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Submitted by: on November 11, 2004
 When the Cummins Engine Company sought a new control system for an automated circlip insertion machine on one of its engine assembly lines, it commissioned automation specialist Wearside Pneumatics, a member of the Festo Premier Stockist network, to handle the project. Wearside had previously developed a number of electro-pneumatic control systems for the engine load testing cells at Cummins’ Darlington engine plant, as part of a highly successful system upgrade.
The circlip insertion machine is installed on the B series diesel engine assembly line at Darlington. These engines are produced in 3.9L four-cylinder and 5.9L six-cylinder versions, and are widely regarded as industry workhorses, being used in applications as diverse as medium-sized trucks, fire pumps and generator sets.
Designed to fully automate a complex assembly operation, the insertion machine takes partly-built sub assemblies containing pistons and con-rods with loose gudgeon pins, and applies circlips to either side of the piston. Part of the process involves removing pre-fitted bolts from each conrod before the circlips are fitted. The machine is a dual-stage system - using a total of 16 pneumatic actuators - with fully replicated functions, enabling one half to be loaded with new components while the other half is handling assembly operations, to maximise throughput. The machine performs six assembly operations on each 6 cylinder engine, and with its original control system had a cycle time of 200 seconds, giving a throughput of just over 18 engines per hour.
The circlip insertion machine has performed impeccably ever since it was installed. However, after some 18 years, its control system was showing signs of age and presenting Cummins with a variety of problems. The pneumatic valves were early-generation models that were now obsolete and unreliable. Increased machine downtime was impacting production throughput and maintenance costs were rising. Also, the control system was very large by today’s standards - occupying a 0.6m deep panel measuring some 2 x 1.5m - and was becoming extremely noisy in operation.
According to Garry Price, Manufacturing Systems Support Leader at Darlington, “The control system was really no longer suitable for a modern manufacturing environment. Apart from its size, which was preventing us installing further automation because of limited space on the production floor, downtime was becoming a big issue. It wasn’t unusual to experience two to three breakdowns a week, which would typically take between 10 and 30 minutes to fix - during which time of course, production was halted. Manual override wasn’t an option either, because the control valves didn’t allow for it.”
When it awarded the development contract to Wearside, Cummins specified that Festo compact valve terminals must be used for the new control system, because previous experience had proved these to be highly reliable, small form factor components. They also offer Profibus communication facilities, which is the protocol Cummins is adopting for all future automation control.
After analysing the existing set-up, Wearside was convinced it could create a control system that would not only overcome all the problems of the existing installation, but also reduce circlip insertion cycle time to help speed up the line. By basing the new control system on compact valve technology, the company knew it could design a highly reliable, small footprint solution that could easily be housed next to the machine on the production floor.
In fact, during development, it became clear that an even more innovative control architecture was feasible. Instead of a single, centralised control system, a distributed approach would allow even greater space savings. As Darren Barnes, Fluid Power Consultant for Wearside Pneumatics, points out, “We realised that the exceptionally compact dimensions of Festo CPV valve terminals combined with the fact that we were effectively producing two identical control systems - one for each half of the insertion machine - would enable us to use two small cabinets instead of one larger one. This would allow the entire control system to be accommodated beneath the machine, taking up no extra floor space, with the added advantage that the valve terminals could be connected to the machine’s pneumatic cylinders via much shorter air supply tubes, to maximise dynamic performance.”
Wearside chose to base the control system on Festo CPV18 valve terminals because it wanted high flow rates to achieve fast switching - and these latest models can handle flow rates up 1600 litres per minute. They are also the only compact 18mm valves on the market which offer a broad choice of electrical/pneumatic connections and different pressure ranges, to help speed design-in. Like all Festo CPV valves, the CPV18 are IP65-rated - making them ideal for decentralised control applications such as this - and feature generously dimensioned flow ducts and powerful surface-mounted silencers to accommodate the high flow rates needed for relatively large pneumatic cylinders. The final system comprises two 0.5m2 cabinets - each with a depth of just 0.3m - containing a CPV18 valve terminal and an air preparation system. The cabinets are mounted beneath either end of the machine, rather than next to it, saving approximately 1m2 of floor space compared to the previous system.
The control system was installed at Cummins’ Darlington plant at the end of July, 2004 - just five weeks after Wearside was awarded the development contract. It has performed flawlessly ever since.
To quote Garry Price again, “We are extremely pleased with the new system, which has a performance that significantly exceeds the original design specification. It has enabled us to reduce the cycle time of the insertion machine by at least 20%. To put this in perspective, trimming some 20 seconds off each complete assembly operation means that we now achieve a throughput of 22 engines per hour, compared to the previous figure of 18. What’s more, the control system is virtually silent in operation, making working conditions more pleasurable, and because it is effectively integrated with the insertion machine and takes up no extra space, we have since been able to install further much-needed machinery on the production floor. I’m also assured that we now have comprehensive manual override facilities - but to date we’ve had no occasion to use them!”
Please contact Festo Pneumatic for further information.
Submitted by: on October 19, 2004
The new Festo MS12 is a modular filter-regulator-lubricator (FRL) product family with six freely combinable air preparation modules, allowing automation builders to configure application-specific solutions from off-the-shelf products.
Once a configuration is selected, Festo can provide it ready-assembled - called off by a single product number - providing efficient purchasing and manufacturing support for replicating OEMs.
With compressed air flow rates up to 22kl/min, the new MS12 is a natural choice for applications with very high air consumption, and is suitable for both centralised and decentralised air supplies within piping networks.
Typical applications include compressor houses, and meeting the high flow demands of equipment such as automotive spraying systems, or PET bottle blowing plants.
The modularity of the MS range makes it simple to configure point-of-use systems for plant with individual air quality requirements.
MS12 has a width of 124mm and a port size of 2in BSP, and complements two smaller modules in the Festo MS product family, together providing a range of port sizes spanning 0.125 to 2in BSP.
Air-preparation modules available include pressure regulators, on/off valves, soft-start valves, filters, sensors, lubricators and dryers. Filters of various grades are available to provide dependable removal of particulates.
MS12 thus fulfils all user requirements with regard to air preparation. The metal bowls of the filter and lubricator modules ensure safety and secure protection against mechanical damage.
A free-of-charge CAD service provides support for users’ own system design work, while the user-friendly connector system for the individual air preparation modules ensures that components can be installed easily and exchanged quickly.
In order to minimise the risk of accidents, safety functions such as lockable pressure regulators and positive-locking filter and lubricator bowls are included as standard.
Please contact Festo Pneumatic for further information.
Submitted by: on October 13, 2004
 Festo has introduced a compressed air service unit offering exceptionally high flow rates of up to 22,000 litres/minute. The new MS12 is a modular filter-regulator-lubricator (FRL) product family with six freely combinable air preparation modules, allowing automation builders to configure application-specific solutions from off-the-shelf products. Once a configuration is selected, Festo can provide it ready-assembled - called off by a single product number - providing efficient purchasing and manufacturing support for replicating OEMs.
With flow rates of up to 22,000 litres of compressed air per minute, the new MS12 is a natural choice for applications with very high air consumption, and is suitable for both centralised and decentralised air supplies within piping networks. Typical applications include compressor houses, and meeting the high flow demands of equipment such as automotive spraying systems, or PET bottle blowing plants.
The modularity of the MS range makes it simple to configure point-of-use systems for plant with individual air quality requirements. MS12 has a width of 124 mm and a port size of 2 inches BSP, and complements two smaller modules in the Festo MS product family, together providing a range of port sizes spanning 1/8 to 2 inch BSP.
Air-preparation modules available include pressure regulators, on/off valves, soft-start valves, filters, sensors, lubricators and dryers. Filters of various grades are available to provide dependable removal of particulates. MS12 thus fulfils all user requirements with regard to air preparation. The metal bowls of the filter and lubricator modules ensure safety and secure protection against mechanical damage.
A free-of-charge CAD service provides support for users’ own system design work, while the user-friendly connector system for the individual air preparation modules ensures that components can be installed easily and exchanged quickly. In order to minimise the risk of accidents, safety functions such as lockable pressure regulators and positive-locking filter and lubricator bowls are included as standard.
Please contact Festo Pneumatic for further information.
Submitted by: on October 07, 2004
 The thin film engineering specialist CEVP has shipped its first all-fieldbus controlled equipment, an advanced sputtering tool destined for MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) and GMR (Giant Magneto Resistance) bio-sensor development at the UK’s Cavendish Laboratory. The design of the tool - which uses a combination of pneumatic and electrical I/O for control - was greatly simplified by a modular fieldbus automation system from Festo called CPX.
By adopting networked control - believed to be a first in the high-end R&D sputtering sector - CEVP estimates it has reduced cabling costs by 50% and system building time by 30% for its Gamma 1000M tool.
CEVP’s Gamma 1000M is optimised for versatility of application. Unlike systems designed for volume semiconductor wafer fabrication, the tool has many advanced features including a much wider temperature and vacuum capability - supporting specialist thin film fabrication processes required for leading-edge R&D. The design of the control software reflects this application potential, and CEVP has many man-years of development invested in the system - which is based on a PLC, but one offering a sophisticated programming language alternative to the conventional ladder logic. This investment, and the fact that changing from a centralised to a distributed control architecture could impact the physical size of the tool, were the key reasons why it’s taken CEVP a while to adopt networked control - as the OEM only wanted to make the transition when the right fieldbus I/O solution emerged.
The CPX building block range from Festo provided the answer, as it allows fieldbus nodes with user-defined mixes of pneumatic valve controls and conventional digital/analogue remote I/O to be plugged together, even up to I/O counts of hundreds - a requirement for CEVP. The modules are panel mounting and have a very low profile of just 60mm. This provided the compactness CEVP needed for its sputtering tools - which are invariably installed in clean rooms where equipment footprint is at a major premium. Despite moving this I/O from the control cabinet into the body of the tool itself, the footprint of the redesigned Gamma 1000M has remained exactly the same.
Choice of protocol completed the selection criteria for CEVP. It chose Profibus-DP from the large range of fieldbuses and protocols supported by the Festo CPX system, as conversations with other system integrators showed this had a reputation for simple software integration, and it also offered a good fit for the mix of equipment and instrumentation the OEM integrates.
Festo supplied two main types of automation components for this machine: CPX terminals providing remote electrical and/or pneumatic valve I/O, or both, and a range of pneumatic cylinders and rotary actuators for movement control. Three distributed fieldbus nodes providing around 200 I/O channels in total are used; one has a mix of analogue and digital I/O and sits in the control rack, the other two are mounted directly on the tool and provide a combination of electrical I/O plus I/O for controlling pneumatic valves, and analogue I/O for interfacing sensors. The pneumatics operate a number of movement functions on the system including six rotary actuators that control shutters in front of the magnetron sources, and custom-stroke cylinders that control the processing chamber doors. All the pneumatic components are sealed units that are lubricated for life - optimised for operation in clean environments.
To further simplify purchasing and the equipment building process, Festo is supplying a number of the parts for the redesigned sputtering system as assembled modules - in the same way as it has done for previous CEVP systems - such as cylinders with brackets and sensors attached. These units are assembled at the Festo system building centre in Northampton, and called-off by CEVP using a single part number, for just-in-time delivery as equipment is constructed.
“Redeveloping the control architecture to implement networked I/O had the potential to increase the size of our equipment, and the thought behind the design of this combined pneumatics and electrical I/O system from Festo provided us with a compact answer. It’s helped us to be first to market with networked control in our sector of the sputtering business”, says Ben Jensen, Technical Director at CEVP. “We build small quantities of extremely complex, high-value equipment, and in addition to high component quality we look for suppliers who can offer us good support. We switched to Festo pneumatics a few years ago because of the technical back-up they could offer, and next-day delivery of components. They’ve never let us down and we’re pleased to continue the relationship with this new equipment model.”
“The compact design of the CPX automation building block system proved to be a catalyst for this OEM, helping them to make the switch to fieldbus connectivity with minimal disruption,” adds Dave Fraser of Festo. “The hardware costs for this switch to remote I/O work out to within a couple of percent of the previous centralised PLC system - a tiny cost increase that is more than compensated for by savings in wiring and system building labour”.
In addition to equipment building savings, the networked control architecture has given the end users of CEVP’s sputtering tool much greater flexibility. The control cabinet that used to be connected to the tool by a large bundle of cables can now be located wherever there is space in the clean room. Upgrading the tool throughout its lifetime, with new thin-film processing functions, will also now be significantly quicker and lower in cost - as connection into the control system requires just a simple tap onto the network and a software upgrade.
Please contact Festo Pneumatic for further information.
Submitted by: on August 25, 2004
 A touch-screen operated motion control system, linked to a servo-driven actuator, is enhancing the performance of a cutting machine employed by one of the country’s major fitted kitchen makers.
The Symphony Group is the UK’s second largest fitted furniture manufacturer, employing around 1,400 people manufacturing kitchen, bathroom and bedroom furniture in Leeds, Rotherham and Nottingham. A major part of its business is the manufacture of fitted kitchen units, and within that process is the production of kitchen unit worktops. The company’s customers include the myriad of contract kitchen fitters and builders who need worktops manufactured to precise measurements.
The plant in Leeds produces some 600 worktops cut to size each day, a total of around 150,000 per year. This workload had taken its toll on the company’s cutting machine which had functioned for 10 years – operating at least two shifts per day for five days per week during this period. “Quite simply, it had worn out,” explains Ron Nolan, Works Engineer at Symphony in Leeds.
The original machine used a lead screw and stepper motor for its drive system, and maintained a positional accuracy of +/-0.1mm. Symphony’s objective was to replace the system with a faster machine that would match or exceed the reliability and accuracy of the original.
Steve Bell, Internal Development Engineer at Symphony who would be generating the software for the new system turned to Mitsubishi Electric, whose PLCs are widely used across the company’s manufacturing sites. As the new cutting machine required a long stroke, guided electro-mechanical axis, in turn Mitsubishi enlisted the assistance of Festo.
The collaborators recommended a 5 metre long electro-mechanical belt drive from the Festo DGEL family, coupled to a Mitsubishi servo motor and gearbox. This combination provides the positioning axis with a considerably improved dynamic capability - stemming from the servo motor’s higher torque and the linear actuator’s low-friction roller-guide - speeding cutting cycles compared with the previous drive arrangement.
These axis components were assembled by Festo Engineering Services, with CR Solutions Ltd -the Mitsubishi systems integrator - providing the control equipment and expertise.
With Symphony’s engineers requiring a detailed appraisal and understanding of the system before installation, the collaborating vendors took advantage of the Festo Applied Automation Centre in Northampton, and CR Solutions used it to present a working demonstration.
Impressed by the performance, and recognising the productivity benefits that the new machine would deliver, Symphony’s Ron Nolan accepted the proposed integrated system solution.
The new machine features a Mitsubishi touch-screen human-machine-interface (HMI) that allows the operator to enter cross cut length information directly. The system then automatically positions the workpiece and cuts to length. Via Ethernet, the HMI links directly into Symphony’s factory-wide IT network, delivering real-time manufacturing data for production planning as well as week-long trend monitoring, analysis and throughput efficiency statistics.
“The new machine meets our specifications and does indeed improve on the speed of the old system, while maintaining the 0.1mm accuracy we demand,” says Ron Nolan.
“Efficiency is everything to us. We don’t like to waste time or material resources; we even crush the sawn offcuts to fuel the factory heater. Now the new cutting process makes better use of time, and we are delighted with the results,” he adds.
A further development phase is already underway at Symphony to incorporate PLC units to control the infeed area. This will, essentially, provide a closed loop manufacturing cycle for the worktop cutting, thereby improving the efficiency and throughput of the entire process.
Please contact Festo Pneumatic for further information.
Submitted by: on August 11, 2004
Festo has introduced a series of pneumatic handling modules that combine a powerful swivel drive with a precision parallel gripper in a single, ultracompact unit.
The new HGDS swivel/gripper modules provide machine and automation builders with a particularly flexible and cost-effective dual-functionality actuator for pick-and-place type applications. They are designed to help machine builders and system integrators minimise design and installation time, as well as reduce purchasing costs.
To facilitate application matching, Festo offers a choice of three HGDS swivel/gripper modules, with different torques, gripper forces and gripper stroke lengths. The smallest module can generate up to 0.85Nm torque, up to 30N gripping force, and has a gripper stroke length of 5mm. The largest module in the series has commensurate ratings of 2.5Nm torque, 85N gripping force and a 14mm gripper stroke. This combination of high rotational and gripping forces enables HGDS modules to provide industry-leading cycle times of just 0.5s, making them ideal for high-throughput automation applications. Typically, these include picking components from bowl or linear feeders and re-orientating them on assembly pallets; presenting components to automated inspection cameras; and picking components from in-feed conveyors, rotating them and placing them for assembly.
All three HGDS swivel/gripper modules employ the same innovative pneumatic technology. The gripper unit - which can operate at up to 4Hz - is powered by a piston-driven rod, moving at 90 degrees to the gripper jaws.
The rod’s linear motion is transferred to the gripper jaws via a pair of backlash-free reversing levers.
A key advantage of this approach is that it allows the powerful gripper actuator to be mounted inline with the swivel drive - minimising the overall dimensions of the module and enabling it to be used in applications where the work space envelope is extremely limited.
The swivel drive unit uses the rotary vane principle to provide powerful, fast response movement and is equipped with flexible buffers to cushion its rotary motion. The two high power modules are optionally available with self-adjusting hydraulic shock absorbers for larger loads.
All three HGDS modules accommodate a large swivel angle of up to 210 degrees, which can be adjusted to any desired value very easily and accurately. Modules equipped with flexible cushioning buffers offer a swivel angle repetition accuracy of 0.2 degrees, and the hydraulic shock absorber versions improve on this still further, offering an accuracy of just 0.02 degrees. Both the swivel and gripper actuators feature built-in magnets for position sensing, together with predrilled slots for adjustable noncontact proximity sensors, to simplify implementation of closed-loop control schemes.
Festo HGDS swivel/gripper modules can operate from lubricated or unlubricated filtered compressed air, accommodate a wide range of supply pressures from 3 to 8bar, and use quick-connect push-in fittings for the air supply tubing.
Please contact Festo Pneumatic for further information.
Submitted by: on July 26, 2004
When filling machine specialist Apple Engineering was asked to develop an automated dough ball handling machine for a leading food processing company, the operational specification initially looked daunting.
The machine was required to deposit accurate amounts of garlic butter in the centre of each dough ball, and had to be capable of accommodating production rates of over 14,000 dough balls an hour.
Furthermore, it was to be installed at the wet end of the bakery production line - where it would be subjected to regular washdown - yet had to offer high availability to minimise production downtime.
Apple Engineering has built up an enviable reputation for supplying the food processing industry with filling machines that provide exceptionally high deposition accuracy.
When it was founded in 1985, this Hull-based company launched one of the most accurate and reliable volumetric depositors on the market, and has maintained this leadership position through aggressive research and development.
It now produces seven different sizes of volumetric depositor, capable of handling deposit weights from as little as 1g up to 2kg, as well as a wide range of associated automation equipment, and offers extensive custom systems capabilities.
In this case, Apple Engineering’s customer - like many food processing companies with important brand reputations to protect - was keen to ensure that the dough ball filling machine would not introduce any health hazards into its process or impact on HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) compliance. As a consequence, the company specified that all pneumatic parts of the machine must be manufactured and supplied by Festo, which produces components designed specifically to minimise the risk of contamination.
Typically, these include FDA-certified microbial growth-resistant tubing, cylinders with corrosion-resistant surface finishes, and components such as valve terminals that feature smooth enclosures and optimised spacing to prevent particle entrapment.
According to Steve Smith, Managing Director of Apple Engineering: “This particular application required a high performance and robust design, particularly as garlic butter is considered a ‘problem product’”. “Because the filling system is used at the wet end of the production line, it is in a high risk area in terms of bacterial contamination”. “Also, dairy products such as garlic butter are very temperature critical; they need to be handled at the lowest possible temperature to minimise health risks and maintain product consistency, but this makes it far harder to pump and dispense them with accuracy”.
The filling machine uses a nested conveyor to transfer dough balls from a buffer hopper at the end of the bakery’s production line to the garlic butter injection stage; the conveyor is indexed to ensure that each batch of dough balls is accurately aligned with the machine’s multi-injector depositor before the garlic butter is dispensed.
Apple Engineering and Festo collaborated extensively on the choice of valve terminals and cylinders for the machine.
Most of the cylinders are Festo DSNU models, with custom stroke lengths. These small DIN/ISO6432 standard units feature very clean lines and high grade stainless steel piston rods, making them ideal for food processing type applications.
For the control valve terminals, Apple Engineering chose to use Festo CDVI models, which offer environmental protection ratings up to IP69K, have smooth easy-clean surfaces, and are designed specifically to tolerate the type of washdown chemicals used in the food industry. As Andy Fraser, Apple Engineering’s Technical Director, points out: “We selected CDVI valve terminals for several key reasons”. “The dough ball filling machine is subjected to rigorous cleaning at the end of every production shift, using aggressive cleaning fluids to break down greasy butter deposits and thoroughly sterilise the equipment”. “This is an extremely hostile environment for automation control systems, and the fact that CDVI valve terminals do not require a protective cabinet makes them very cost-effective and simplifies system integration”. “The valve terminals’ ability to tolerate such a severe washdown regime is also a major contributing factor in minimising machine downtime after each production run”. “However, perhaps the most significant advantage of this washdown capability is that the valve terminals can be mounted immediately adjacent to the pneumatic cylinders, using very short air supply tubes”.
“This reduces system losses and helps maximise the dynamic performance of this filling machine”.
The filling machine was installed at the customer’s bakery earlier this year.
Following resolution of a few teething problems during the commissioning phase it has proved to be highly reliable, with a performance that exceeds the original design specification.
Both Apple Engineering and its customer are particularly pleased that they chose to use Festo CDVI valve terminals for all the control functions, and consider that these components contribute significantly to the machine’s usability and throughput capabilities.
So the next time you’re purchasing Italian-style dough balls in a supermarket, spare a thought for how the garlic butter came to be accurately placed in the centre of each one.
Please contact Festo Pneumatic for further information.
Submitted by: on July 19, 2004
 Festo has added an extremely fast linear actuator to its electrical motion control range.
Based on a toothed-belt mechanism with a roller guide, the electromechanical actuator can move large payloads at velocities of up to 10m/s - with virtually no noise. The low-cost product offers a versatile platform for boosting automation productivity and quality compared with some alternative linear actuation technologies.
The new DGE-RF linear actuator is available in lengths up to 5m as standard, or extended lengths by special order.
Three variants are available, supporting payloads of up to 15, 30 or 60kg, with a repeatable positioning accuracy of +/-0.1mm. The actuator body features mounting slots on three sides to facilitate system integration, and the carriage is also equipped with T-slots to simplify payload attachment. The product also integrates centring ring holes to ensure accurate mounting of additional equipment, which also ensure that shear stress is not transferred through any mounting bolts.
The DGE-RF offers many advantages to alternative linear motion technologies in application areas such as handling, sorting and pick-and-place; it is particularly suited to tasks demanding highly dynamic and repeatable positioning capabilities. The key to the actuator’s quiet operation is the integration of a low-friction roller-guide bearing inside the housing. This protected location additionally improves immunity to operating environment influences, for high reliability.
Combined with built-in grease reserves, the actuator can operate for up to 10,000km of travel before any routine maintenance is required. Even then, the lubrication reserves can be refilled without opening the housing.
To support machine and automation builders, Festo offers free interactive configuration software that allows users to select a matching motor and drive for the linear actuator - eliminating guesswork and the associated risk.
The software calculates the optimum size and drive options for the specific speed and loading characteristics demanded by an application. A copy is available from the download area of the Festo website.
Once a design decision has been made, Festo is able to supply the complete axis with accessories such as couplings, flanges and end-of-travel sensors as a single part number, in fully or semi-assembled form if required, greatly simplifying purchasing and machine building.
Please contact Festo Pneumatic for further information.
Submitted by: on August 27, 2003
 Festo Corporation is pleased to announce the introduction of our new DGE-Series Electromechanical Actuators. These electromechanical actuators offer high speed and high-accuracy positioning, even with long strokes, and are available in several styles with stepper-motor and servomotor options.
The DGE-series actuators incorporate both spindle drive (ball screw) and belt actuation and are available in either compact or heavy duty configurations. The DGE profile barrel incases the belt or spindle drive, keeping them free from damaging contaminates. The DGE’s linear guides are also coated with a unique corrosion “preventative” to minimize maintenance and ensure longer service life.
The DGE series are available in sizes 18-63 mm, with drivers, ball bearing or heavy-duty guides. The tooth-belt variants (Type DGE-ZR) are available in sizes 8 and 12 mm with a stroke range of 1000-45000 mm. The spindle drives (Type DGE-SP) range from 100-2000 mm.
The compact belt driven slides (Type DGE- ZR) range in height from 1.4 to 5.7 inches. Load capacities range from 50 to 3160 pounds at a life expectancy of 2 billion inches of travel.
Installation of the DGE- series actuators to one another, other pneumatic slides and/or guided cylinders is simplified by a wide selection of mounting plates. The actuators can be used in a variety of applications including with Festo’s modular Handling & Assembly (HAT) positioning systems and are designed especially for positioning applications requiring horizontal or vertical projecting motions, since the integral motor-driven carriage ensures minimum displaced mass and maximum dynamic response for short cycle times.
Advantages:
High efficiency, maintenance-free, clean operation
Low-noise and vibration-free movement
Precision of transmission and repetition accuracy for positioning and reverse operation
Low mass allows high acceleration and speeds
Fatigue-proof and safe operation in fatigue limit range
Please contact Festo Pneumatic for further information.
Submitted by: on August 27, 2003
 As a universal peripheral solution, designed specifically to serve as a means by which standard valve terminals can be interfaced directly to fieldbus systems, or to implement additional I/O capability in existing fieldbus installations, the CPX modular electrical terminal is based upon configurable modules, where different electrical functions, connectors and a pneumatic interface can be assembled to meet the requirements of a wide variety of applications.
Featuring:
Connection modularity to suit your requirements
Configurable parameters to make programming simpler
Integrated diagnostics to rapidly troubleshoot and perform preventative maintenance
Complete system including Digital I/O, Analog I/O and pneumatic valves
Please contact Festo Pneumatic for further information.
Submitted by: on June 24, 2003
 Festo is now making a compact pneumatic cylinder series with a short stroke. The company’s recent introduction of pneumatic cylinders known as types AEVC and ADVC (single- and double-acting units, respectively) has consolidated Festo’s position among competitors in the highly efficient cylinder design arena.
One of the outstanding features of these new units, which are expected to replace virtually all first generation short stroke units from the AV Series, AVL and ADV Series, is the highly efficient, “one-piece” design, which results in as much as 33% space savings over typical ISO 6431 cylinders for a given stroke length.
Additionally, the AEVC and ADVC cylinders offer a complete configuration range, consisting of 13 bore sizes to support virtually any applicable dynamic requirement in stroke lengths between 2.5mm and 25 mm. They offer a choice of internal or external piston rod threads, improved cushioning, sensor options above 4-mm stroke, and eight different mounting attachments. AVEC and ADVC cylinders are suitable for replacement of as many as 31 models of Festo’s first generation short stroke cylinders for the AV, AVL and ADV Series.
Fabricated from aluminum profiles and equipped with sensor mounting grooves (above 4 mm bore size), the cylinders are designed to provide sufficient overlap with respect to stroke range and dynamic capability to afford the user the highest degree of force generation capacity to relative stroke and dimensional size. The six models (32- through 100-mm rod diameter) are VDMA 24562 compliant, while smaller units are equipped with through-holes for mounting. These characteristics position the Festo’s AVEC and ADVC “short stroke” units ahead of their closest competition, since they exhibit uniform advanced design via second generation sophistication, compatibility with a single integral groove-mounted sensor, and worldwide availability.
Please contact Festo Pneumatic for further information.
Submitted by: on May 09, 2003
 The components of Festo’s Clean Design Program have been conceptually designed for environmental challenges commonly found in food handling and processing. Products, with the qualities necessary to meet those challenges, such as the CDVI valve terminal, offering 4- to 12-valve configurations (for supporting various combinations of 5/2-, 5/3- and 2x3/2- way valves) and other companion products like the CDN Cylinder (with its ISO 6431 / VDMA24562 standard physical characteristics) are the result.
In accordance with hygienic design standards (DIN ISO 14159), products in Festo’s Clean Design Program, including the CDVI have no sharp edges, or small radii anywhere in their physical packaging, even where parts are joined together; and there are no small corners to serve as places where dirt can accumulate. Furthermore, they are highly engineered for compact, space-saving physical packaging.
The sub-bases of both the main manifold, and the two optional expansion modules which support up to 4 additional valves are constructed from anodized aluminum, and the spacing between the valves is wide enough to allow for easy cleaning. This expansion capability can be further tailored to establish different pressure zones within a single terminal, simply by implementing “separator blocks” from a series designed to close selected air passages. Although most applications involve the blockage of only one air passage, the CDVI is designed to permit the closure of up to three air passages to provide distinctly different operating pressures within the manifold assembly. Therefore, with the proper application of compressed air to fittings in the end plate or the expansion module, as many as three different pressure zones can be established.
The solenoid piloted, spool type valves used on CDVI manifolds are available in eight different configurations, (including 2x3/2 for piloted applications) to support various needs of food handling or processing systems, such as the output of pressure when the valve is at its mid-position, exhaust at mid-position, and mid-position closure. Furthermore, the valves are equipped with 24-volt solenoids that consume1.5 W, and deliver the capability to switch the valves on within 10 to 12 ms, and off again within 22 and 25 ms, while operating at 100% duty cycle. A 26-wire Multipole cable (lengths of 16 or 32 feet) is available for fast and easy electrical interface.
The CDVI manifold operates on compressed air presented at 3 to 6 bar (44 to 87 psi), and at 10 bar (145 psi) if a separate pilot air source is provided at temperatures ranging between -5° and +50°F. Air filtration is specified at 40 microns (lubricated or non-lubricated). All pneumatic connections are made with either G3/8 or G1/8 fittings. The main air supply and the pilot supply (when necessary) is made at the end plates with (G3/8 and G1/8) respectively, while all working ports in the sub-bases are threaded for G1/8 connection.
The CDVI valve terminal is the culmination of innovative engineering in pursuit of a solution for the most demanding hygienic requirement for automation that the food handling and processing industry can raise. Festo’s dedication to excellence in development of products that meet the Company’s “Clean Design” criteria ultimately assures compliance with industry requirements.
Please contact Festo Pneumatic for further information.
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