Standing still is not an option in the world of industrial automation – everything is in motion. From pneumatic movement with air to electrical automation, from the transportation of fluids, raw materials and components to the digital transmission of data: movement has had a significant influence on Festo from the very beginning. With our inventiveness and pioneering spirit, we have been shaping the world of industrial production for 100 years. Discover the Incredible Machine and embark on a fascinating journey of movement in our anniversary exhibit.
To mark the company's 100th anniversary, Festo is therefore designing an extraordinary application in the form of the Incredible Machine. It does not manufacture a specific product, but works on the principle of a Rube Goldberg machine, in which one impulse triggers the next. The Incredible Machine demonstrates the history of automation technology from the past to the present, and reflects our diverse skills and extensive expertise.
It shows the fascination for motion technologies – whether pneumatic, electric, digital or a combination – and the most important industries in which Festo operates, inspires enthusiasm for technology, and gives an outlook on what the future of automation could look like – because inventiveness and a pioneering spirit have been part of our DNA from the very beginning.
Just as the flap of a butterfly's wings can trigger a chain of movements, sometimes a small impulse can bring about significant changes. Our eMotionButterfly therefore sets the machine in motion. During this journey, we look back at our history, but above all we look forward to the future.
In 12 modules, a motion impulse runs over a total length of 14 meters, triggering a chain reaction of different motion functions in the machine. More than 1000 Festo products and more than 1.8 kilometers of tubing and cables are installed in the machine.
We set the world in motion for our customers. By simplifying the complex with innovations. We place the highest value on quality and efficiency. Festo automation offers the right solutions for everything needed for sustainable success – from pneumatics and controlled pneumatics to electrical automation, digitalization and AI. Compatible and with end-to-end connectivity. We call this Seamless Automation.
With our broad expertise, we offer you technology-agnostic advice, enabling smart innovations and maximum CO₂ savings. As an innovation leader, we will continue to set pioneering trends for the next 100 years and inspire with outstanding solutions for a wide range of industries.
Qualification is just as important as the technology. That's why we are systematically passing on our knowledge through technical training and further education that only Festo can offer. In short, our aim is to be the first port of call for automation across all technologies. Together we move the world. Welcome to the World of Motion. Welcome to 100 years of Festo.
The spirit of invention is deeply rooted in our corporate culture. Since our foundation, we have been setting standards in the development of innovative solutions that meet the requirements of our customers. This innovative strength means that Festo has a strong global presence. The first international companies are founded as early as 1956. Since then, the company has continued to develop, offering innovative automation solutions and technical training.
Each development represents a wing beat, followed by many more innovations. It all started with our first pneumatic products, which laid the foundation for our expertise in automation. The electronic controller FPC 606 is one of the first products to be launched by Festo's Electronics Development department.
In 1989, the first valve terminal combining valve technology with modern electronics is launched on the market. Our commitment to lifelong learning and constant innovation drives us to explore new technologies so as to provide the best service to our customers worldwide, and meet their needs.
Megatrends such as digitalization and electrification as well as the challenges of sustainability are also influencing technical education. Lifelong learning is the key to shaping future change and driving innovation. Festo Didactic empowers the specialists of today and tomorrow to meet the new challenges with practical learning solutions for technical training and further education.
In the module, the impulse follows the learning phases that people go through in different life situations. With the Bionic Flower, Festo Didactic is targeting schoolchildren to get them interested in STEM subjects at an early age. This is followed by the basics of pneumatics and electrics for apprenticeships, then data processing for technical degree subjects through to lifelong learning in professional life. A central element is the digital learning platform Festo Learning Experience (Festo LX), which effectively combines theory and practice. Learning systems such as the SkillsConveyor for basic training in automation technology and mechatronics offer valuable practical experience.
Festo enables car manufacturers to optimize production processes and promote sustainability. In order to reduce our CO₂ emissions, we are not only changing the way we move with vehicles, but also how we manufacture them. Advanced automation solutions from Festo increase productivity, reduce cycle times, and minimize waste.
The module shows the cycle of how metal parts are first shaped and welded in a servo press. Digital twins collect process data and optimize the parameters. During the "marriage", the battery body is installed in the vehicle. At the end of the cycle, the cycle is completed by removing the used batteries and recycling the materials.
Festo is committed to a circular economy by offering technologies that help to use resources efficiently and avoid waste. We also use artificial intelligence and predictive servicing to help our customers optimize operations, anticipate maintenance needs, and reduce downtime.
Our customers are experiencing for themselves how quickly digital change is progressing. Nowhere is it faster than in the electronics industry: Shorter innovation cycles require fast, flexible systems – ideally at reduced costs. This only works with automated solutions that function reliably and economically.
In the module, the impulse starts in wafer production, the preliminary product of microchips. Controlled pneumatics and piezo technology enable high-precision movements in the nanometer range to apply the conductor tracks. This technology also protects the wafers from damage and contact with oxygen in special nitrogen containers (FOUPs) during transport to the next station. In the next step, the wafers are coated before they are cut into individual microchips.
A product goes through many process steps in production before it is finished. During these processes, the workpiece is gripped, moved, pushed, rotated, placed, processed, packaged, and stored. Our portfolio for fast and efficient intralogistics is:
In the module, the impulse follows the internal transport path of different workpieces and products. A wide variety of gripper types capture all shapes. A modular system uses stepper motors to convey the transport containers to the sorting station with low vibration and maximum flexibility. There, a palletizer sorts the goods and sends them on to interim storage. A particular highlight is an AI-based gripper for the autonomous bin-picking system.
The controlled movement of raw materials or liquids is a core task in the process industry. Safe, precise, and fast – from water treatment to mining, from individual components and ready-to-install solutions to integrated automation concepts, pneumatic, electric, or combined.
In the module, the pulse runs through typical applications in the process industry, starting with water treatment and the finely dosed introduction of gases. Before the pulse moves on to the next module, it passes through an hourglass. It symbolizes the control of bulk materials, for example in mineral processing.
Growing and aging populations, increasing risk of illness and global mobility call for cost-effective healthcare solutions. The demand for suitable preventative healthcare and diagnostic procedures is also on the rise. The LifeTech division provides forward-looking answers – with innovative solutions for medical technology and laboratory automation.
We support manufacturers of laboratory and medical devices with solutions that deliver precise and reproducible results. Thanks to products from the Festo automation portfolio for laboratory applications and SupraMotion float modules, the highest standards of cleaning and cleanliness can also be met in high-tech industries such as laboratory automation or biotechnology.
In the module, the pulse passes through multiple components with superconductor technology. It allows objects to be handled, weighed and transported in clean rooms without contact and through walls. A pipetting process demonstrates precision in the nano range. A world first here is the floating transportation of tiny drops of liquid using ultrasound.
The dream of flight is as old as mankind, but flying itself is even older. At the Bionic Learning Network, we learn from nature how the lightness of flight can be implemented in technology.
The module shows how bionic robots implement forms of movement in flight based on the natural model. The special feature here is the – partly AI-based – optimizations of the objects using ultra-lightweight construction methods and the implementation of swarm intelligence. Each bionic flying robot illustrates a different wing flapping principle:
All living beings on our planet are flexible, but at the same time stable and resilient. This combination is increasingly finding its way into the designs of the future, creating new opportunities for direct collaboration between people and machines. This requires robots to be able to interact safely with humans, adapt flexibly and adjust independently to different products and scenarios.
In the module, the completely 3D-printed BionicSoftArm 2.0 grips objects and encloses them securely with its flexible grippers. Like its human counterpart, it consists of three systems: The arm, the swivel joint (wrist) and the flexible soft jaw gripper (hand/finger). Thanks to its special design of six bellows inside, it no longer needs external tubing, it retains its shape, and piezo valves regulate its precise finger movements.
Another highlight is the BionicTurtleWalker. It is a bionic walking robot which moves using a pneumatic logic module. It is completely 3D-printed from polyurethane. When inflated with compressed air, the diagonally positioned legs are lifted and moved forwards. The BionicTurtleWalker in the module pushes a ball to its destination.
Limited installation space and difficult environmental conditions require thinking outside the box during the development process. That is why we are researching new technologies so that we can continue to be the perfect motion partner for our customers in the future. New materials in conjunction with innovative approaches can solve both existing and new movement tasks.
A HASEL actuator controls the finger and presses on a HASEL sensor pad. A display shows how hard it is pressing. If the defined limit value is exceeded, the next process step starts: Piezo benders ensure precise linear movements of the ball. A piezo gripper places the ball back at the start and switches on the piezo lighter. This heats an SMA spring with its flame, thereby shortening the spring. The SMA wires can lift the bowling ball thanks to their high energy density. The EAP actuator pretensions a spring, which shoots a small ball upwards. An EAP sensor measures the intensity, which is shown on a display. These technologies are still at the research stage.
The butterfly effect describes how small changes in the initial conditions of a system can lead to significantly different results. A double pendulum is an example of the butterfly effect if you let it swing freely, it develops a chaotic dynamic.
A double pendulum consists of two pendulums attached to each other, with the first pendulum hanging from a fixed point and the second pendulum attached to the end of the first pendulum and free to move. By applying control strategies, it is possible to stabilize and control complex and even chaotic motion systems with precise control on the moving axis and accurate measurements. The control function is visible via the tracking of the pendulum end point in real time. A straight line is formed from a chaotic shape. At the end of the Incredible Machine, the double pendulum symbolizes how the momentum of movement is absorbed and carried forward into the future in a purposeful forward movement.