Control technology is at the heart of every system. It contributes significantly to optimized processes and movements as well as to higher cost efficiency and optimized productivity of the machine. As a subfield of integrated automation technology, control technology comprises the design and realization of machine control, i.e. targeted influence on the behavior of pneumatic and electrical systems. At Festo, we make a basic distinction between pneumatic and electropneumatic as well as electronic controls.
With pneumatic and electropneumatic control units, logical sequences of pneumatic systems can be realized in an uncomplicated manner. To ensure a consistent program sequence, cycle stages are used in pneumatic applications. These are available from Festo as a TAA or TAB stepper. A stepper chain consists of a certain number of command memory modules, also called double pilot valves. Our command memory module SBA-2N-PK-3 enables the linking of recurring start, stop and holding functions and can of course be combined with the TAA and TAB steppers. The double pilot valves themselves interlock within the control technology in such a way that a switching step can only be triggered when it is actually its turn. A stepper module is assigned to each individual cycle, which ensures a clear overview of the system at all times. The last component used is the Festo VLG pulse oscillator, which can be used to generate continuously adjustable signals in controllers. It is particularly suitable for fast cylinder movements in diaphragm cylinders as well as single and double-acting cylinders.
Our electronic control technology involves modern, compact and versatile programmable logic controllers. In automation technology, different control systems are used depending on the application area and industry. At the moment, we offer the CECC electronic controller, which allows programming with CODESYS according to IEC 61131-3. It has 12 digital inputs, 8 digital outputs as well as two high-speed counters up to 250 kHz. The uncomplicated data transfer is enabled by a USB interface.