The Festo Scharnhausen Technology Plant symbolises cuttingedge automation: 66,000 square metres, 1,200 employees, a sophisticated, highly efficient value chain, open communication with the Learning Factory and creative think tanks. Networked systems enable the first Industry 4.0 technology solutions to be created. Every day employees interact directly and safely with a flexible robot. Information and materials flow quickly, flexibly and reliably in seamless value streams.
In the lean Technology Plant, the individual manufacturing processes are linked to each other by the shortest of routes. They are arranged so that, as far as possible, there is no need for interim buffering across warehouse stocks. For example, while some processes used to be distributed across several plants over a distance of 32 kilometres, they now take place in a space measuring just 120 metres inside the Technology Plant. High-quality products, valves and valve terminals, electronic components and customer solutions are thus produced under one roof in a very short space of time.
Metal-cutting machines weighing several tons stand in an area covering 14,000 square metres on the ground floor of the Technology Plant. Turning, milling, drilling and grinding – in the machining department, precision components made of metal are manufactured for further processing in the assembly process. The production lines work around the clock to produce the basic elements for Festo products, such as valve housings and individual components for linear units. They produce millions of valve sealing cartridges for valves per year and tens of thousands of valve housings per day. The components are given their surface finish in the plating tanks, which are housed in the same building.
Many products simply wouldn’t exist without electronics. In the Technology Plant, 200 employees produce complex electronic assemblies and products in an area covering 6,000 square metres. 2.5 million of them are produced each year for use by the company itself. The areas responsible for further processing receive either complete assemblies in their housing or mounted circuit boards. Here too, the variations run into the hundreds.