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Transporting without contact,
transferring objects in suspension, working from
behind walls without any connecting mechanical systems. Automation based on
superconductor modules makes the previously unthinkable possible. The latest
future concepts for superconductivity from Festo, such as the SupraCycle, show
the possibilities of this fascinating technology.
I
n some automation processes there
are advantages to separating the
object to be transported from the
transport device. Contactless
handling is opening up new perspectives,
particularly with regard to easier cleaning
in hygienic environments and moving
delicate objects. This can now be done
thanks to superconductivity, a technology
which Festo has been researching for a
number of years. Experts believe that
contactless motion will lead to major
advances in automation in the future.
With superconductor automation
modules, products move through
production halls quietly, cleanly and energy
efficiently, as if guided by an invisible
hand. It can be used to run processes
without interruption, because enclosures,
sluices, etc. are no longer obstacles.
Handling systems based on
superconductivity can even meet
requirements for high purity or harsh
environments. With the current
SupraMotion 3.0 projects, Festo is
showing how automation could find its
way into areas in which it would
previously have been scarcely
conceivable. One of the latest projects is
the SupraCycle exhibit. It shows for the
first time ever how a suspended
permanent magnet can be transferred
from one superconductor element to
another using superconductivity.
Motion without contact
SupraMotion 3.0
Issue 28
trends in automation
Compass
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