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Machine safety: why it matters & how to achieve it

For OEMs, machine builders, engineers, and plant managers, machine safety is more than regulatory compliance; it’s a responsibility to workers, a commitment to customers, and a strategic advantage. Every machine on the factory floor has two sides: its potential to drive productivity, and its potential to cause harm. Striking the right balance between performance and protection is the essence of machine safety. This blog explores the key principles, regulations, and practical steps behind machine safety—from understanding new European rules to applying structured design methodologies. The goal is simple: to help you protect your people, safeguard productivity, and future-proof your operations.

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Is Your Cylinder Strategy Putting You at Risk?

When a pneumatic cylinder fails, every minute costs you — lost output, delayed projects and frustrated teams waiting on parts. One small failure can trigger a domino effect across your production line.

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How to Size and Select a Servo Motor

Servo motors play a crucial role in automated systems since they provide precise control over position, speed, and torque. However, without a thorough understanding of the key application parameters it can be complex to properly size and select a servo motor. In this article, we will guide you through the process of how to size and select a servo motor effectively to ensure optimal performance, reliability, and energy efficiency.

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What Is A Servo Motor?

In the world of industrial automation, servo motors are indispensable, as they drive technological advances with their ability to provide high-precision motion control. These high-performance motors are the backbone of drive systems, enabling complex tasks to be carried out efficiently. Integrating servo motors into industrial processes not only optimizes production but also raises standards of precision and control, essential for performing demanding operations. Continue reading to find out how important servo motors really are in industrial automation, and how they contribute to more efficient and reliable drive systems.

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ISO 8573: The guide to compressed air quality

In industrial applications, compressed air is often referred to as the 'fourth utility' – as essential as electricity, water, and gas. However, the quality of this compressed air can significantly affect the performance, efficiency, and longevity of equipment and processes. That’s why understanding air preparation and the standards that define compressed air quality – such as ISO 8573 – is crucial.

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Simple digitalization with remote I/O

Making machines fit for the future means digitalizing them. With so many different communication protocols and control options, this is not always easy. How do you ensure that all components can (continue to) communicate with each other and the higher control system without having to redesign an entire topology? Festo offers a solution: CPX-AP-I, an I/O platform with IP 65/67.

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Automate rose propagation with VTUX

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Remote I/O & valve terminals, scalable connection

"In-basket and out-basket or basket loader/unloader?" laughs Bauke Van den Akker. Whatever its called - this latest design is Apollo Engineering's newest automation project. The installation collects filled cans and transfers them to an autoclave for sterilization, and collects them again upon return.

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Dry where it needs to be, standard where it can be

TNO approached Festo with the request to upgrade its existing compressed air system. More compressed air was needed, and also of better quality. Based on a pre-audit, a working group with Royal HaskoningDHV was put together and a proposal was made for two separate systems, each providing its own quality of compressed air. With the additional possibility of linking the systems in case of calamities, TNO has raised the availability, capacity, quality and efficiency of its compressed air supply to a higher level.

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The fast route to a safe insulin pen

Diabetes is on the rise worldwide with around ten million people developing the disease every year. Demand for insulin pens allowing patients to self-medicate is similarly high. Syntegon’s Danish subsidiary has developed an automated system to assemble the pens using the Festo automation platform.

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Using blood plasma efficiently

Blood plasma is an indispensable resource in the production of life-saving medicines. It is in high demand on global markets. To make more efficient use of this valuable commodity, Biotest AG developed a new large-scale plant for plasma fractionation, with which it is possible to obtain five instead of the previous three products from a liter of plasma. Standardized components from Festo simplify installation and maintenance.

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Fiber balls in the fight against micropollutants

Each year, 8,000 tons of pharmaceutical products and 10 tons of microplastics end up in Germany’s largest river, the Rhine, alone. Conventional wastewater treatment plants will always struggle to deal with such large quantities of micropollutants. That is why the town of Barntrup in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia added a purification stage for micropollutants to its wastewater treatment plant – a world first using Fuzzy Filters® from Bosman and automated with pneumatics from Festo.

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Producing twenty times more

A twenty-fold increase in production was the goal of the Croatian car cosmetics company Alfa Car. To achieve this, the entire production cycle, housed in a new production plant, was automated. Festo supplied a complete solution for more than 200 process valves – including project management.

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The dock that “thinks” for itself

The world of bulk material handling seems straightforward at first glance: moving, filling, delivering. However, the art of dealing with a variety of different materials is in the details, such as the docking and undocking of containers at weighing stations. In the process, cross-contamination can occur and dust can be released. AZO CleanDock prevents this problem. Its latest generation can do even more: it “thinks” for itself. Directly attached to the dock, the integrated controller CEC of the modular electrical terminal CPX from Festo ensures additional process reliability and shortened commissioning times.

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40,000 DNA extractions daily

It's great when things run quickly: 20 minutes per extraction process and a new plate every 2.5 minutes – the Dutch company Synchron Lab Automation, in cooperation with Festo, has developed a small automated factory for DNA extraction. As a result, customers in the seed industry can collect DNA from up to 40,000 samples per day.

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A Swabian Recipe for Success

Soft pretzels are one of the most popular breakfast treats in southern Germany. Achieving the perfect shape – symmetrically twisted with a thick belly and thin arms – takes skill, practice, and time. Or simply a clever automation solution.

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Improved quality of life

Around 600 million people worldwide are afflicted with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Mobile oxygen system devices improve the mental and physical ability of patients as well as their quality of life. Japanese company Musashi Medical Laboratory supplies easy-to-operate regulators in smartphone format for these oxygen system devices, thus significantly improving comfort and handling for patients. Compact piezo valves from Festo provide for quiet oxygen supply.

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Fully Automated DNA Extraction

In plant breeding, countless DNA samples are examined in the laboratory every day. Breeders face the technical challenge of testing DNA quickly and accurately. An automated machining jig supports the automated laboratory in the preparation of samples for analysis.

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High-tech wood cutting

“With our new automated saw, we achieve a speed of 150 metres per minute. This makes it the fastest band saw line in the world”, explains Johan Fredriksson from Swedish timber supplier Norra Timber. The modular line was supplied by the Swedish subsidiary of the American system builder USNR. It includes the flexible function terminals CPX/VTSA in key places for actuating the pneumatic and hydraulic systems.

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Precision in eye surgery

Nowadays, cataract surgery is a routine procedure. This is in part due to the pioneering developments in medical technology from companies such as BYTEC, which produced the “QUBE” to support eye surgeons deliver precise and faultless treatment. Piezo, proportional and fast-switching valves allow the necessary rapid incisions to be made.

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Safe cleaning for the pharmaceutical industry

Wherever work involves using active ingredients, cleanliness is of the highest priority; production equipment has to be thoroughly cleaned every time it is used. And of course this makes the system prone to wear. Unless you use corrosion-resistant, stainless steel components from Festo. They are more resistant. For example in cleaning systems from ROTAN for the pharmaceutical industry.

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Infusion solutions

B. Braun Melsungen had a great idea and implemented it throughout the plant. Production for infusion solutions was to be largely standardised. B. Braun hoped this would lead to increased productivity, improved process stability and, at the same time, reduced operating costs. And it worked. With support from Festo.

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Production in the fast lane

With a 95% degree of automation, the Scania body shop in Oskarshamn, Sweden is one of the most modern vehicle manufacturing plants in the world. At the same time, the plant supports extensive customization. By the time they reach the end of the assembly line, virtually no two truck cabs are the same. So is this the Industrial Internet of Things in action? Automation products from Festo have certainly provided a solid basis.

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LED it be

Austrian plant engineering firm Vescon developed a solution for producing modern LED headlights for the Slovakian plant of well-known Tier 1 supplier. The focus was on efficient handling systems, the correct processing of time-critical production steps and end-to-end traceability. Specialists from Festo's Technical and Application Center, who were taking care of the turnkey handling systems, made up part of the team.

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The art of making kitchens

It was not by chance that nobilia became Europe’s largest kitchen manufacturer. So, what is its recipe for success? Efficient kitchen unit production on highly automated assembly systems, many of which are supplied by Hüttenhölscher and use Festo automation products – equipped with IO-Link® – to improve flexibility and availability.

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Speed in battery testing

The trend for electric vehicles is clear. However, their success depends on high-performance and cost-effective batteries. In the UK, the pilot project AMPLiFII at WMG is laying the foundations of a new generation of traction batteries. The project includes innovative automation technology from Horizon Instruments with a Festo pick and place solution.

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Carefully packaged

The servo-controlled horizontal cartoner HK-S from ECONO-PAK gently and efficiently places scratch-sensitive tubes of shoe polish into cardboard boxes. The freely configurable and flexible Multi-Carrier-System (MCS) from Festo perfectly synchronizes the conveyors for the product and the cardboard box and ensures reliable packaging with high throughput.

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Exactly the right dose

Coffee, sugar, pharmaceuticals—nowadays, virtually everything is packed in small, low-cost sachets. The new, flexible flat pouch machine Sigpack VPF from Bosch Packaging Technology ensures correct packaging and a precise mixing ratio. The world's first freely scalable sachet machine uses the new flexibility provided by the digital pneumatics of the Festo Motion Terminal.

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Standing strong

The Doypack® brand has been synonymous with practical stand-up pouches for over 50 years. The patent is held by French company Thimonnier, which is increasingly moving towards mechatronics and ultimately Industry 4.0 for the development of its filling and packaging machines. Pneumatic and electric automation technology from Festo provides a solid foundation for this development.

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Fresh water for Bursa

The Turkish megacity of Bursa has clean drinking water. There, Festo has completely modernized the Dobruca water treatment plant, from the operating and control level right up to the process valves in the field. It was possible to create an automation system from a single source, thanks to the perfectly matched components from Festo. This also included the supply and installation of a SCADA system, the training of the local staff and on-the-job training from a Festo specialist, who worked full-time there for a year.

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Pneumatics at the water works pays off

Maintenance-free, energy-efficient, safe and extremely strong, in spite of its small size, these are the convincing arguments in favor of pneumatics. It's for a good reason that the water supply company, Landeswasserversorgung Baden-Württemberg, turned to this technology for the construction of a new ground water filtration system. Today, pneumatic automation technology from Festo is at work in the multi-media and activated carbon filtering basins in Langenau.

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Tried and tested solenoid valve technology

The products of the Bayer’s Division Crop Science secure and boost crop yields in more than 120 countries. The new multi-purpose facility built by the company had to meet extremely strict demands on safety and reliability. Inspection cycles had to be significantly reduced, and downtime caused by repairs was to be entirely eliminated in the future. To achieve this, Bayer relied on valve technology from Festo. The facility has now been running smoothly for such a long time that the German Technical Control Board (TÜV) has issued Festo with a certificate for unlimited use of its valves.

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Breaking ranks

Many users of mill-turn centres from Stama are reporting time savings of up to 70% and unit cost reductions of 50%. This is all thanks to the high flexibility of the machines and their virtually negligible setup times. The integrated automation solution from Festo for loading and unloading the workpieces as well as the tool changer in the additional magazine contribute to this success.

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With fluid processes to a sparkling future

Tradition has a name: Kessler. Since 1826, the oldest sparkling wines producer in Germany has been placing its faith in high-quality champagne and other wines – and intends to continue growing in the future with traditional methods and ultramodern production systems. Experts from Festo Training and Consulting are helping to make the new processes as smooth as possible.

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On the valves roller coaster

Every year, more than half a million visitors flock to Familypark, Austria’s largest amusement park. And pneumatics and compressed air provide just as much movement in the park’s numerous attractions. However, to ensure that nothing grinds to a halt and that safety is maintained at all times, the technicians at Familypark completed a two-day seminar held by Festo Training and Consulting – including of course some entertainment.

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Flexible, yet standardised

Just as PCBs have successfully managed to pack an increasing amount of power into a smaller space, developers of plug connectors are working to accommodate more power and a higher contact density into smaller, lighter plug connectors. The family owned British manufacturer Harwin PLC relies on Festo automation to safeguard the quality and flexibility of its production using equipment such as the servo press kit YJKP and the compact handling system YXMx.

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Fresh wind through old pipes

Whether majestic or modest, delicate or complex, whether in a classical church setting or in modern rock music, the organ is the queen of musical instruments. The variety of its sounds remains unequalled. Whilst on modern organs the sound is generated electronically, air still sets the tone on classic instruments. Instead of relying on human muscle power, however, the arduous work of generating wind is now carried out by machines.

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Fully committed to the role

Greater efficiency saves time and money in manufacturing transformers. Special machine builder Straus knows this only too well. The spacers that used to be delivered in strips – resulting in high logistics costs and a lot of waste – now come on a roll. Straus developed and built the necessary machinery to do this. The standardised control cabinet SST from Festo made the job a lot less stressful.

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Picking, packing, and palletizing

“Our design-to-order concept sets us apart from the majority of packaging machine manufacturers,” says Michael Ruf, deputy general manager of Transnova Ruf. In addition to cutting-edge robotic and control technology, the company is using pneumatic automation technology from Festo, and especially proportional technology on valve manifolds.

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100 metres below ground

At CERN, the world’s largest particle physics laboratory, thousands of scientists are working hard to figure out the unsolved mysteries of physics. Their valuable scientific research is supported by the intelligent and flexible application of automation technology. The Festo valve terminal VTSA controls the analysis processes of the air in the experimentation cavern of the Compact Muon Solenoid detector (CMS).

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A stitch in time

Buttonholes are not only functional but also have a visual aspect. However, in textile manufacturing there is generally very little time to produce them. The new automatic eyelet buttonholer 581 from Dürkopp Adler delivers the necessary speed. Thanks to the compact Festo solenoid valves VUVG, it takes just under four seconds to create a buttonhole.

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Clean solutions

Laboratories in the chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical and food technology industries are increasingly relying on automation for sample preparation. The Modular Sample Processor, a development from the global laboratory equipment manufacturer Anton Paar, is one such solution – and uses electric axes and control systems from Festo.

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Highly precise dispensing of casting resin

From car parking sensors through to smartphones and electric toothbrushes, sensitive electronic components need protection against undesirable substances. This is where special casting resins come in. The “mini-dis” desktop machine from bdtronic allows high-precision dispensing processes in a very small space – thanks, among other things, to the compact handling system YXMx from Festo.

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The skin factory

Our skin – not only the biggest organ of the human body, but also an extremely delicate and injury-prone one. On average it has a thickness of just a few millimetres. Now it is the first organ that can be artificially reproduced – for some years even in a fully automated process.

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An acquired taste

With 100,000 smoked sausages produced each day, it is an art in itself to continuously maintain a consistent taste, colour and consistency, depending on the product type. Bösinger Fleischwaren has been doing this for decades using globally well-known smoke generators and smoke houses from Germos. In the latest product generation, standard components from Festo are increasing system availability.

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Maximum pleasure, minimum consumption

Energy-saving measures are a cornerstone of the corporate philosophy of global firm Unilever. The company is now significantly reducing its compressed air consumption on a machine producing Magnum ice creams by using the new energy efficiency module MSE6-E2M.

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Colorful combination on the transport track

Today filling and packaging thousands of bottles of perfume, tomorrow just a few tubes of cream and the day after batch size 1 – everything on one and the same system. How this works is demonstrated by the Multi-Carrier-System MCS®, a joint project of Festo and Siemens, put to work in a filling and packaging machine from the machine manufacturer Optima.

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Staying on track

The track and camber of vehicle axles has a major influence on driving behaviour. In automotive production, track and camber adjustment used to be a time-consuming, manual process. The current generation of machines from AuE Kassel GmbH performs fully automatic track and camber adjustment in less than 60 seconds. Festo components guarantee precision and speed in this process.

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Make some room!

With the “Breakthrough Generation of Machines” from Italian packaging machine manufacturer Cama, manufacturers of consumer packaged goods and pharmaceuticals are experiencing a completely new feeling of space in their factories. The new machines from Cama take up one third less space—thanks to the valve manifold concept CPX/MPA.

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Test passed - compact precision

Mobile electronic devices are developed in highly automated processes. Yet their touchscreens and keys are generally still tested manually. PKC Electronics decided to go in a completely new direction with its Chameleon test platform. It offers automated, fast and reliable testing of mobile devices using different adapters. The mini planar surface gantry EXCM is completely in its element in this environment.

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Hot recycling coolly calculated

Disposal and fuel costs are an important competitive factor in the steel industry. Industrial waste management company Diproinduca operates a highly productive recycling plant for waste from blast furnaces on the site of the ArcelorMittal steelworks in Mexico. Festo provided a complete solution spanning several levels of the automation pyramid for the plant.

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Small, but oh my!

Bringing together all the factors important for success in one automation solution is no easy task. The aim of handling a large range of batch sizes is in direct conflict with the requirement for a lean budget. However, these conflicting demands can be reconciled, as the mini H-gantry EXCM from Festo shows.

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Getting to the point

The production of sensors for the automotive industry requires increasingly sophisticated solutions. A new machine concept developed by IPTE Factory Automation enables the fast and reliable soldering of printed circuit boards in the plastic housing. The ready-to-install industrial robot from Festo used in the concept makes cycle times of less than three seconds possible, despite a moving mass of more than 60 kg.

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Sewing at top speed

Industrial multi-needle quilting machines add a wide range of stitched patterns to mattress covers. Up to now, the stumbling block to quick pattern changes has been the need to manually adapt the needle configuration. A new quilting system from Emil Stutznäcker facilitates customized, program-controlled selection of individual sewing positions from a bank of sewing units. A cylinder/valve combination developed by Festo optimizes the assembly, changeover and upgrading of systems.

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Big ensemble of cylinders

Even though automation technology has become highly sophisticated, there is always potential to make processes even better. A stacking system for blanks shows how even the smallest of innovations in pneumatic cylinders and valves can result in a major leap forward in safety and efficiency.

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Gentle, low-vibration testing

Fuel cells offer great hope for sustainable power generation. They have an extremely wide range of applications. In a new system for the quality assurance of bipolar plates, electric cylinders EPCO help to prevent vibration to allow continuous testing with short cycle times.

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Point by point

The fact that spot welding is becoming ever faster and more reliable is illustrated by a customer-specific solution installed at Volvo in Sweden. The ingredients for this special Swedish recipe are electric actuator technology and vision systems from Festo, linked to the CPX automation platform. This means more reliability in the production of the sheet-metal components for Volvo car bodies, and more safety for the plant operators.

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Pit stop for headlights

When the material is free of stresses, the product keeps its shape. A proven method for the internal harmonization of materials is tempering. Modern thermal systems such as those produced by CeraCon GmbH do this by conveying components through heat tunnels on multiple levels to save space. In a new system, safety and axis systems from Festo are used to optimize the stress relief process for car headlights during tempering.

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Leakage detection in practice

Festo Energy Saving Services reduce the operating costs of industrial plants the world over. Hidden sources of errors can be found by analyzing compressed air generation, consumption and quality as well as through targeted leakage detection. At Tate & Lyle in the Netherlands, the energy efficiency experts uncovered losses of 6,000 l/min.

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Air is money

Well-organized energy management increases the efficiency of pneumatic systems and components. It provides protection against gradually increasing compressed air losses and ensures a long-term gain in performance through the integration of new technical developments. Accurate analyses form the basis for lower energy costs.