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“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
These were the words spoken by Neil Armstrong when he became
the first man to step on the Moon on 21 July 1969. His wonderful
play on words shows us how small and big are relative concepts.
In this issue you’ll find out how the big and the small interact with
one another. Increasingly compact systems are achieving higher
outputs than the huge machines of the past. Where vast
production halls once stood, a few square metres of space is often
all that is needed today for greater productivity.
At the same time, miniaturisation is paving the way for new
solutions. A small, high precision test system for mobile devices –
the first of its kind – is replacing laborious manual testing
procedures. A key element of this test platform is the mini planar
surface gantry EXCM (page 16). Laboratory automation is also
benefiting from this trend, with increased throughput and more
reliable results (page 33).
Our SupraMotion 3.0 exhibits can move large loads using small
forces. The SupraCycle shows how this technology could
revolutionise the way in which we work in the coming years.
Quiet, compact and extremely efficient, these solutions are
excellent proof of the strength of Festo as an innovative
company.
Without wanting to detract from the historical significance of
the Moon landing, we believe we share one thing in common with
the heroes who completed this mission – a passion for new
development, and for future topics such as Industry 4.0 or
Internet of Things.
We hope you enjoy reading this issue.
Gary Wyles
Small world, big ideas
Gary Wyles,
Managing Director, Festo GB