TIA 18 Web

trends in automation
The Festo Customer Magazine Issue 18
Compass
Floating perfection
Automated high-tech kites
Impulse
No speed limit
Ready-to-install high-speed handling units
Synergies
IDEAL model for Unilever

Festo Training and Consulting
In focus
Productivity tomorrow
Solutions that offer more productivity, efficiency and flexibility
Inspired by nature
With its Bionic Handling Assistant prototype, Festo as a learning organisation is transferring principles found in nature to biomechatronic applications.
www.festo.com
trends in automation Editorial 1
The future of production

Dear reader, The future is faster and the quick will win against the slow rather than the big against the small. This well-known fact refers to all industrial processes. Speed is the keyword when it comes to machine design and the selection of the right components, the delivery of the equipment and finally, operation. This is even more true today when after an industrial crisis of formerly unknown proportions we are seeing a wave of recovery that has already reached many industries and has brought back a lot of companies to pre-crisis levels and beyond much faster than expected. Speed makes the difference. In the future, we will see much more competition regarding speed and flexibility than in the past. In this edition, we are focussing on the future of automation and how we can support you even better in the future. Your future challenge is mass customisation balancing volume effects in production with the flexibility to address the individual needs of your customer. Our mission is to make you more successful, through efficient design tools, reduction of changeover times (page 26: ifc flexfeeder) and fast production equipment (page 14: High Speed Handling Units). Speed is also required when reaching international markets with your new machine designs. The competition is not sleeping, and your only protection is to run faster than they do. Festo as an international partner with 58 own companies all over the world is prepared to help you in this endeavour. We strongly believe in international networking and are prepared and ready to assist you. As an example, have a look at our operations in Brazil (page 28). Confront us with your international challenge and find out what we can do for you worldwide! We are looking forward to making use of the upcoming boom together to strengthen our partnership. Lets move ahead together! Yours,
Ansgar Kriwet, Sales Director Europe
Ansgar Kriwet
In focus Productivity tomorrow: Just as mechanical and electronic developments are leading to higher productivity today, automation technology will find solutions for tomorrows production processes, reflecting the demand for large numbers of variants, one-off production, stringent safety standards and rising energy prices. In this edition of trends in automation you will find information on the latest trends and expert opinions on this subject, together with many examples of progress in production and assembly operations.
trends in automation
Issue 18
24
Editorial 1 Panorama 4 Festo worldwide Soft Stop 37
35
A rising star: the CyberKite from Festos Bionic Learning Network.
Compass
Ingenious ideas take off Automated kite system with cybernetic control. Our designers used nature as a source of inspiration for its development. 24
The discussion about the ecological footprint of production installations will intensify.
Inspiration
In focus I have a few questions on production technology. Professor Reijo Tuokko of the University of Technology in Tampere, Finland, is a leading expert in matters relating to tomorrows production. We have been talking to him about sustainable production, the globalisation of machine building and harmony between people and machines. 6
trends in automation Contents 2 3
26 14
Fast and precise positioning with high-speed handling units.
The Tripod enables dynamic handling and requires little space.
Synergies
Unilever Festo Training and Consulting enabling Unilevers apprentices to make a positive business impact. 10 Relaxed around every corner The integral moulded seats of the Mercedes-Benz E-class adapt to fit any body shape thanks to piezo technology. 18 Audiences stirred by fluidic muscles Innovative, dynamic seat modules add further realism to 3D film experience using fluidic muscles. 21 At the press of a button Thanks to a Tripod robot and a vision system, the ifc flexfeeder provides extremely short set-up times, even with a large number of workpiece variants. 26 Is it party time again? In Brazil, too, the economic crisis has left its mark. However, things are starting to pick up again. 28 The professional profile The production of aluminium or plastic profiles demands speed and precision. elumatec GmbH utilises the advantages of VTSA valve terminals for its machines. 32
Impulse
No speed limit! High-speed handling units can be used in all applications requiring fast, flexible and inexpensive positioning. 14
Back to the future

10th May 1876: the Centennial International Exhibition, the first international exhibition on American soil, opens its doors in Philadelphia. The USA was celebrating the 100th anniversary of its independence and presented a show of superlatives. A total of 30,864 manufacturers displayed their innovations over an area of 115,000 m2. For the first time, exhibits were not displayed together in a single central hall but were spread over five halls with various themes. The two largest exhibition buildings were the Machine Hall (photograph) and the Main Hall, with an exhibition area of 81,600 m2, even larger than the 1851 exhibition at Crystal Palace in London. The response to the exhibition was equally gigantic: around ten million visitors over 180 days. Apart from the impressive statistics, the exhibition was also a dream of the future which the young US nation imagined for itself. Alexander Graham Bell presented a telephone, while the Remington company showed the first marketable typewriter and the H.J. Heinz company displayed the first industrially produced tomato ketchup. At the opening ceremony, US President Ulysses Grant and the Brazilian emperor Dom Pedro II set a giant Corliss steam engine in motion that was used to drive all the other machines in the Machine Hall.
trends in automation Panorama 4 5
Photograph: HistoCard private archive, www.histocard.com, Garmisch-Partenkirchen
In focus Interview
I have a few questions on production technology.

What form will tomorrows production take? What will be the dominant trends in machine building in the coming years? Professor Reijo Tuokko is among the worlds leading experts in matters relating to the future of production technology. We discussed sustainable processes, the globalisation of machine building and harmony between people and machines.
trends in automation: Let me begin by asking you, as an expert observer of the industry: where is machine building heading? What are its development objectives? Prof. Reijo Tuokko: No matter in which direction production technology develops, the main emphasis will always be the same: on the harmonious interaction between people and machines. However, the higher the degree of automation and autonomy of machines, the more difficult it is to create this harmony. Even today, robots sensory capacity, dexterity and ability to adapt and interact are far from what would be required to achieve this harmony, despite all the efforts which have been made in research and development. Having said that, I hope that by 2020 we will succeed in creating inexpensive and sustainable production methods. Production equipment must keep pace with the development of the products for which it is used throughout its life cycle, while at the same time consuming as little of our resources as possible. What is more, by 2020 there will be more and more mini-sized production lines in operation, so-called desktop factories. Managers are interested above all in the costs and profitability of machines, while engineers concentrate on flexibility and miniaturisation and planners attach importance to new processes. In your opinion, which of these groups will set the tone in the future? And how will it be possible to find a common denominator for these different viewpoints?
Tuokko: Of course I cant give you a magic formula for the future. It is a fact, though, that the discussion about the miniaturisation of production equipment and its ecological footprint will intensify, irrespective of individual viewpoints. At the moment, mini-sized production systems are being studied at universities and research centres worldwide with regard to their environmental viability. Micro and desktop factories are conceivable architectures for the on-demand manufacture of specific products such as medical implants or pocket-sized electronic entertainment devices. These products are typically characterised by short life cycles, small batch sizes and a large number of product variants. At the same time, they require an amalgam of new technologies. Mini production systems based on modular principles have a greater operational availability, a clear advantage when it comes to re-configuring a system. And ultimately they allow costs and the consumption of resources to be reduced. What will production lines look like in 2020? Tuokko: By 2020, we should have reached a level of sustainability where both production equipment and the products made are fully recyclable, where the effects of production on the environment are zero and where highly trained and motivated workers operate in a safe and pleasant working environment and in complete harmony with the machines. This is a bold forecast, but surely I am allowed my visions, arent I?
trends in automation Inspiration 6 7
Personal profile
Professor Reijo Tuokko

Reijo Tuokko has been Professor of Automation Technology at the University of Technology in Tampere, Finland, since 1990 and is also Head of the Department of Production Technology. As a member of the high-level group MANUFUTURE, the European technology platform for production technologies of the future, and a member of the Board of Management of EFFRA, the European Factories of the Future Research Association, Tuokko has a great deal of experience in international joint research projects. Tuokko began his career with the automation division of Valmet Oy Machine Tool and Factory, where he worked for eleven years as a research engineer and R&D manager. Since his appointment as professor, he has been lecturing at the universities of Lappeenranta and Tampere. Since 1996, Tuokko has also worked on development projects as a programme manager and programme coordinator for Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation.
At present, we consider the machine building industry as subject to regional variations. To what extent will globalisation also result in uniform standards in this industry? Tuokko: We should note that, even today, suppliers of production machines still have different machine variants for different markets and regions. The requirements for machine safety, ergonomics, efficiency and sustainability vary from country to country and in accordance with the applicable standards. That is why there are not many machines that can be used in all regions or, in other words, that have a neutral specification. In the course of globalisation, these requirements are moving ever closer together. This supports the case for producing regionally neutral machines. Machine builders should therefore increase their involvement in international joint ventures and look for business success across national borders. What is the position at international level? Is there a difference in standards between continents? Are there different machine philosophies? Tuokko: From each countrys individual point of view, the primary objective must of course be a competitive national industry, as that is the only way in which it is possible to safe-guard jobs in the country concerned. With regard to production efficiency, however, the potential for improvement varies enormously from continent to continent. Even in the
No matter in which direction production technology develops, the main emphasis will always be the same: on the harmonious interaction between people and machines.
Reijo Tuokko
trends in automation Synergies 8 9
About the project
MANUFUTURE Germany
The MANUFUTURE Germany Platform was founded in September 2005 on the initiative of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) together with other associations, the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the German Ministry of Economy and Technology (BMWA) and numerous industrial companies. The overall project is co-ordinated by the VDMA, while the Fraunhofer Institute of Production Technology and Automation (IPA) Stuttgart is responsible for the technical management of the implementation of MANUFUTUREs working programme. The project is supported by the Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Project Management Agency Research Centre Karlsruhe (PTKA). The industrial spokesman for MANUFUTURE Germany is Dr. Peter Post, Head of Research and Programme Strategy at Festo AG & Co. KG. www.manufuture.de
Intensive exchange: Prof. Tuokko is always ready to discuss his visions for the future, such as the complete sustainability of products and production equipment, with partners from the high-level group Manufuture. From left to right: Dr. Peter Post, Head of Research and Programme Strategy at Festo, Prof. Reijo Tuokko, Dr. Christoph Hanisch, Head of Future Technology at Festo.
highly developed countries this potential is well over 100%. As I see it, certain countries will take up the challenge to improve efficiency, while others will relocate their production to countries with low wage costs or to countries which offer higher efficiency and performance. Which are doing better: the countries that carry out development or those with production operations? Tuokko: The countries that develop technologies themselves are in a better position. They are better placed to develop and implement new concepts for the transition from a traditional economy to a knowledge-based economy, from a use and discard economy to a sustainable economy. These new concepts will have a great influence on markets, society and technology. At the same time, they demand a new approach to production. The objective must be to increase added value and incorporate knowledge at all levels. The developed countries have the advantage over the developing countries in that they have more universities, institutes and research centres, which are after all the catalysts for changes of this kind. Finally, a question about you personally: how do you relax after work? Where do you get the new energy to reflect on tomorrows production?
Tuokko: I must admit I have a privileged and interesting job, which has also become my hobby. Through my work in the international community, I have been able to make many personal contacts and friends. These not only give me time to relax but also numerous opportunities to learn something new by exchanging ideas. This has heightened my awareness of regional differences and global trends and the effects of these trends on tomorrows production. However, the best way for me to relax and recharge my batteries is with my family, whether at home or on trips together.
Unilever and Festo

Festo Training & Consulting: enabling apprentices to make a positive business impact
nilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of fast-moving consumer goods, offering over 400 brands globally and over 40 in the UK. The organisation has been serving the UK for more than a century with a mission to meet everyday standards for nutrition, home hygiene and personal care. To maintain its market position, Unilever has invested in training and development for many years. Unilever has worked with Festo for over 15 years, initially using their engineering, manufacturing and training expertise to access a series of off the shelf skill and product based solutions. Whilst these training solutions have, over the years, enabled Unilever employees to secure and implement business-relevant knowledge of specific products and issues, the business welcomed a fresh perspective to technical training and development in 2006. At this time, in
partnership with the Festo team, Unilever seized the opportunity to review the effectiveness of these off the shelf solutions and question whether they were the most appropriate solutions for the operational and people development issues the business needed to address. An ideal approach to training Festo was keen to demonstrate to Unilever that a fresh approach to training could deliver a positive, tangible difference to the business. By focusing on the Crumlin site in south Wales, Festo worked through a new training model IDEAL to outline how the business could secure tangible results for the business. Rather than offering managers a knowledge based training programme, the IDEAL approach focuses on giving Unilever employees the skill and understanding to identify problems within the business and find the best and most effective solutions, explains Gary Fuller, programme manager at Festo Training & Consulting who leads their partnership with Unilever. The IDEAL approach is not about increasing skills and knowledge levels within the business. In contrast, it's about reducing factors such as downtime and increasing productivity. By keeping these
Gary Fuller, Programme Manager, Festo Training & Consulting
objectives at the forefront and by working through each stage of the IDEAL model enabled the team at Crumlin to review how a focused approach to identifying training needs, alongside issues within the business, could offer significant return on investment, he explains. In April 2007 the Crumlin team and their Festo partners presented their experiences and significant financial savings to a meeting of Unilever Technical managers. The results were impressive and included, for example, financial savings of over 26,000 per annum and making improvements in site Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) from 64% to 76%, as well as improving skill and knowledge levels within the site workforce.
Reproduced with kind permission of Unilever
IDEAL provides a structured approach to projects, ensuring results are delivered and clients have the ability to repeat or multiply the success of projects without the need for ongoing consultancy intervention. I IDENTIFY The first stage is to properly identify the needs of all stakeholders. Projects generally involve a wide range of people from inside and outside the organisation and if their needs and expectations are not properly evaluated and considered, it is unlikely that any solution will prove to deliver. D DEVELOP Once the identification process is complete, the development stage can begin. The objective is to develop the core skills, knowledge, processes and tools the project requires in partnership with the client, rather than attempting to apply a preconceived textbook solution. E ENGAGE The development stage will have tested the concepts, assessed results and proven the potential impact of the project. Once complete, the full implementation can begin. A APPLY An effective review of the project provides feedback on project issues and can identify, for example, coaching and development needs of individuals. By installing a feedback loop the project can become self-sustaining in the long term, continuously improving the solution by building confidence and experience. L LEAN This stage provides the opportunity to demonstrate how the new skills and knowledge are being applied and outlines the impact on the business. Its all about demonstrating return on investment. At Unilever, apprentices complete specific projects such as achieving energy saving, reducing production downtime and increasing productivity within the business that are reviewed by all project stakeholders.
I was very impressed with the work undertaken with Crumlin. The IDEAL model really took the theory of training evaluation and put it into a business context. I could see immediately how the approach might apply to aspects of our existing apprentice programme because of its focus on implementation and offering apprentices a vital business context to their development, explains Hazel Elderkin, Project Manager Engineering Development at Unilever. Investing in apprentices Apprentices are a key component of our talent management strategy and we recognised the need to up our game to ensure our programme could continue to deliver exactly what the business needs now and in the future, explains Steve Fletcher, Unilevers Engineering and Technology Director at Unilever Europe. To this end, the business took steps to review and refresh its apprentice programme in 2004. At this time Unilever began work to unify the organisations approach to its apprentices; rather than recruiting apprentices at a site or factory level, apprentices were recruited to and managed under a centrally led programme. The apprenticeship resulting from this review was a four-year programme that offers apprentices freedom within a framework. The first year requires all apprentices to attend full time at West Cheshire College (Capenhurst Technology Campus) with subsequent years combining hands on learning in the workplace, interspersed with block release back at the College. Unilever apprentices are reviewed throughout their four-year learning journey. Not only are regular reviews undertaken every twelve weeks, as required by Government, but they have a quarterly line manager review to assess their development, receive regular feedback from College on their learning and technical capability, and receive informal feedback from
existing Unilever engineers at their host site as they develop and apply their skills back into the workplace. We also proactively seek feedback from the apprentices themselves, comments Hazel Elderkin. Not only does this help us to ensure theyre happy and are enjoying the programme, but its their opportunity to comment on their experience and how they think they are performing to date. Identifying the needs of Unilever apprentices To ensure the IDEAL model did offer the right solution for Unilever apprentices, the business took the opportunity to clarify and understand the role apprentices were to play within the business now and in the future. Alongside this was the opportunity to assess the needs of individual apprentices to confirm what they need to know, the competency levels required and what should be included in any future apprentice offering. We want our apprentices to be up and running quickly, which means that following their formal training they must be able to apply their learning in a real business setting. However, when we take on a cohort of apprentices it can be difficult to predict exactly how the business will deploy them so we needed a flexible solution that can cope with any eventuality, says Hazel Elderkin. We took the opportunity to look at every production environment within the business to help us understand the world the typical Unilever apprentice lives and operates in. Based on this research we were in a strong position to develop a solution that reflects the current and future needs of apprentices and the business, says Festos Gary Fuller. Following these site visits, Festo and Unilever developed the Improvement Project, a five-day Pneumatics & Mechatronics module based around the IDEAL model that blends the theory delivered in the academic, College-based programme with the practical skills,
knowledge and behaviours required by the business. The module is undertaken in the final year of the formal apprentice programme and was delivered for the first time in September 2007. Extending apprentices learning journey The Improvement Project module ensures apprentices learning journey is not restricted to the classroom. It enables individuals to continue their learning and development within the work environment and transfer their knowledge to tangible skills and impact for the business. Taking place over eight weeks following the formal, academic programme, the project module encourages apprentices to make use of the IDEAL tool to extend their learning. Here they use the model to report and record the business issue theyre working on, diagnose potential solutions, outline the action they took and measure what this means for the business in financial and non-financial terms. Throughout the module we use examples, application and exercises from the business to demonstrate what apprentices are likely to experience in their everyday work. All these examples are taken from Unilever sites and are real issues for the business. For example, we find a typical problem that causes a
headache for the apprentice and work with them on the course to find a solution in this safe, controlled environment, says Festos Gary Fuller. This approach enables apprentices to realise they can apply practical and manageable solutions for the business. This increases their engagement and confidence in their own ability and means that when they graduate from the programme they can observe issues and be confident they have the correct solution to address them, he says. The module concludes with a formal presentation to the Unilever and Festo teams to outline what the project has meant to them and the organisation. It is very important for all three parties the individual apprentice, Unilever and Festo to understand the return on investment of the project modules. All participants need to know what was done and how it has made a difference to the business. It helps everyone especially the apprentice to feel good and know exactly what they have accomplished, comments Hazel Elderkin. Delivering a measurable return on investment The effectiveness of any training solution very much depends on how an employer or individual participant regards the intervention. That is, whether its regarded as a cost or a solution for the business. In the recent downturn, for example, many organisations have wanted to reduce costs and have therefore cut training spend. However, this isnt necessarily the answer. If, in the case of Unilever, training and development of this nature can be used to solve issues within the business that are costing money, it makes sense to keep investing, comments Festos Gary Fuller. Return on investment is a key factor in the Unilever apprentice programme, because of the significant investment over the four year period. Although this is a significant cost to the business, the results each apprentice can achieve initially through the direct financial savings of their Improvement Project and later through their work on the shop floor are much higher and represent a considerable return on investment for the business, says Hazel Elderkin. The investment required by Unilever is also manageable; its only necessary for apprentices to undertake the Improvement Project Module once. The skills they learn and the confidence they have to transfer this learning to the
We have developed a partnership relationship in the truest sense and much of this is based on Festos understanding of our organisational and commercial needs.
Hazel Elderkin, Unilever Project Manager Engineering Development
Recruiting and placing Unilever apprentices Unilever seeks to recruit the best possible candidates who are passionate about working with us and who can meet the future needs of the business. We recruit high calibre apprentices who offer the complete package, including academic ability, a strong work ethic and a positive attitude, explains Hazel Elderkin. The process for recruiting Unilever apprentices is consistent across all sites, enabling the organisation to recruit the best talent for the future. Candidates first experience a telephone interview and, if successful, proceed to an assessment centre where they participate in team building exercises and practical tasks, as well as psychometric tests. The face-to-face sessions are concluded with a competency-based interview. We need to be sure that our investment in these young people is a wise one and we have a high benchmark for success. One only needs to look at the calibre of current and recent apprentices to see the quality and impact of their work, as well as more intangible qualities such as their motivation and drive, their ownership of their own development, their creativity and their innovation, she says. Following graduation from the programme, apprentices take responsibility to find a full-time role within the business. A full time position within Unilever isnt an automatic rite of passage for apprentices. All candidates are required to undertake the formal application and interview process and many apprentices are interviewed alongside external candidates, says Hazel Elderkin.
Reproduced with kind permission of Unilever
business is transferable and can be applied to most issues, sites and situations within the organisation, says Gary Fuller. The future of apprenticeships at Unilever Unilevers successful approach to recruiting and developing apprentices is largely down to the way in which the business has worked together to ensure it meets the current and future needs of all sites. Consistently checking back to how we can deliver positive results for the business have driven our apprentice programme forward. Our mindset now is focused on recruiting to meet the needs of manufacturing in five or ten years time and, by partnering with experts and sites across the business, we can be confident that were on the right track, says Hazel. The success of the engineering apprentice programme to date has had a positive effect on other areas of the business. Its a credit to the programme and our partners that our apprentices can quickly make a positive impact when they take on full-time roles. Before making significant changes to the programme I think its fair to say that apprentices were regarded as the help within the business rather than a proactive, valuable resource that was capable of getting involved and making a
difference. This has certainly changed for the better and I see no reason why this should change! she concludes. Appointing the right training partner A key factor in the success of IDEALs implementation at Unilever is the partnership the business has developed with Festo. Festo has demonstrated, time and time again, that theyre working towards achieving our agenda, rather than focusing on their priorities and objectives, observes Hazel . We have developed a partnership relationship in the truest sense and much of this is based on their understanding of our organisational and commercial needs, which is due to their own heritage in manufacturing and engineering. This strong partnership approach with supplier organisations is a strong theme throughout the apprentice programme and is reflected in Unilevers work with other organisations, including West Cheshire College (Unilevers national college of choice), for example.
Unilever
www.unilever.co.uk Unilever has been serving the UK for more than a century. Its mission is to meet everyday needs for nutrition, home hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life.
is infoservice 18-01
Training & Consulting brochure
The Bernoulli vacuum gripper is particularly suitable for transporting thin, highly sensitive and brittle workpieces such as solar cells and silicon wafers.
High-speed handling units
No speed limit
Ready-to-install high-speed handling units with an innovative belt drive facilitate highly dynamic assembly operations. They can be used wherever fast, flexible and inexpensive positioning is required. Bernoulli vacuum grippers enable contactless gripping of fragile workpieces.
he requirements for automation solutions consisting of robots and handling systems are varied and complex. Ever smaller batch sizes and rising numbers of product variants demand faster set-up times and cost-effective production. Moreover, intelligent adaptive systems, such as
vision systems, are used more and more often in installations for quality assurance purposes; this means that solutions must be flexible, i.e. that they can be expanded and condensed. And, last but not least, unit costs should be reduced by increased performance. Festo has developed two high-speed handling units as
ready-to-install automation packages precisely in order to meet these demands. The high-speed H and T-gantries have been designed for dynamic handling and assembly operations where handling small workpieces, weighing from a few grams to three kilograms, need to be transferred quickly and positioned
trends in automation Impulse 14 15
The rigid construction consisting of the servo motors EMMS-AS and servo controller CMMS-AS, together with an optimised classic energy supply concept, ensure maximum dynamics that no other Cartesian gantry can achieve.
In comparison with other pick & place modules or picker solutions, the high-speed T-gantry requires considerably less installation space and can be scaled to any desired stroke.
flexibly. The robotic controller included in the ready-to-install package combines mechanical components and electric drive and control technology to form a kinematic system solution. Low design, fast, precise and inexpensive: the high-speed H-gantry The H-gantry is a lower-cost alternative to robotic systems with delta kinematics. The compact design has a low centre of gravity with correspondingly compact frames of simple construction. This means that less installation space is required, which incidentally also makes for a tidier layout of production lines. In contrast to delta kinematic systems, the axes can be scaled to any desired stroke. It is thus possible to adjust gantries to specific requirements and the ideal cycle time combined with maximised dynamics
and without a funnel-shaped feeding device at the edges or corners. The optimised acceleration and braking characteristics allow strokes in the X and Y directions from two metres to one metre with a repetition accuracy of 0.1 mm. What is more, the high-speed H-gantry combines the dynamics of a linear motor handling system with the relatively low costs of a toothed-belt handling solution while being 30% faster than conventional handling units. Linear and rotary motions in one unit The linear/rotary module expands the high-speed H-gantry by providing two additional degrees of freedom and permits linear and rotary motions within the same unit. The two axes of the module can move independently, making the module ideal for assembly
applications. These often require a combined linear/rotary motion in order to correct the orientation of components by means of a rotary motion as they leave a feeding device and before they can be assembled. The linear/rotary module consists of a sleeve with an integrated energy supply through-feed for the front-end module and forms a Z-axis onto which a gripper unit is fitted. The linear/rotary module can accelerate at 20 m/s to a speed of 1.5 m/s. This allows the use of vacuum and mechanical grippers with workpieces weighing up to one kilogram. Compact and dynamic: the high-speed T-gantry The T-gantry is based on the same technology as the H-gantry. As a high-speed pick & place module, it
Motor 1
1000 rpm
0 rpm
1000 rpm
1000 rpm Motor 2
x motion
Diagonal
y motion
0 rpm
Diagonal
Diagonal
Diagonal
The lower moving masses not only boost the performance of the overall installation but also allow energy-efficient operation.
Timo Kloker, Solution Engineering Centre Handling, Festo
1000 rpm
y motion
x motion
Mode of operation of H-gantry The direction of rotation of the motors creates motion in the x/y plane. Performance can be boosted by overlapping motions.
Motor 2
1000 rpm
0 rpm
-1000 rpm
1000 rpm Motor 1
y-axis
Diagonal
z-axis
0 rpm
Diagonal
Diagonal
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-1000 rpm
z-axis
y-axis
Mode of operation of T-gantry The two motors enable the high-speed T-gantry to be positioned freely in the y-z plane. The motion sequence can thus be optimised for the application in question.
allows more dynamic operation than conventional linear gantries and can also be scaled to any desired stroke. The T-gantry is very compact and offers impressively high acceleration in the Z direction, with strokes in the X direction of up to 2000 mm, in the Y direction of up to 1000 mm and in the Z direction of up to 300 mm with a repetition accuracy of 0.1 mm. Clever design feature The two gantries achieve speeds of up to 5 m/s and an acceleration of up to 50 m/s over their entire working area through a clever design feature: the two toothed-belt axes are connected to the cross arm by means of a single recirculating toothed belt round the drive shaft. This toothed belt is driven by two parallel, fixed-position servo motors from Festos EMMS series. The positive side-effect of this is that there is no moving motor on the X/Y plane with its
two degrees of freedom. These two factors (recirculating toothed belt and lower masses thanks to the two parallel, fixed-position servo motors) enable fast dynamic motions to be achieved. Kinematic system solution The basis of the high-speed H and T-gantries is the robotic controller CMXR. It combines mechanical components and electric drive and control technology to form a complete kinematic system solution and coordinates highly dynamic motions in three dimensions. The robotic controller CMXR interpolates and positions all axes which can follow contours on a centre line, such as is required with adhesive applications, laser welding or water-jet cutting. The controller can set path switching points and thus precisely control process devices. The CMXR also acts as an interface to
These high-speed handling units are of particular interest for the following industries:
Electronics Photovoltaics Special machine building Packaging feed functions AMI suppliers
trends in automation Impulse 16 17
The high-speed H-gantry offers the dynamic characteristics of a linear motor handling system for the price of a toothed belt handling solution.
Festo wins Intersolar Award High-speed H-gantry wins over the experts Festo has won the Intersolar Award in the category PV Production Technology at Intersolar Europe in Munich, the worlds largest exhibition of photovoltaic and solar thermal products. Festo, as a manufacturer in the field of automation technology, won this award with its high-speed H-gantry for the rapid transfer of solar modules. The 2300 exhibitors at Intersolar were invited to submit their most innovative solutions to the Intersolar Awards competition in the categories photovoltaics, solar thermal products and PV production technology. The speaker at the prize-giving ceremony and jury member Dr. Ingo Schwirtlich, Vice President Technology at Schott Solar AG, praised the high speed H-gantry as a solution which represents progress in photovoltaics production technology in ecological, technological and economic terms.
higher order control systems on the one hand and to the motor controller of the servo axes and the valve terminals on the other. And what is more, vision systems, such as the Festo intelligent compact vision system SBOx, can be easily incorporated. Using vision systems and various conveyor systems, it is also possible to create applications for moving objects. Ready-to-install system integration Both the H and T-gantries are available as ready-to-install subsystem solutions. These solutions are fully tested and assembled and are delivered straight to the machine, together with all the necessary design documentation and circuit diagrams as well as a comprehensive functional and fixed-price guarantee.
Handling System Overview brochure
Safe even at an extreme angle: thanks to piezo technology, the multi-function seat of the Mercedes E-class adapts to any driver and driving situation.
Piezo technology in automobiles
Relaxed around every corner

Car seats must provide support and comfort. The Mercedes-Benz E-class demonstrates that even going around corners can be a relaxing experience. The piezo valves in the Mercedes multi-contour seat ensure that air cushions provide an ideal supportive shape.
ntegral moulded seats offer good lateral support but have only limited capacity to adapt to a specific body shape or driving situation. However, since early 2009 the multi-contour seats fitted in the Mercedes E-class have been equipped with high-speed piezo valves to ensure optimum support. In a joint project with ATS and Festo, special valves are used to vary the volume of air in the seat backrest according to steering angle, lateral acceleration and travel speed. The use of the latest technologies increases the quality of the in-car environment. Ultra-fast, ultra-light and quiet Each seat has seven valves with modern piezo-ceramics that generate the force used to fill and evacuate the air chambers in seconds. These valves are not only fast and precise, they are also light and quiet in operation. There is no clicking to disturb the driver as his or her high tech car glides smoothly over the asphalt. Festo met the seemingly opposing needs for perfect technology and precisely harmonised processes with a new piezo valve production line. This was developed in collaboration with ATS Munich GmbH & Co. KG. Mechatronics was the
Thanks to patented piezo technology, an elegant solution has been created which enhances seating comfort in cars. This is innovation at the highest level through a combination of people and technology and points the way to the future.
Michael Hartmannsgruber, Head of Business Centre Mobile Pneumatics at Festo
The ATS production line displays its strengths through the integration of all kinds of process steps from manufacturing through to quality inspection.
The ATS Supertrak machine: the latest mechatronics was the inspiration for the design of this piezo valve production line.
inspiration for the design of the machines. Large quantities, high quality The fully automated production line turns out a piezo valve every 20 seconds. When building this line, the developers took care to fulfil the high quality standards of the automotive industry in every way. Hence all the batch data for the components and the entire process and test data are stored within an SAP production system. More than 300 data items are available for each valve, allowing real-time representation of the processes. If even the smallest deviation occurs, closed-loop corrective action can be taken. On modern production lines, it is more important than ever before to be able to trace workpieces throughout the process, from delivery to final dispatch. This is achieved by affixing Datamatix codes to the products and through automatic sorting of the finished valves. This makes it possible to prevent any mix-up.
Automation Tooling Systems Munich GmbH & Co. KG

European Regional Headquarters Marsstrae 2 D-85551 Heimstetten www.atsmunich.com Area of activity: Suppliers of special machines for automated manufacturing, assembly and testing operations, including electronics and semiconductor production.
Added value thanks to modern mechatronics On the new production line, mechatronics as a multidisciplinary technology dominates all the steps in the production process. Its strengths lie in the integration of all kinds of process steps into the same production line, from manufacturing through to quality inspection. Mechatronics thus provides an elegant solution that leads to greater efficiency. Defective workpieces are rapidly detected and separated out. Shorter cycle times and faster processes reduce costs.
Audiences stirred by fluidic muscles

Innovative dynamic seat modules add further realism to 3D film experience. Simworx Ltd, a specialist supplier of 4D effects theatres and simulation attractions, has chosen to base the innovative dynamic seat modules for its new Dimensions range of effects theatres on Festo fluidic muscles. The seats bring an unprecedented degree of experiential realism to 3D movies by subjecting occupants to a wide variety of movements, synchronised to the film being shown. Optional built-in effects include leg ticklers, air-blast and water spray functions. Never let it be said that todays cinematic experience is merely visual!
ased in Kingswinford, West Midlands, Simworx has grown to become a world leader in the design, manufacture and supply of fixed site and mobile 4D effects theatres and simulation attractions. The company has more than 600 installations worldwide, including a large number of space, aeronautical and science museums in the UK and USA, and many of the leading theme parks in Europe. Its customer base also includes a
considerable number of prestigious blue chip companies and organisations. The seats for Simworx latest Dimensions range of effects theatres are based on a modular design, incorporating all the motion control actuators in a shallow, floor standing plinth that supports four individual seats. There are two basic models: the Dimensions 4D seats feature backwards drop and vibration functions, while the Dimensions 5D models add
forwards/backwards tilt, left-right tilt and vertical drop functions to the list of effects. The headrest of each seat can optionally be equipped with fully integrated air blast and water spray capabilities, and to complete the picture, the pedestal of each seat can be fitted with a pneumatically powered leg tickler. Over the years, Simworx has employed a variety of actuators from different manufacturers for its dynamic effects
Dynamic seats bring an unprecedented degree of experiential realism to 3D movies.
Motion control actuators are incorporated in a shallow floor standing plinth that supports four individual seats.
seats. Most of these have been pneumatic, since this type of technology is cost-effective, inherently safe, and offers a much higher power density than electric actuators making it easier to integrate into the body of the seat. During the development of its latest Dimensions series seats, Simworx became aware of Festos fluidic muscles; these are a unique form of pneumatic actuator resulting from Festos bionic concepts research programme, which have now been commercialised and are available as standard industrial products. Fluidic muscles are tensile actuators which mimic their biological counterparts by contracting when fed with compressed air. They are capable of exceptionally fast and smooth operation, as well as slow,
jolt free movement, and can generate an initial force some ten times higher than a conventional pneumatic actuator of the same diameter. According to Simworx Director, Andy Roberts, I first became aware of Festos fluidic muscles when I attended a technology showcase event at the companys HQ in Northampton. It was immediately apparent that the muscles are considerably better than conventional pneumatic actuators for simulator type applications like ours. They provide excellent dynamic performance, and have a much higher power density. We have just installed our new Dimensions seats in Manchester Science Museum and are currently putting the finishing touches to a system for an indoor theme park on
Weston-Super-Mares Grand Pier. I envisage well be making increasing use of this technology in the future. Simworx chose to use the most powerful, 40 mm diameter, versions of Festos latest generation DMSP series fluidic muscles for the new Dimensions seats. These muscles employ press fitted connections to minimise size and weight. Each four seat plinth module contains four DMSP fluidic muscles one in each corner together with four manifold mounted Festo VPPM proportional pressure regulators, and a control unit. The VPPMs use an innovative cascaded dual stage regulator, designed specifically to provide a very easy and precise means of varying the flow rate to pneumatic actuators. The compressed air supply is generated
Wide variety of movements can be made with synchronisation to the film being shown. Optional built-in effects include legs ticklers, air-blast and water spray functions.
Fluidic muscles Festo DMSP fluidic muscles are very high power-to-weight pistonless pneumatic actuators, ideal for highly dynamic, short move length applications such as moving seats or driving a robot arm. In essence, they consist of a flexible tube with reinforcing Aramid fibres organised as a three-dimensional rhomboidal lattice. Mimicking its natural counterpart the fluidic muscle generates force in one direction. The tubes expand in diameter when filled with compressed air and simultaneously contract approximately 25-30% of their initial length depending upon the air pressure applied.
outside the theatre to minimise noise interference, and is distributed to each seat module via a pneumatic ring main; the exhausted air is released locally, via high-efficiency Festo silencers. The control unit in each Dimensions seat module employs fieldbus for communication with the systems host control PC. Special event triggers contained within the film being shown instruct the central controller to issue appropriate signals to all the seat modules in the theatre simultaneously, resulting in the entire audience experiencing exactly the same effect be it pitch, rock, vibrate or sudden drop at the same time. Shaken not stirred has suddenly taken on a whole new meaning!
Simworx
www.simworx.co.uk Market leaders in 3D/4D effects theatres, motion theatres, simulation attractions and the provision of 2D/3D film content. Unlike 'standard' pneumatic cylinders the change in length is proportional to the pressure applied making them ideal for simple positioning tasks in both open or closed loop applications. The movement is virtually without friction and stiction enabling exceptionally smooth movements without stick-slip and the very high initial forces enable inertia in the mounting system to be overcome. The fluidic muscle has many applications in the worlds of entertainment, animatronics and modern automation for clamping, pressing and positioning.
Fluidic Muscle brochure
Bionic Learning Network
Ingenious ideas take off

Learning from nature is the central principle of bionics. Nature shows the way forward towards energy efficient motion sequences in tomorrows production and provides the impetus for new and amazing practical applications. Take for example CyberKite, an automated kite system with a cybernetic control system that represents a high quality, biomechatronic concept with great promise for the future.
he wind is unpredictable and it is always a challenge to get it under control. Particularly when we try to make something as lightweight as a high-tech kite fly in a controlled manner. But this was the task which Festo engineers, working with experts from the Aerox company, set themselves within the context of the Bionic Learning Network. The result is impressive: CyberKite is a wing in bionic form of up to 24 m in size. With stand alone open and closed-loop control and energy supply systems, it not only demonstrates the high performance of Festo electric drives and controllers, it is also a sustainable model that shows how companies can make intelligent use of natural energy resources.
trends in automation Compass 24 25
The servo motors act via cables which are unwound by the lifting force of the kite and can also operate optionally as generators. The electrical energy obtained is stored by the system in batteries, thus reducing net energy consumption.
To ensure controlled winding and unwinding of the cables, each cable winch is equipped with a winding positioning axis consisting of an electric linear drive.
The endurance champion at high altitudes The CyberKite wing combines a high volumetric capacity for aerostatic buoyant gas with a good lift/drag ratio and high intrinsic stability. It remains in the air even in the total absence of wind due to the uplift created by the gas. It is controlled on the ground by a Festo mechatronic actuator unit. This means that the hybrid wing system is able to deal even with major wind fluctuations. This makes the CyberKite an elegant flyer that stays up for a long time under any wind condition. The high cable forces which are created under strong and gusty wind conditions are handled by Festo electric drives and a Festo controller. These react rapidly to every new situation and keep the system stable. The engineers of the Bionic Learning Network have even been able to dispense with any additional stabilising
control surfaces. The passive adaptive cable gearbox system is able to efficiently reduce the effect of wind force when necessary. The self sufficient kite The central focus of the technological development of the CyberKite was to provide it with intelligent behaviour and make it sustainable. Its energy efficient drives make use of wind power, and its servo motors are able to reclaim energy from control actions. In battery operation, the wing system makes use of excess wind power from the flexible cable drives. Under appropriate wind conditions the CyberKite can thus be operated self-sufficiently with regard to energy. Dependable control, come rain or sunshine With the CyberKite, Festo and Aerox have developed a highly modern technology
platform which provides dependable control of complex applications. The intelligent wing system has proven its value in practical operation, while the sophisticated automation solution has shown itself well able to deal with the unpredictabilities of a natural environment. The CyberKite is an excellent example of intelligent interaction between people and technology. It clearly demonstrates how machine building can provide sustainable solutions in conjunction with overarching technologies such as mechatronics and measures to increase energy efficiency.
Saving set-up time in automotive electronics production
At the press of a button

Large number of workpiece variants and short set-up times these two market demands appear at first glance to be contradictory and would be if not for the ifc flexfeeder. This flexible feed system with an integrated Festo Tripod robot and vision system squeezes set-up times down to zero.
oday 500 examples of control unit A, tomorrow 200 examples of control unit B and the next day 500 examples of control unit C the different sensors used with a wide range of vehicle and motor variants call for flexibility with small batch sizes. Setting up machines can be laborious and costly. An answer to the conflicting demands of large numbers of variants and short set-up times is provided by the ifc flexfeeder, produced by the special machine builder ifc intelligent feeding components GmbH for Tyco Electronics. This feed system permits changes of workpiece types at the press of a button. Saving the need for bowl feeders The ifc flexfeeder feeds at least six different plastic covers for control units flexibly and correctly to the next assembly station. The assembly station laser welds the covers to the control unit housing. A feed system upstream of the handling unit separates the plastic covers and feeds them to the ifc flexfeeder via a conveyor belt with integrated lighting. For Heinrich Halling, Head of Equipment Design at the Speyer location of Tyco Electronics, the ifc flexfeeder solution was just the right one: For the six different types of plastic covers, we would have required at least four bowl feeders, which
would have cost far more than the complete ifc flexfeeder system. What is more, this system is open to new variants. Almost zero set-up times Tyco saves even more when its plant is running, as on some days the system set-up needs to be changed at least five times to accommodate different workpieces. With a conventional bowl feeder solution, we would have had set-up times of up to five hours due to the need for mechanical adaptation and
adjustments for each plastic cover variant. With the ifc flexfeeder, set-up time is 10 minutes. We can change variant at the press of a button, adds Halling. Not only this, but with this solution there are no interchangeable bowl feeders and other parts to take up storage space unnecessarily. The control system concept is equally simple. New variants can be parameterised and configured very easily. We only need to enter positions, sequences and settings via the Festo FED
An alternative to bowl feeders: correctly oriented workpieces are picked up from the inspection belt by the Tripod robotic system from Festo using vacuum grippers and placed in the centring station.
A feed system upstream of the handling unit separates the plastic covers and feeds them to the ifc flexfeeder. The vision system SBO..-Q from Festo determines the position and orientation of the workpieces.
Workpiece type changeover at the press of a button: no problem with ifc flexfeeder, the flexible feed system.
front end display, explains ifc General Manager Andreas Schirmer. Integrated vision system A further important element of the feed system is the vision system SBO..-Q from Festo. This determines the position and orientation of workpieces and transmits this data to the robotic controller CMXR. Any incorrectly oriented covers are immediately separated out via a chute and fed back into the spiral conveyor. Correctly oriented covers, on the other hand, are picked up from the inspection belt by the Tripod robotic system from Festo using vacuum grippers and placed in the centring station. A slide unit moves the centring gripper out of the Tripod handling area. The laser welding station picks up the precisely positioned plastic covers and places them accurately on the plastic control unit housing ready for the subsequent welding process. Ready-to-install Tripod robot Thanks to its low moving mass, this robotic handling unit is dynamic, while its pyramid-shaped enclosed design makes it very rigid. Three double rods ensure that the flange plate is horizontal at all times. The position of the axis and servo motors is fixed.
Position detection with the vision system SBO..-Q in conjunction with the Tripod robotic handling unit as a ready-to-install solution provides the necessary degrees of freedom for fast, reliable and accurate transfer of the plastic covers, explains Schirmer. The Tripod kinematic mechanism offers designers of assembly cells and system integrators such as ifc a fast and efficient alternative to conventional Cartesian gantry solutions or SCARA robots. The Tripod makes use of standard components from Festos modular system. Because of its design, the Tripod is more easily accessible in the working area than Cartesian or SCARA robots. What is more, it is easier to set up using teach-in and is competitive in price compared with all other robotic systems. This handling unit is the ideal choice for the ifc flexfeeder and in turn, the ifc flexfeeder is the ideal choice for Tyco Electronics. This company anticipates that the machine will amortise itself within six to twelve months.
ifc intelligent feeding components GmbH

Neuenstadter Strae 12 D-74229 Oedheim info@ifc-online.com www.ifc-online.com Area of activity: Solutions for feeding systems
Tyco Electronics
www.tycoelectronics.com Area of activity: 50,000 products for automotive production, communications systems, electronic household appliances, medical technology and other industries.
Bionic Tripod brochure
Automation technology in Brazil
Is it party time again?

Caipirinha, Copacabana, carnival With its exotic atmosphere, Brazil is the epitome of Latin-American exuberance. Exuberant was also the mood in the Brazilian economy until the Sugarloaf Mountain country was overtaken by the effects of the world economic crisis. However, after a recessionary period of only six months, analysts are already talking about growth again.
Following the crisis, the party at the Copacabana is just getting back into full swing: the Brazilian machine and plant building industry must find a way to position itself between the high technology available from Europe and the mass produced goods from Asia. Growth prospects are particularly good in the field of process automation.
ccording to Deutsche Bank Research, there are increasing signs that the Brazilian economy has found its way back to growth. The growth target for 2010 is around 5%. The Brazilian government has done its homework and created comprehensive tax breaks to encourage economic recovery. In order to limit the inflow of short term capital, which had resulted in an increase in the value of the national currency, the real, the government re-introduced a financial transaction tax in October 2009.
Industry immune to crises In contrast to many banks in the rest of the world, Brazilian credit institutions had relatively little exposure to toxic debts and Brazilian industry itself proved to be virtually immune to crises. Even in the period of hyperinflation in the 1970s and 1980s Brazilian companies found ways and means to generate and re-invest profits. Record sales of cars The greatest hopes for an economic recovery lie with the automotive industry. In the middle of the crisis, this industry with massive state support set a record in June 2009. The good prospects in Brazil are increasingly attracting the attention of international companies. The German business newspaper Handelsblatt reported on 30 November 2009 that Volkswagen do Brasil planned to go on the attack against the market leader Fiat, with plans to increase VW sales to one million units by 2014. The Volkswagen Group is investing more than 2 billion euros in expanding its factories and developing new products. This will generate fresh demand for assembly lines and production machinery for plastic and rubber products.
Festo in Brazil
Everyone in Brazil who operates, manufactures or imports machines and installations has been able since 1968 to rely on Festo for high performance pneumatic and electrical automation technology. That is when Festo set up a national Brazilian company based in So Paulo, which now has 450 employees in its Customer Service Centre assembling customer specific products and six sales offices ensuring a dependable supply of Festos high quality automation technology.
In spite of the crisis: the continually high demand for consumer goods ensures that plastic packaging manufacturers still receive plenty of business.
We develop projects adapted to the Brazilian market using the products and technologies available from Germany, explains Carlos Daniel Raymundo, Sales Manager of Festo Brazil. Festo supports around 30 different industries, of which the most important are car manufacturing, food and packaging, petrochemicals, mining, plastics, electronics, pharmaceuticals, paper, sugar, alcohol and special machine building. The food and packaging sector alone accounts for one fifth of the total sales of Festo Brazil. This should come as no surprise, as Brazil is the worlds biggest exporter of coffee, sugar, poultry, beef and orange juice. However, it is in oil and gas that Raymundo sees the biggest opportunities for growth. Festo supplies more than just hardware to its Brazilian customers. Equally important is the skills training provided by Festo Didactic. This division handles many projects in cooperation with manufacturing companies, technical training colleges and universities. Users can attend intensive training sessions in Festos own Training Centre.
In the Customer Service Centre of Festo Brazil: customer-specific solutions for the fifth-biggest country in the world.
We develop projects adapted to the Brazilian market using the products and technologies available from Germany.
Carlos Daniel Raymundo, Sales Manager of Festo Brazil
Demand for consumer goods The food industry and the cosmetics and personal hygiene sectors were also virtually unaffected by the crisis. In the future, we can expect to see the launch of many new products, with innovations in form, fragrance and flavour as well as packaging. Pharmaceutical products, too, offer good sales prospects, particularly of generic products. Large parts of Brazils population of almost 200 million have little or no access to medication or consumer goods and thus represent an enormous potential for automation technology. The future with process automation In the energy sector, there are plans for the construction of many gas, hydro-electric and biomass power stations. Machines and installations for extracting and processing oil and gas are becoming one of the most important areas for process automation. This industry will also generate demand for offshore and shipbuilding technology. The state company Petrobras alone will spend around 43 billion Brazilian reals (approx. 15 billion) in the period up to 2014 on equipment for exploiting new offshore wells and for transporting and processing crude oil and natural gas. Machine building is lagging behind The situation described above in no way applied to the machine and plant building industry in the summer of 2009. Many peoples verdict here is: the partys over. The Brazilian industry association Abimaq (Associaco Brasileira da Industria de Maquinas e Equipamentos) announced a drop in overall industry sales of 14%. A dangerous cocktail of low investment, high taxation, comparatively low import duties for foreign competitors products (6 to 7%) and an unfavourable currency
exchange rate is, according to the Germany Trade and Invest information service, threatening the existence of many machine builders. A difficult past The world economic crisis revealed the weaknesses of Brazil as a developing country, particularly in machine and plant building. Despite the fact that labour costs are only around half those in Germany, Brazilian employers still need to pay their workers an hourly rate ten times higher than that in India, Vietnam or China. Semi-finished products such as stainless steel profiles and sheet aluminium are significantly more expensive than in Europe, and the country often needs to import high-tech electronic components. The Brazilian machine and plant building industry therefore needs to find its own way between high technology from Europe and mass-produced goods from Asia. Nowadays production can be bought in. It is no longer essential to invest in machine tools. Latin America as the locomotive of growth Brazil is once again being the locomotive of growth in Latin America. Its well-trained workforce, highly developed industry and production technology and large domestic market with great potential are the factors that will help the country to flourish economically. Investment in infrastructure will play a part in this, since in the next decade the sports mad Brazilians will host the football World Cup in 2014 and the Summer Olympic Games in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. These events will certainly get the party going ...
Cristo Redentor attracts up to one million visitors each year from all over the world. This statue of Christ the Redeemer impresses with its sheer size and offers a spectacular view across Rio de Janeiro. The arm span of the statue is 28 metres.
Machining profiles for windows and building facades
The professional profile

They need to be fast and precise as well as gentle. A very great deal is asked of the machines used to produce aluminium and plastic profiles. But when the results need to look good, as with windows, there can be no compromises. And it is precisely here that the valve terminal VTSA can display its strengths with a combination of pressure zones and vertical stacking modules.
n the metalworking and plastics industries, machining operations are an everyday occurrence. This also applies to the production of aluminium and plastic profiles for window-making, which in itself is not a problem. Machining does, however, become a problem if the chips which it generates enter the profile guides and cause damage to the painted profiles. However, it is possible to prevent this damage by using very low clamping pressures.
An ingenious clamping system elumatec, a manufacturer of profile cutting machines, uses a dual-pressure clamping system for particularly sensitive steps in the process. The modular profile machining centre only applies full clamping force to the clamping rollers during actual machining. This is achieved by switching pressures or by switching off a counter-pressure. The machine transports the profiles in an almost floating state between the individual machining stations. The clamping
components, which hold the profiles in place and straighten these if they are bent, are actuated by standard cylinders type DNCB. These enable operation which is virtually stick-slip free. Individual activation In order to be able to activate the cylinders with different pressures, we exploit the options for creating pressure zones and for fitting vertical stacking modules which the valve terminal VTSA offers us, explains Andreas Hettler,
With the modular SBZ 600 profile machining centres, elumatec offers an efficient automation solution for machining plastic and aluminium profiles tailored to individual needs.
For our customer, the top priority in machining PVC profiles is speed. VTSA valve terminals give us that extra speed and thus a decisive competitive advantage.
Andreas Hettler, Project Manager for profile machining centres at elumatec
Project Manager for profile machining centres at elumatec. Pressure zones are used in order to activate a number of clamps with the same pressure. If it is necessary to apply control pulses to individual clamps, elumatec uses vertical stacking modules. These enable a pressure regulator plate to be fitted under each valve in order to use different pressure for the advance and return strokes of a cylinder.
Smaller, faster, less expensive Reversible pressure regulators allow higher speed and reduce costs. With these pressure regulators, the exhaust air is fed back directly, not via the regulator. The cylinder thus exhausts faster and a higher speed can be obtained with smaller valves. With the machines for processing PVC profiles, the most important criteria for our customers is speed and the associated high productivity, says Andreas Hettler. Every cylinder that is not travelling at
The travelling tool magazines ensure fast tool changeover and thus optimum machining cycles.
top speed is slowing down production. This is why elumatec uses different valve sizes to optimise flow rates. Machining profiles is a tough business. The components used must be able to take punishment. They have to withstand chips, aggressive spraying agents in the case of aluminium profiles and, with plastic profiles, hydrogen chloride vapour, which combines with the moisture in the air to form liquid hydrochloric acid. Reliable operation of the VTSA valve terminal despite such harsh conditions is ensured by the high degree of protection provided by the electrical sealing, together with the heavy duty valve bodies. Users benefit from the development history of the VTSA, which was based on well proven and heavy duty ISO valve terminals. In comparison with earlier models, however, the valves on the VTSA are considerably more compact and
easier to replace. There is no need to remove pneumatic connections or electrical wiring in order to replace valves. Easily expanded at any time The tough design of the VTSA is, however, not the only reason why we chose this valve terminal, explains Andreas Hettler. The VTSA also offers us the option of changing over at any time from the current multi-pin connection to a fieldbus connection. The fieldbus connection reduces the amount of wiring work required and, in conjunction with the modular electrical terminal CPX, opens up new possible applications. For example, it would be possible to use the CPX terminal to activate pneumatic servo axes without changing the valve terminal configuration, as the mechanical interfaces remain unchanged.
elumatec GmbH
Pinacher Strae 61 D-75417 Mhlacker www.elumatec.com Area of activity: Manufacturer of machine tools for aluminium and plastic profile production
VTSA brochure
The central pneumatic module with switch box for the elumatec KSA 605 automatic notch-cutting machine. This can be integrated into various lines for the fully automatic production of PVC profiles for windows and doors.
The valve terminal VTSA allows up to four valve sizes to be combined. Each cylinder size is allocated an optimum valve.
The central pneumatic module and associated I/O terminals of the elumatec SBZ 609 machining centre. This machining centre can be integrated into automatic production lines for the reinforcement and machining of cut PVC profiles for windows and doors. At the top of the picture: the swivelling reinforcement screw driver system on its 3-axis support.
trends in automation Festo worldwide 34 35
Turkey
Water for Istanbul

Festo Turkey supports the modernisation of the drinking water supply
An impressive panorama: the Blue Mosque with a view of the Bosporus.
Water is a valuable commodity in Istanbul. The Turkish metropolis has around 14 million inhabitants who all need to be supplied with drinking water. The Istanbul utility company ISKI (Istanbul Su ve Kanalizasyon Idaresi) accordingly operates five plants which together treat more than two million cubic metres of river and rain water every day. In order to tackle the increased level of contamination present in river and rain water and the growing shortage of drinking water, ISKI decided in 2003 to modernise its water treatment plants. The major partner in this project was Festo Turkey. Step by step, Festo Turkey modernised the automation systems of the filtration installations at four locations: shut-off valves, drives and position controllers at the filter tanks were replaced, and modern closed-loop control systems, flow and filling level sensors were installed. Festo Turkey replaced the old control desks with modern control panels. At the same time, it implemented a new automation structure and modernised the air preparation system.
ISKI has since benefited from numerous advantages. The operation and maintenance of the plants today is much simpler and costs significantly less. The water quality is measurably better, and the utility company is confident of being able to react quickly in an emergency. Moreover, the plants now have an automation structure that can be expanded flexibly at any time. ISKI has thus not only taken a major step towards securing a high quality water supply for the metropolis on the Bosporus in the
long term but has also carried on a long tradition. Back in 330 AD, Istanbul (then known as Constantinople) was supplied with water by the longest Roman aqueduct built up until that time, covering a distance of 242 kilometres.
Everything at a glance: the automation system of the filtration installations is controlled by new panels with a Festo FED touch screen, a manual control interface and CPX modules.
Great Britain
Festo mobile showcase

Festo showcase without you leaving your premises
Festo brings the latest automation products to our customers doorsteps.
The Festo Showcase vehicle, packed full of technology and product demonstration kits, is once again touring the country. The modular nature of the vehicle means we can bring the products into your conference room or into a corner of your factory, with a minimum of time and effort, providing you with a chance to see, touch and discuss the latest innovative automation solutions with your Festo Consultant. Included in the vehicle are working models of our CPX integrated automation platform including motion control, proportional control and interfaces to PLCs, field buses and Industrial Ethernet networks. In addition we have our new safety valve, a novel air bearing and sensors. Static displays include our full range of mechanical axis for electric drives, our full pneumatic valve and cylinder ranges as well as process control valves and sensor boxes.
The vehicle can make up to two visits a day at customers and dealers premises around 80 visits are planned during the current tour. Please contact your Festo Consultant if youd like the mobile showcase to visit your company.
Great Britain
Royal Society 350th Anniversary

Following in the footsteps of Darwin
Festo's flying penguins, jellyfish and ray performed during the Royal Society's 350th anniversary celebrations. To celebrate the occasion, the Southbank Centre and the Royal Society came together to explore science and our human impulse to understand the world we live in. A key element of the celebration was the ten-day, See Further Festival of Science + Arts at Southbank Centre. Festo's Air Penguins flew above the exhibition and for performances in the amazing auditorium of the Royal Festival Hall. The Air Penguins are creations of Festo's Bionic Learning Network, which is an alliance of educational establishments and specialist companies tasked with exploring bionic solutions for automation applications of the future. These bionic concepts have been developed to learn from nature; exploring biological principles in the form of beautiful and mesmerising creatures.
Festo flying penguins: entertaining in the Royal Festival Hall.
Using helium-filled balloons, fibre control rods and rigid geometrical structures, the creatures demonstrate some of the latest concepts - they are not saleable products, but are proof of research ideas and demonstrations of design concepts, intended to stimulate dialogue with customers, suppliers and partners.
trends in automation Soft Stop 36 37
Do you sometimes keep students in after school, Mr. Hschle?

No, of course we dont punish students by keeping them in after school. In contrast to normal schools, the Festo Academy team and I as its leader are not concerned with grades or any kind of selection process. Our objective is to help Festo staff develop professionally so that they can expand their skills and perform their duties even better and more efficiently than before. We use a whole range of training tools that are suitable for different applications and that complement one another perfectly when used in combination. Among our methods is the classic classroom based training in the form of seminars, workshops and training courses. In order to ensure successful learning, the Academy not only offers a bright and friendly learning atmosphere and the latest equipment, but also uses the most modern methods. Instead of teachers or lecturers we have trainers or moderators, while lectures are replaced by discussions in which the focus is on the concerns of the participants. We place particular emphasis on the period after the seminar, which is crucial if participants are to make effective long-term use of what they have learned. To complement this we have the Virtual Academy, a web-based learning platform offering so called e-learning. This focuses on product, data-processing and technology training. Festo staff can learn foreign languages via our intranet and also acquire organisational skills. The advantage is that they can use these training facilities when it is most convenient for them, as e-learning is available worldwide, around the clock and seven days a week. In terms of content, every participant can concentrate on the material that is most important to him or her. Our most important and most frequently used form of learning, however, is learning on the job, in other words informal unorganised learning in the workplace. The Academy cannot and does not wish to intervene directly in this form of learning. What we can do, however, is to make Festo management aware of the subject of learning on the job and show them how they can create an environment and a climate in their departments that encourages learning from, with and for colleagues. It is precisely for this reason that learning on the job is such an important complement to our Festo Leadership Initiative, which we have been rolling out since 2009 as a training programme for management personnel.
What form will tomorrows production take? The spanner as a symbol of mechanical engineering, a circuit board to represent electronics. These two, together with suitable software, form mechatronic solutions that represent quantum leaps in productivity. But what form will tomorrows production processes take? Large number of product variants, batch sizes of as little as one, fast reactions to individual customer wishes and high energy prices will be just some of the factors involved. Innovative automation suppliers improve the productivity, efficiency and flexibility of their international customers. Extra added value in the shape of services, know how transfer and social and knowledge networks ensures sustainable global success.
Great Britain: Festo Ltd Applied Automation Centre Caswell Road Brackmills Trading Estate Northampton NN4 7PY Phone 01252 775059 Fax 01252 775015 E-mail: info_gb@festo.com Internet: www.festo.com/gb Ireland: Festo Ltd Unit 5 Sandyford Park Sandyford Industrial Estate Dublin 18 Phone +353 (0) 1 2954955 Fax +353 (0) 1 2955680 E-mail: sales_ie@festo.com Internet: www.festo.com.ie

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trends in automation

The Festo Customer Magazine Issue 18

IDEAL model for Unilever

trends in automation Editorial 1

The future of production

Ansgar Kriwet, Sales Director Europe

A rising star: the CyberKite from Festos Bionic Learning Network.

trends in automation Contents 2 3

The Tripod enables dynamic handling and requires little space.

Back to the future

trends in automation Panorama 4 5

Photograph: HistoCard private archive, www.histocard.com, Garmisch-Partenkirchen

I have a few questions on production technology.

trends in automation Inspiration 6 7

Professor Reijo Tuokko

trends in automation Synergies 8 9

About the project

Unilever and Festo

Reproduced with kind permission of Unilever

trends in automation Synergies 10 11

trends in automation Synergies 12 13

Reproduced with kind permission of Unilever

High-speed handling units

trends in automation Impulse 14 15

1000 rpm Motor 2

1000 rpm Motor 1

trends in automation Impulse 16 17

trends in automation Synergies 18 19

Piezo technology in automobiles

Relaxed around every corner

Automation Tooling Systems Munich GmbH & Co. KG

trends in automation Synergies 20 21

Audiences stirred by fluidic muscles

Dynamic seats bring an unprecedented degree of experiential realism to 3D movies.

trends in automation Synergies 22 23

Bionic Learning Network

Ingenious ideas take off

trends in automation Compass 24 25

Saving set-up time in automotive electronics production

At the press of a button

trends in automation Synergies 26 27

ifc intelligent feeding components GmbH

Automation technology in Brazil

Is it party time again?

trends in automation Synergies 28 29

trends in automation Synergies 30 31

Machining profiles for windows and building facades

The professional profile

trends in automation Synergies 32 33

trends in automation Festo worldwide 34 35

Water for Istanbul

An impressive panorama: the Blue Mosque with a view of the Bosporus.

Festo mobile showcase

Festo brings the latest automation products to our customers doorsteps.

Royal Society 350th Anniversary

Festo flying penguins: entertaining in the Royal Festival Hall.

trends in automation Soft Stop 36 37

Do you sometimes keep students in after school, Mr. Hschle?

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