Dragon

puppet at the traditional Chinese

New Year celebrations.

2.2012 trends in automationSynergies 28 – 29

In China, the dragon is a powerful, yet benevolent symbol.

It carries the hopes and desires of the people into the

heavens and brings back divine blessings. It bears no

resemblance to the monsters we are familiar with from

Western mythology. The “Red Dragon” refl ects the nature of

a country that could hardly be more different. In ancient

Chinese myths and legends, earth, air and water dragons

lived throughout the land – in the vast expanses of the

Gobi Desert in the West, across the Himalayas and along

the rivers and coastline of the East.

Room for growth

The country’s sheer size alone gives it a position of power.

Covering an area of 9.6 million square kilometres, making it

almost as big as Europe with 10.2 million square kilometres,

China has a population of 1.3 billion – around 560 million more

than Europe. The difference in population density between

rural and urban areas is enormous. In the lowlands of Northern

China, hundreds of millions of people live in the densely

populated cities. By contrast, large areas of the countryside,

including the sweeping mountain ranges of the West, the

Transhimalaya and the Gobi Desert, are virtually uninhabited.

Self-assured and visionary

In recent years, an impressive dynamic has emerged from

the political interaction between the socialist value system

and the free market economy with neo-liberal characteristics.

With an expected decline in economic growth from a previous

average of ten per cent to 7.8 per cent in the fi rst half of 2012,

the voices of caution are becoming louder, though signifi cant

change is unlikely. China has established itself as one of the

world’s key growth markets in recent years. The impetus for

the rise of the “Red Dragon” lies in its self-assuredness,

which stems from its history as an ancient civilization dating

back around 5,000 years. The country’s vision and global

self-image is reflected in its plans for its very first manned

space station in 2020.

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A changing economy

As far as the experts are concerned, the question is not if China

will become the world’s biggest economy, but when. The

country currently occupies second place in the global rankings

behind the USA, and is ahead of Japan, Germany, France and

the UK. In the early stages of economic growth, China was little

more than a low-wage country for manufacturers from the

West. However, the growing prosperity of its main population

centres has seen the country blossom into an attractive

market. The international automotive industry today sells more

cars in China than in any other country in the world. This points

to a transformation in China’s economic structures, which accor-

ding to international business leaders will involve signifi cant

change. The country is evolving from a low-cost producer and

formidable copyist into a high-tech nation that is driving

technological development. According to fi gures released by

the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, production

in the high-tech industries reached record levels in 2011. The

gross production value of around 60,000 high-tech fi rms

amounted to around 1.6 billion US dollars.

A few more questions

trends in automation: What does the future hold for the

manufacturing industry in China?

JJ Chen: China already has the biggest domestic market,

the highest manufacturing industrial output and the

biggest automotive market, and is thus also set to be-

come the biggest market for automation technology in

the coming years. The manufacturing industry in China

is gradually adopting international quality standards.

Factories are moving away from manual labour in favour

of automated manufacturing processes. At the same

time, energy efficiency, environmental protection and

industrial safety are becoming increasingly important.

trends in automation: How important is customer prox-

imity in the Chinese market?

JJ Chen: Very important. Customers in China expect top

quality “Made by Festo”, with guaranteed delivery within

one day at prices that are competitive in the local market,

just like in Europe. Even more important is having engi-

neers who speak the local language so that the specifi c

needs of individual customers are understood. This is why

Festo is able to offer customers solutions that are tailored

to their requirements.

JJ Chen,

General Manager Festo Greater China

Festo currently employs around 1,800 people

in the areas of production and logistics and in

42 sales and service centres throughout China.


Local production

For leading economic nations like Germany, the economic ties

that it has formed with China are inseparable. According to

the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), German mechan-

ical engineering firms recorded sales of around 19 billion

euros in China in 2011. In a study conducted by the German

Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), China emerged

yet again as the most popular industrial location for German

industry. Today, more than 200,000 people are employed

by 5,000 German firms in China. This is driven partly by the

enormous and constantly growing demand for automation

technology. Festo currently earns ten per cent of its total

turnover and employs 1,800 people in China. To achieve the

target of 20 per cent annual growth in China, Festo inaugu-

rated its new plant in Jinan in May of this year at a cost of

around 20 million euros. According to the Chairman of the

Board of Festo AG, Dr. Eberhard Veit, this expansion will

ensure that regional market demand can continue to be met

over the coming years.

Big German fi rms such as Volkswagen and Siemens are also

active in China. In 2011, VW sold around 2.26 million cars

in China and has a workforce of 46,000 people throughout

the country. Siemens is the second-biggest German employer,

with a workforce of 29,000 people. The global corporation

has recognised the importance of a commitment that extends

beyond mere production in order to ensure a successful

long-term relationship with China. Siemens has 16 research

centres throughout the country.

Success through expertise

Festo has recognised the importance of investment in the

basic and further training of qualifi ed personnel at local level

for some years now. With over 90 per cent of companies in

China complaining about skills shortages, Festo Didactic has

been providing local and international customers with

support in employee training for a number of years. Over 500

educational partners, universities and industrial training

centres benefit from the expertise of the automation expert.

The company maintains close links with fi ve leading universi-

ties and Festo is investing in infrastructure for education,

research and preliminary application studies in these partner

The Chinese Minister of Industry and Infor-

mation Technology, Miao Wei (middle), visits

Festo at Hanover Fair.

Tongji University: Festo supports the educational

policy model project at the Sino-German University

for Applied Sciences.

Festo Didactic in China: Cooperation with

over 500 partners in education, universities

and industrial training centres.

Metropolitan Solutions for water/wastewater:

Water treatment plant in Nanjing, China –

automated using Festo technology.

Customer Solutions: Customers in China too will

enjoy tailored solutions for their applications.

“We are moving

towards a model

of production

based in the

region for the

region.”Dr. Hong Zhou, Head of the

Global Production Centre,

Jinan, Shanghai and APTC

institutions. Festo has also been involved in extensive coopera-

tion with the renowned Tongji University in Shanghai since 1985.

The success of the Esslingen-based company in China is

founded on its extensive pool of highly trained experts. This

provides the basis for successful projects such as the water

treatment plant in Nanjing, a city with over 6 million inhabitants,

in which automated solutions from Festo supply a million

people with 4.5 million cubic metres of clean water every day.

Like many other countries in the world, China has realised

the need to make the most effi cient use of this scarce natural

resource. Hundreds of water and wastewater treatment

plants have been equipped with solutions from Festo. These

solutions help the plants to operate more effi ciently.

If you count the arguments in favour of sustained economic

growth in China, the bottom line remains extremely positive

despite a few dissenting voices. China is not about to slow

down any time soon – and why should it? Not only have people

in China learned a great deal from the West, but the West

has also learned a great deal from China, and will continue to

do so in the future.

Festo in China

Next year, the national company celebrates 20 years

in the Shanghai metropolis. A lot has happened since

the company was founded. Over the years, Festo has

invested in plant construction and expansion and in a

customer-oriented infrastructure. The Global Produc-

tion Centre (GPC) in Shanghai was created in 2005. In

2007, a new production location was acquired with

the takeover of the Jinan Huaneng Pneumatic Company

(JPC) in the industrial city of Jinan, which is served by

the high-speed rail link between Beijing and Shanghai.

At the beginning of this year, Festo hosted a traditional

celebration to mark the inauguration of a new extension,

a step increase in the plant by a further 26,000 m2 to

around 46,000 m2. The plant in Jinan is now offi cially one

of the 11 GPCs worldwide.

At around the same time, a groundbreaking ceremony

was held in Shanghai for the expansion of Asia Pacifi c

Technical Centre (APTC). Through this programme of

expansion, Festo aims to meet growing demand for

customised and user-specifi c products and solutions

in China. Festo currently employs around 1,800 people

in the areas of production and logistics and in 42 sales

and service centres throughout China.

Dr. Eberhard Veit, Chairman of the Management Board of Festo AG,

at the celebrations to mark the expansion of the plant in Jinan.


Felgenprüfanlage mit einbaufertigem Handlingportal

Alloy wheels,

through to X-ray!Alloy wheels should not only look great, but also contribute to a safe and

enjoyable driving experience. A fully automatic testing system is helping

to get things moving by X-raying the cast parts for even the tiniest of fl aws –

delivering the fastest quality check on the market at present. The high

throughput rates are achieved thanks to a ready-to-install handling gantry.

Photo: Fraunhofer IIS

Testing system for alloy wheels with ready-to-install handling gantry


The radioscopy process is run-

ning at full tilt. At intervals

lasting just a few seconds,

the heavy rectangular parti-

tion opens and closes. One after the

other, gleaming silver test specimens

disappear inside to be X-rayed. The

“patients” in this case are unmachined

cast alloy wheels. “Rapid acceleration

and dynamic cornering may be excit-

ing for drivers of sports cars, but they

subject the alloy wheels to extreme

loads. This means that manufacturers

are obliged to conduct thorough tests.

Even the smallest air bubbles, pinholes

or foreign bodies in the aluminium

cast can cause the wheels to break,”

explains Felix Richter, engineer with

Bavarian automation specialists Erhardt

+ Abt, who developed “HeiDetect

Wheel”, a fully automatic in-line testing

system that offers signifi cant benefi ts

in mass production. At the heart of the

system is an X-ray test system with

detector developed by the Fraunhofer

Institute for Integrated Circuits (IIS).

Its powerful vision system detects even

the tiniest of casting defects quickly

and reliably.

Rapid handling

A handling gantry from Festo is responsi-

ble for delivering the high process speed.

It transports up to 140 wheels per hour

through the system. It was implemented

according to the exact specifi cations

of Erhardt + Abt. “The system has an

extremely compact design. At some

points the distance to the housing is just

two to three millimetres. This demanded

maximum precision from Festo,” says

Richter approvingly. Festo delivered

the gantry as a ready-to-install unit.

Richter’s team simply had to connect up

the interfaces and base plate of the sys-

tem and then mount the radiation-safe

steel-lead-steel chamber on top of it.

Before the wheel enters the system,

an upstream station reads its technical

data, including diameter and height,

using a bar code. The gripper unit in the

X-ray cabinet gets ready for action in

accordance with the registered values

and moves into the optimal position. As

soon as the partition opens and the alloy

wheel enters, the gripper grasps it using

its support wheels. A multi-position

cylinder ADNM ensures a perfect grip

by adapting the movable front pair of

rollers precisely to the wheel size. To

ensure that even the smallest detail

is recorded, two servo motors of type

EMMS turn the wheel clockwise around

the hub during the X-ray process.

A tough nut

Including the fi xed alloy wheel, the

gripper supports up to 168 kg. “Ensur-

ing that the gantry construction had

the necessary rigidity and dynamic

response, that was a tough nut to crack.

Particularly as the operating tempera-

tures can fluctuate between 15 and 60

degrees Celsius depending on the time of

year and throughput,” explains Wolfram

Turnaus, sales engineer at Festo. It’s his

job to work with customers in search of

new solutions. In this case he needed to

fi nd high-performance cushioning for

the partition. As soon as an alloy wheel

enters the X-ray cabin, the 90 kg parti-

tion drops like a trap door. “It closes in

just 0.6 seconds,” says Turnaus. A con-

ventional oil-pressure shock absorber

or servo-controlled drive were ruled

out for the partition due to cost and

maintenance reasons.

Ready-to-use precision: Erhardt + Abt

only had to connect the handling

gantry with the gripper unit using

defi ned interfaces.

“The handling gantry was supplied

ready-to-install. This allowed us to

concentrate fully on the engineering

and design of the testing system.”

Felix Richter, design engineer with Erhardt + Abt

Lightning-fast trap door: The 90 kg partition

closes in 0.6 seconds and is decelerated at the

last moment by a cushioning block.

Full, yet gentle braking

A simple, yet effective solution is a

cushioning block: “You have to imagine it

as being like an air pump. The cushioning

block always holds a certain air volume

so that the partition falls, as it were,

into an air cushion and thus into the

end-positioning cushioning,” explains

Turnaus. The cushioning block in turn

controls a pneumatic valve. As soon

as the partition opens, the chamber for

the “fresh-air cushion” is completely

exhausted using a second valve. “The

cylinder can thus extend as quickly as

possible and brake fully, but gently at

the last moment,” adds Felix Richter.

The entire system including its steel-

lead-steel outer shell weighs 6.2 tonnes.

To prevent X-rays from escaping when

the partition is opened, the system

restricts the X-ray voltage. This signifi -

cantly increases the service life of the

X-ray source and there is no need for an

upstream double door system. Felix

Richter is very pleased with the end

result: “Festo has not only given us the

freedom to concentrate on other tasks,

but also contributed to construction of

the fastest wheel testing system on the

market at present.”

www.festo.com/catalog/egc

www.festo.com/catalog/emms

is 2.12-01 | is 2.12-02Electric axes EGC |

Motors and controllers

Landing on the “air cushion”: Two fl ange-mount-

ed air chambers ensure that the partition closes

quickly yet gently.

Seamless transfer: A chain conveyor transports the alloy wheel directly to

the open gripper, which secures it for the X-ray process using four support

wheels (top).

Sophisticated dynamics: Six EGC-185 axes connected in parallel ensure

maximum dynamic response and rigidity (bottom left).

Erhardt + Abt Automatisierungs-technik GmbH

Hauptstraße 49

D-73329 Kuchen, Germany

www.roboter.de

Turnkey automation solutions for

customers from the automotive,

medical/pharmaceutical, food and

plastics industries. Area of

business: Handling and assembly

technology.


A grip on healthcareIn a Copenhagen hospital, the world’s fi rst fully automated,

sterile warehouse for surgical instruments is making savings

amounting to ten man-years. Electric drives and Clean Design

components ensure that everything runs reliably and smoothly.

Automated warehousing of surgical instruments

Photo: Martor KG

Gibotech A/S

Hollufgaardsvej 31

DK-5260 Odense S, Denmark

www.gibotech.dk

Area of business:

Development, implementation

and maintenance of industry

solutions, automation,

robotics and CNC systems

The surgical teams at this Copen-

hagen hospital are under pressure.

With more than sixty operations

to carry out every day, everything

must run smoothly. Precision and timing

are crucial. This is, of course, no problem

provided you can fi nd the correct surgi-

cal instrument within seconds. However,

this is something that can’t be taken for

granted, as every basket of instruments

requires costly sterile warehousing, which

until now involved a signifi cant amount

of effort on the part of hospital personnel.

The hospital’s IT specialists recognised

that getting the surgical instruments

ready for the operating theatre involved

a great deal of time and money – not to

mention the fact that the packages some-

times contained incorrect instruments.

This required considerable effort to get

things right.

Internationally unique

Although automated warehouse manage-

ment systems are common in industry,

a system for cleaning and picking surgical

instruments at a hospital was a minor

sensation. “But the system functioned

faultlessly right from the very fi rst day,”

reports Lars Vinge, production manager

for Danish automation specialist Gibo-

tech. In just ten days during normal

operation, Gibotech installed the system,

which is unique and has potential as a

pilot project for the fi eld of healthcare,

in the cramped basement rooms of a new

building at the hospital.

Freeing up resources

The system eliminates the need for

hospital personnel to manually handle

heavy baskets of surgical instruments

for order picking, cleaning, sterilising,

storage and withdrawal for scheduled

operations. As a result, it saves labour

costs amounting to ten man-years and

frees up resources which the hospital is

able to put to good use elsewhere. The

fully automated sterile warehouse has

1,900 storage locations and 1,800 baskets,

which are all equipped with RFID labels.

The system handles up to 100 transactions

a day. Each basket has a processing time

of fi ve to ten minutes.

Precision handling

The processes of the storage system were

kept as simple as possible to ensure

that investment and maintenance costs

remain manageable. Personnel manually

load wire baskets with surgical instru-

ments, which are cleaned in sterile wash-

ing machines. Staff then line the baskets

with hygienic crepe paper, which is not

damaged during the sterilisation process

in the autoclaves. During the next step,

the instruments are assembled into

operation-specifi c instrument packages,

depending on requirements for opera-

tions scheduled for the next day. The wire

baskets are then consigned to the storage

system, where they can be located with

markers such as bar codes, RFID and

data sheets. Automatic handling systems

use these markers to help employees

fi nd the storage locations the next day.

Electric axes EGC are at the heart of

this handling system. They reliably and

accurately distribute the baskets to the

rack system’s 1,900 storage locations.

Wherever the surgical instruments might

come into close proximity with system

components, Clean Design pneumatic

components from the CRDSNU range are

used, which are certifi ed in accordance

with Cleanroom Class 8. Valve terminals

CPX/MPA are installed in a decentralised

fashion and connected to Rockwell

controllers via Ethernet/IP.

Absolute peak value

The very pure and dry atmosphere within

the system is a challenge for all of the

drives. “But neither the pneumatic nor

the electric drives from Festo had any

problems in this respect,” stresses project

manager Vinge. On the contrary, planned

system availability was 97%. “At the

moment we’re even reaching a peak

value of 98.5%,” reports Vinge, who

hopes to inspire other hospitals around

the world with this reference system.

After all, the system is capable of

delivering measurable long-term

cost savings in healthcare.

www.festo.com/catalog/egc

www.festo.com/catalog/crdsnu

www.festo.com/catalog/cpx

is 2.12-01 | is 2.12-03Electric axes EGC |

CPX terminal/CPI system

The heart of the handling system: Highly precise

and reliable electric axes EGC (top and top right).

1,900 storage locations: Enough capacity

for up to 100 operations a day.


Stress-free metal sheetsGentle material transport in levelling systems

The delicate surface of the

metal sheets requires gentle

transport through the leveller.

Kohler Maschinenbau GmbH uses a new vacuum stacker in its levelling

systems for the gentle handling of metal strips. Controlled using 105 vacuum

valves from Festo, it transports and palletises high-quality metal sheets

quickly and gently.


While metal strips may look

perfect on the surface, the

story is often quite different

on the inside. Along with

the various material characteristics of

copper, aluminium or steel, processes

such as rolling, coating and winding into

coils weighing several tonnes lead to the

build-up of massive tension in the mate-

rial. For manufacturers of high-precision

components for the lighting, automotive

and computer industries and in the solar

sector, sourcing fl at, having low-tension

sheet metal plates without damage such

as scratches or grooves on the surface is

a major requirement. State-of-the-art

levelling systems from Kohler Maschinen-

bau GmbH are designed to meet these

demanding requirements. Using pneu-

matic components, these systems allow

the sheets to virtually fl oat.

Floating sheets

To ensure that the thin sheets continue

to meet the ever-increasing quality

standards demanded by the market, me-

chanical engineers have been optimising

their levelling systems for decades. Kohler

Maschinenbau GmbH based in Friesen-

heim, south-west Germany, has been a

leading provider in the fi eld of levelling

technology for almost 50 years. The com-

pany has a proud tradition as a developer

of innovative technological solutions. The

company has designed and built more

than 6,000 machines in use worldwide.

Its latest development for levelling

sheets with a material thickness of

0.1 to 1.5 mm operates with virtually

no contact. Strips made from materials

with various fi nishes – some matt,

some high-gloss – fl oat over air tables

and are then transported gently to the

fi rst vacuum stacker of its kind. Here,

vacuum conveyors move sheet metal

plates of varying sizes into the correct

position. They replace suction cups and

mechanical grippers, which leave their

mark on extremely delicate sheets after

coming into contact with them.

“Dancing” strips

At the start of the levelling process, the

coil is loaded onto a decoiler using a coil

car. Driven by specially coated infeed roll-

ers, the metal strips are transported

Metal sheets in top form: The 42-metre long levelling system from

Kohler removes tension from up to 80 m of sheet metal per minute.

Frequent fl exing is relaxing

The different fi bre lengths in the material are responsible for tension in

the metal sheets. This is caused in particular by rolling the material around

coils. To optimise the sheet metal for further processing, it undergoes

multiple alternating bending movements during roller levelling. This

bending is performed using offset levelling rollers. They deform the metal

strip beyond its yield limit, whereby a uniform fi bre length is achieved

in the material. When the strip enters the leveller, the machine creates

a bend over the entire width of the strip, which is greater than the larg-

est bend of the as yet unlevelled metal sheet. If the forces are too strong

initially, they are reduced at the outlet of the leveller. The metal sheet thus

springs back to the planned state when leaving the machine.

High

performance:

The 105 vacuum

valves distribute

the vacuum

with pinpoint

accuracy.

Gentle giant:

The new stacker

gently transports

and palletises

metal sheets

using vacuum.


The fi ve vacuum conveyors of the stacking system provide

a perfect support without leaving pressure marks.

into the very heart of the system, the

21-roller leveller with exchangeable

roller cartridges. A dancer roller directly

in front ensures the ideal strip tension.

Installed on a standard cylinder DNC

from Festo with a diameter of 80 mm

and a stroke of 900 mm including

clamping unit, it decouples the strips

for the transition from uncoiled to

drawn transport. It is controlled by a

proportional valve VPPM. When the

“dance” is over, the 21-roller leveller

removes any tension from the metal

strip. It does this by bending it within

predefi ned tolerance limits – strongly

at fi rst, and then more and more gently.

Different fi bre lengths in the material

are thus harmonised.

Flying saw

The strip fl ies at up to 80 m per minute

over the air tables when it leaves the

roller leveller. Festo pressure regulators

produce the air cushion, which varies

according to product type. The air

pressure can be adapted to different

materials quickly and easily using a

handheld controller. Whether laminated

with paper or fi lm, the sheets glide to

the air tables quickly and without any

contact so that the surface of the sheets

is not scratched. In order to cut the

300 to 1,450 mm wide sheets to the

required length of 150 to 4,500 mm,

another simple, yet intelligent solution in

the form of a moving saw is used. It is

attached to an elliptical fl ywheel, whose

cutting rhythm adapts to the respective

strip speed. A smooth cut can only be

achieved when the saw and the strip

reach the same speed. After the material

strip has been separated, the system

switches from transport on air cushions

to transport with conveyors. For a secure

hold, particularly in the case of small

sheet metal plates, the conveyors have

been equipped with a vacuum supply.

Because the piece at the end of the coil

is always shorter than the required

plate size, a pneumatic cylinder lowers

the conveyors and thus ensures that

the residual material slides into a recy-

cling container.

Steering valves

The final flourish for the leveller from

Kohler is the newly developed stacker

with vacuum conveyors and 105 vacuum

valves. It ensures maximum accuracy

for destacking sheets of different sizes,

materials and material thicknesses. 21

vacuum valves VV-3/2-1/2-SA from Festo

control the vacuum for each stacking

belt. Vacuum is generated out using

side-channel compressors. Depend-

ing on the sheet size, 2-inch ball valves

The standard cylinder DNC with dancer roller

adjusts the strip transport before entry in the

roller levellers.

Solenoid valves VSNB-F control 2-inch ball

valves, which regulate the vacuum of the

stacking belts depending on the sheet size.

On contact with the sheet metal, the fi ne

suction holes in the fi ve stacking belts

ensure reliable and gentle handling.

switch the vacuum to the fi ve stacking

belts on or off.

As soon as a fi nished metal sheet reaches

the stacker, the vacuum valves supply

the fi rst chambers of the conveyors with

pressure. When the stacking belts, which

are perforated with fi ne suction holes,

come into contact with the metal sheets,

they generate the required handling

force. Depending on where destacking

is to take place, the valves are continu-

ously switched on and off again with pre-

cision timing. Additional precision is

delivered by an ejector pulse on the part

of the vacuum valves in combination

with a solenoid valve MFH-3-1/4-S. The

sturdiness and 16 mm nominal size of

the fast-switching valves ensures rapid,

low-maintenance deployment.

Running pallets

The newly developed vacuum stacker

system from Kohler uses a large number

of Festo components to ensure careful

and gentle stacking of the sheet metal

plates. Stacking mode with fl ying plate

drop or inching operation allows the

stacking of both large and small formats.

This means that several small packages

can be stacked on the same pallet. This

combination allows the option of pack-

age-optimised arrangement of the plates.

A chain conveyor fi nally transports the

pallets to an unloading station, which

labels the goods and sends the data to

ERP. The levelling system with innovative

vacuum stacking belt demonstrates

how pneumatic components can be used

to save energy, space and costs.

www.festo.com/catalog/dnc

www.festo.com/catalog/vppm

is 2.12-04 | is 2.12-05 | is 2.12-06

Prop. pressure regulator VPPM | Standard drives | Valves

Kohler Maschinen-bau GmbH

Oberweierer Hauptstraße 96

D-77948 Friesenheim, Germany

www.kohler-germany.com

Area of business:

Development and manufacture

of high-precision strip feeding

lines for presses and punching

machines


Water for the

Cape Whale CoastHermanus on South Africa’s Cape Whale Coast is a tourist hotspot. Just two

hours outside of Cape Town, the number of holiday complexes being built along

this idyllic coast is increasing. The problem is that the city is in a water scarce

area. The answer lies in an upgrade of the Preekstoel water treatment plant.

Automation of wastewater treatment plants

Appeal for water conservation: Seen here

in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa, three of

South Africa’s eleven offi cial languages.

Wasser an der Walküste: nährstoffrei-

ches Meerwasser für die Meeressäuger, zu

wenig Trinkwasser für die Menschen.

There is no shortage of nutrient-rich

water on the Cape Whale Coast.

This area of the coast gets its name

from the great southern whales

that migrate there from the Antarctic dur-

ing the South African winter, providing a

huge attraction for the thousands of tour-

ists who come to watch them. On shore,

however, water is a scarce resource. The

Preekstoel water treatment plant gets its

fresh water from groundwater wells and a

reservoir dam in the city’s mountainous

interior where the water level has been

continuously dropping in recent years.

This drop in the water level is due to the

decreased winter rainfall as well as the ever

increasing demand for water caused by

the brisk building activity. The water supply

authority of the Overstrand Municipality

had to take action, deciding to upgrade

the Preekstoel water treatment plant built

in 1974 and add more automation to

increase effi ciency.

Pneumatics instead of electrics

“As part of the modernisation mea-

sures, the Overstrand Municipality

decided to replace electric actuators

for opening and closing butterfly valves

or ball valves with pneumatic ones,”

explains Coen Pretorius, sales engineer

at Festo Cape Town. “We were able to

convince the authorities that pneumatic

automation technology can reduce

investment, installation and operating

costs in comparison with electrical

installations by more than 50% in some

cases,” he adds.

Pneumatic drives remain maintenance-

free for the duration of their service life.

Since process valves are irregularly

actuated in water technology, residues

or build-ups can occur that result in

signifi cantly higher breakaway torques.

The overload protection of pneumatics

is an important feature here. If the drive

comes to a standstill, the pressure can

be easily increased at the pressure re-

gulator to be able to apply more force –

there is no need for costly maintenance.

A further advantage is that the com-

pressed air is available even if the power

fails, since in addition to a compressor

there is also an air reservoir for genera-

tion and preparation.

Reliable actuators

The Overstrand Municipality replaced

the butterfl y valves at the fi lter basins

with pneumatic actuators and position-

ers from Festo and installed control

loops with fl ow and level sensors. The

butterfl y valves and slide valves in

the sand bed fi lters and ultrafi ltration

plants of the Preekstoel water treatment

plant are now equipped with pneumatic

actuators of the type DLP and DAPS. The

linear actuator Copac, or DLP for short,

is the ideal solution for shut-off, safety

and control slide valves. It acts directly

on the slide gate and ensures that various

positions can be approached accurately.

Its high corrosion resistance also means it

can be used without any problems out

in the open without being affected by the

salty air of the Cape Whale Coast.

Hermanus on the Cape Whale Coast: Nutrient-rich sea water for sea life, but not enough drinking water

for those on land.

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The sturdy quarter turn actuator DAPS

controls ball valves and butterfl y valves

with various media fl ows and an angle of

rotation that is limited to 90°. The torque

is generated via a scotch yoke mecha-

nism, which helps to overcome the valve’s

high breakaway torques.

Systematic automation

The decentralised valve terminal is the

core of pneumatic systems in water

technology. Located in the vicinity of the

process valves, it is ideal for fast and

simple automation solutions featuring

the optimum interaction of process

valves, pneumatic components and

electronic components. The valve

terminals have a modular confi guration

based on the number of process valves,

while the fi eldbus provides the system

with a single, clearly defi ned, standard-

ised interface between the controller (PLC)

and the valve terminal. The system con-

cept has the advantage that extensions

or modifi cations can simply be made at

control level, without having to replace

the hardware. And, last but not least, all

the components are perfectly matched.

Sturdy pneumatic components

The butterfly valves are controlled by

valve terminals MPA. These also pro-

vide information about the f ilter’s

current status by determining its f ill

level, differential pressure and flow

rate. If a filter needs to be rinsed, the

PLC controls the valve terminal, and

“Pneumatic automation technology reduces

investment, installation and operating costs

in comparison with electrical installation by

more than 50% in some cases.”

Coen Pretorius, sales engineer at Festo Cape Town

Reliably evacuates sludge deposits: The linear

actuator Copac, or DLP for short, can be used

without any problems in the salty air thanks to

its high corrosion resistance.

Closes and opens the sand bed fi lters: The

sturdy quarter turn actuator DAPS controls ball

valves and butterfl y valves.

thus the order in which the butterfly

valves are actuated, in step with the

rinsing programme. After the rinsing

programme has been completed,

normal fi lter operation is resumed. The

valve terminal is confi gured based on

the number of pneumatic drives, limit

switches and measuring instruments.

The Preekstoel water treatment plant,

built in 1974, currently treats 10 million

litres of drinking water each day. The

upgraded plant will have a capacity of

28 million litres of drinking water per

day. The groundwater pumped into the

plant will be treated by a biological fi lter

system. This is all part of the Overstrand

Municipality water authority’s plan to

guarantee the water supply for the Cape

Whale Coast for the coming years.

www.festo.com/catalog/daps

www.festo.com/catalog/dlp

www.festo.com/water

is 2.12-07Partner for automation – water technology

The Airbus A380 is the world’s largest passenger airliner.

Did you know that one of the companies that helped to get it

off the ground is based in Austria? Tyrolean company Micado

worked together with the aircraft component manufacturer

FACC to develop a flexible universal holding device for the

manufacture of the fl ap track fairings. Automation technology

from Festo plays a key role in this.

Flap track fairings are structures that cover the landing flap

mechanisms on the underside of the A380 airliner. The new

universal holding device brings the carbon-fi bre components

into the correct shape. This enables a multitude of differently

sized components to sit on a single device. With just a single

push of a button, 32 axes clamp 36 different fl ap track fair-

ings at 88 contact points. The clamping device is moved by

numerous cylinders from Festo. They are controlled by

the integrated valve terminal combination CPX/MPA, which

also processes all digital inputs of the cylinder sensors and

vacuum switches.

For Micado CEO Edwin Meindl, the cooperation with Festo was

a major advantage: “Cylinders, vacuum technology, valves,

the interfaces to control technology developed by Hella, the

corresponding CAD data and an international on-site service.”

Thanks to the excellent collaboration of everyone involved,

the project was completed in just nine months.

Flexibly coveredFunctionally integrated automation for the Airbus A380

Pneumatics in the smallest of spaces: Support and vacuum cylinders with

vacuum grippers on ball heads specially developed by Micado.

Flap track fairings encase

mechanical components on the

underside of the wings of the A380.

Photo: MMicado / Martin Lugger

Austria

2.2012 trends in automationFesto worldwide 48 – 49

They boast outstanding inventive talent, exemplary innovation

processes and are successfully translating ideas into market

success – that’s why they are Germany’s most innovative SMEs.

On 22 June in Friedrichshafen, well-known science editor Ranga

Yogeshwar presented the “Top 100” award to the winning SMEs,

and the Festo Education Fund from Esslingen was one of them.

The objective of the fund is to give young people the opportu-

nity to successfully complete their studies. The fund provides

fi nancial assistance, professional training and access to a

network of industry and academic contacts. At the ceremony,

Prof. Dr. Speck from Festo praised the efforts of his team as

a critical success factor: “I see this award as recognition for

the dedication of our network companies and universities.

Enthusiasm and hard work are our number one innovation

factor.” The Festo Education Fund has received more than

1,600 applications to date, and almost 500 contracts have

been signed with talented young individuals.

Award for think tankFesto Education Fund receives

the “Top 100” seal of quality

Germany

Ranga Yogeshwar presents Prof. Dr. Peter Speck, Head of

the Festo Education Fund, with the “Top 100” award.

Greece

Greek company Inox Design has used Festo components such

as the valve terminal VTSA to develop a machine for stacking

Feta cheese. The system fi rst stacks six moulds on top of each

other, before they reach a transfer device, which removes the

water from the cheese. The cheese is then turned, an automatic

separator grips each mould in turn and shakes it to release the

cheese for further transport.

Good taste takes shape

Stacking, turning, shaking, transporting: High performance for Feta cheese

thanks to valve terminal VTSA.

With three different valve sizes to match the different sizes

of the pneumatic cylinders, the valve terminal VTSA offers

very high performance. An additional benefi t is the improved

reliability, thanks to the valves being quick and easy to replace.

Automatic stacking of Feta cheese

,

,

Eight universities, around 1,000 participating students and

over 4,000 kilometres travelled: in February 2012, Festo

South Africa and SEW Eurodrive launched the fi fth PneuDrive

Challenge. With the Festo Expotainer, the high-tech roadshow

visited eight universities in 38 days and kicked off the nation-

wide student competition.

In the PneuDrive Challenge, students of mechanical, electronic

and mechatronic engineering put their theoretical knowledge

into practice. They need to take an idea, design it and

put forward their views on the maintenance and long-term

functionality of the design. This year’s theme is “Engineering

for a Better Life for South African Communities”.

The PneuDrive Challenge gives South African students

hands-on experience with state-of-the-art technology.

The winning team receives products from Festo and SEW

Eurodrive to the value of 10,000 euros for their university

plus a trip to Germany for the team members.

Drives on the move PneuDrive Challenge 2012

South Africa

Flown in specially for the occasion: AirPenguin from Festo.

USA

40 years in the USAFesto employees the key to success

In May 2012, the Festo national company on Long Island

celebrated its 40th anniversary. US general management

greeted a gathering of 250 employees as well as shareholders

and Members of the Management Board from Germany at the

Atlantis Marine World Aquarium. An AirPenguin and numerous

AquaJellies made an appearance to highlight the company’s

reputation as an innovator. Rich J. Huss, CEO of the Festo Cor-

poration in the USA, explained how it is the vision, mission

and most importantly the employees that differentiate Festo

from its competitors. With the support of Festo Germany, the

Long Island company has become an extremely successful and

innovative manufacturer.

Festo Expotainer on tour: Around 1,000 students visited the PneuDrive

Challenge 2012 Roadshow.

2.2012 trends in automationFesto worldwide 50 – 51

Training and ConsultingRange of courses 2013

www.festo-tac.com

Vision, Stuttgart 06.11. – 08.11.

MSR Rhein-Ruhr, Bochum 07.11.

Schüttgut, Düsseldorf 07.11. – 08.11.

FMB, Bad Salzufl en 07.11. – 09.11.

FoodTech 2012, Herning, Denmark 13.11. – 15.11.

Compamed, Düsseldorf 14.11. – 16.11.

SPS IPC Drives, Nuremberg 27.11. – 29.11.

Valve World, Düsseldorf 27.11. – 29.11.

BETT, London, England 30.01. – 02.02.

didacta, Cologne 19.02. – 23.02.

intec, Leipzig 26.02. – 01.03.

HORIZON, Stuttgart 16.03. – 17.03.

Hannover Messe 08.04. – 12.04.

TechnoPharm, Nuremberg 23.04. – 25.04.

For more information, see www.festo.de/messen

Festo at trade fairs and conferenceNovember 2012 to April 2013

From 27 to 29 November 2012, Festo will be show-

ing visitors to SPS IPC Drives in Nuremberg what

can be achieved with electrical automation. At its

information platform for products, innovation and

trends in Hall 9, Stand 361, visitors will get a unique

insight into the latest technology. One of the exhi-

bition highlights is the electric cylinder EPCO from

Festo. This low-cost, pre-assembled unit combines

an electric cylinder (with piston rod or non-rotating

piston rod), motor and basic controller in one.

Visitors will be fascinated by CogniGame and Exo-

Hand from Festo, the fl agship projects of tomorrow.

CogniGame is a virtual game played on a real playing

fi eld, which opens up new perspectives for opera-

tional concepts for human-machine interaction. The

ExoHand shows how hand movements can be trans-

mitted to robots in real time. A visit to the Festo stand

is an absolute must for automation experts.

Informative and fascinatingFesto at SPS IPC Drives

Germany International

Germany

Festo Training and Consulting employs 200 trainers and consultants and has

a wealth of knowledge and experience built up over 40 years. The new seminar

schedule for 2013 with updated contents shows the full range of subjects

available. It extends beyond the boundaries of automation technology and

covers the entire value creation process. Popular subjects include shopfl oor

management, calculation using the SISTEMA software, optimisation of service

processes and organisation of successful training. Energy effi ciency and safety

engineering are special focus topics.

You can order a copy of the seminar schedule free of charge by calling +49 (0) 800 3378682 or by

sending an e-mail to [email protected]

Bringing knowledge to the customerOrder your 2013 seminar schedule now

International

Glimpses into the world of the latest technologies, new products,

company information and direct social media exchange – since

the start of the year Festo’s presence is stronger than ever.

Whether customers, partners, journalists, young professionals

or the general public, more than 10,000 Festo fans already know

more. Make sure you stay up-to-date with the latest information

by following Festo on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Fans know moreFesto goes social media

www.festo.com/twitter

www.festo.com/youtube

www.festo.com/facebook

Now it’s your turn!

This issue is all about intelligent products

and processes. And there’s no better

board game for exercising your brain than

chess. The games between the chess

grandmasters Bobby Fischer and Anatoli

Karpow in the 1970s are legendary.

The same rule always applies – practice

makes perfect. To ensure that you’re well

prepared for your next challenge, you can

win one of eight tournament chess sets.

6. The capacity of which system in South Africa is being increased by 10 million litres?

(page 46)

1. What is the name of the fund that was awarded the “Top 100” seal of quality? (page 50)

2. In which city will Festo China celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2013? (page 33)

3. What do you call the compact valves that have between one and three times

more volumetric capacity? (page 20)

4. Which electric axis is at the heart of handling systems for surgical instruments?

(page 39)

5. Which component provides a varying air cushion for metal sheet handling?

(page 44)

7. What transports up to 140 wheels per hour through a wheel testing system?

(page 34)

8. What is the name of the artifi cial hand that can support humans in many areas?

(page 16)

9. What type of component moves the clamping device? (page 49)

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About thismagazinetrends in automation 2.2012

November 2012

Print run

35,000 copies

Publication dates

Several times a year

Cost: € 3

Publisher

Festo AG & Co. KG

Ruiter Strasse 82

D-73734 Esslingen, Germany

Tel. ++49 (0) 711 347 11 11

Fax ++49 (0) 711 347 20 71

[email protected]

Project management

Silke Gartenmeier, Customer Magazine

Tel. ++49 (0) 711 347 3902,

[email protected]

Responsible for content

Dirk Ebertz,

Head of Marketing Instruments

[email protected]

Ralf Sohn, Head of Direct Marketing

[email protected]

Please note

All terms such as customer, user,

specialist or technical consultant

refer to both men and women.

Copyright 2012 Festo AG & Co. KG

All rights reserved.

All images, graphics and texts are

protected by copyright law or other

intellectual property rights. Any

reproduction, modifi cation or use in

other print or electronic publications

is prohibited without the express

consent of Festo AG & Co. KG.

Subscription service

change of address, feedback or

unsubscribe request?

It’s easy: Visit us online at

www.festo.de/trends, send an

e-mail to [email protected] or

send a fax to ++49 (0) 711 347 2071.

1st – 8th prizes:

Tournament chess set

Submit the correct answers to the ques-

tions below at www.festo.de/trends by

1 December 2012 to be entered in the

draw. Only one entry per person is per-

mitted. There is no right of appeal and

no cash alternatives are available. Festo

employees and their families are exclud-

ed from participating.

The winners from the current and last

issues will be announced online at

www.festo.de/trends. Best of luck!

2.2012 trends in automationFesto worldwide/About this magazine 52 – 53

Where to next, Ms Lin?

It’s home to Taiwan tomorrow and

then back on a plane next week to fly

to Singapore. As a marketing expert at

Festo, I’m on the road a lot and always

need to be reachable. If my smartphone

or laptop battery runs fl at, I always have a spare one in

my luggage. That takes care of my gadgets, but I get my

energy from what I do everyday: talking to people, learn-

ing and passing on knowledge, being part of the fl ow of

information.

Since I spend around 80 days a year travelling in more

than ten different countries in Asia, my work can also be

stressful. But it’s like so many other things in life: doing

something that you love boosts your energy rather than

draining it. My work at Festo really enriches my life since

it is so varied. When planning and organising trade fairs

and customer events, I’m in close contact with colleagues

from our different national companies. I love the challenge

of adapting to each country’s culture and idiosyncrasies.

I’ve always found people and how they behave and com-

municate very interesting. That was one of the reasons

why I studied sociology in the USA before doing my MBA

at the University of Applied Sciences in Esslingen.

I see my visits to the headquarters in Esslingen as an

opportunity for intensive information gathering. Like

now. I spend these two weeks every year bringing

myself up to date. I get a real buzz from being in the

very place where Festo’s technical solutions are

developed and the course is set for the coming years.

It gives me renewed energy for my next trips.

2.2012 trends in automationSoft Stop 54

Heavy traffi c

27 – 29 November 2012

Hall 9, stand 361 www.festo.com

Replaces even duo axes in handling

systems and 2D/3D gantries: the electric

linear axis EGC-HD. Maximum power for

torques and loads – but at significantly

reduced costs.

When things start to think

We all know that networking can help you to climb the career

ladder. But did you know that exchange of information is also

helping to shape the production environment of the future?

Experts believe that in just a few years, traditional production

methods will be replaced by cyber-physical systems as a result

of Industry 4.0.

By networking things, it will be possible to reach new levels

of productivity and quality. Products and production facilities

will be able to communicate with one another using embedded

intelligent systems. An interactive network of sensors will

record locations and processing states and exchange information

on additional production steps using the “Internet of Things”.

The material fl ow of the future will thus control itself. Products

will be able to think and processes will take on new forms,

creating a whole new dynamic in industrial manufacturing.

Festo Inc.

5300 Explorer Drive

Mississauga ON L4W 5G4

Tel: 1 877 GO FESTO

Fax: 1 877 FX FESTO

[email protected]

www.festo.ca

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Documents

in automation - Festo · “Industry 4.0”, machines will understand their environment and communicate with one another using the Internet Protocol. The ﬁ rst factories of the