Support Portal

Great care must always be taken when compressed air comes into contact with food, because compressed air is not clean by nature.   On the contrary, solids and particles are present almost everywhere in the form of dust in various concentrations. Water, in the form of natural atmospheric humidity, is released in large quantities when the compressed air cools down. And thus compressed air quality in accordance with the requirements of the respective application provides best possible safety for foods, consumers and food producers.

This white paper includes information on:

- Compressed air preparation and compressed air quality classes

- Filter cascades for typical applications

This White Paper contains information on:

• Use of electro mechanical axes with slides
• Possibilities of different slide bearings with single or double rail (giuding)
• Influences on lifetime, different guiding alternatives and design features

Cleaning is an absolute must if foodstuffs are to be produced hygienically. The highest priority here is afforded to avoiding the spread of germs and eliminating foreign particles. Proper cleaning reduces the downtime of your plant and systems, while protecting the consumer and your brand.

Energy efficiency and the optimisation of specific production costs are important commercial and business challenges which we must face for a variety of reasons. Energy-efficient technologies are often more expensive than traditional technologies in the investment phase. However, measures to increase efficiency and reduce life cycle costs (LCC) throughout the entire life cycle of a production plant usually pay off.

This white paper covers the following topics:

• Digitalisation as an opportunity in the process industry
• How decoupling software and hardware opens up completely new opportunities for already established technologies, based on the example of the Festo Motion Terminal
• Why do manufacturers, OEMs and system operators obtain very tangible benefits from analysing the data sent via the IoT gateway to the cloud – and what does this mean for their business?

This white paper has the following aims:

• To examine reservations that are frequently mentioned in connection with pneumatics: are pneumatic actuators really more easily damaged, expensive over their lifetime and higher on energy consumption compared to electric actuators? The reality is more complex.
• To provide concrete tips and hints for users in the water industry: why a lifetime calculation is a good idea, how leakage can be avoided – and some of the advantages of pneumatics that may not be obvious at first glance.

This white paper has the following aims:

• What is SIL, why is the topic relevant for plant operators, and what are the common misunderstandings?
• What do certificates mean and how do you read them correctly?
• To what extent do durable components offer a helpful advantage?

Why should you choose your valves carefully?

The increasing demands placed on valve technology in recent years have led to a formidable extension of the range of available technologies and valve types, models, and properties. The most commonly used are poppet valves and piston spool valves. Nowadays, there is hence a much wider choice of customised valve technology to successfully plan a project. However, choosing the right parts for the application at hand requires comprehensive knowledge and an accurate appraisal by the consulting engineer or technician. This White Paper is intended to offer you a brief overview.

This white paper contains information on:

• An introduction to valve technologies
• Poppet valves, piston spool valves and the cartridge principle – what you need to know
• Which valve type suits you best? A valve selection aid

Smaller batches and different types of product in the same plant – these are the market demands to which more and more manufacturers in

the process industries need to adjust. The answer is plants based on the “Lego principle”. Users can add modules or switch them off in line

with requirements. But this is only possible with modular automation.

This white paper describes the important points to bear in

mind when it comes to choosing the right technology.

In many process automation applications, the pressure and flow of gases are controlled. Explosion protection requirements mean that an inert atmosphere is often created and maintained in reactors and process tanks in a plant. Learn more about the advantages of the proportional valve technology.

The global market for valves and valve terminals today is so large that it is almost impossible to maintain an overview. Often, price seems the only buying criterion. But it pays to look more closely, particularly with regard to higher productivity and process reliability. Users of Festo's attractively priced and long-lasting high-quality valves benefit in tough everyday practical applications from the meticulous development processes, including numerous simulation tests and the correct choice of technologies and materials.

 This White Paper provides information on:

• Care pays for itself: the development process of valves and valve terminals
• Caution: not all manufacturer data is comparable 1 to 1!
• Small differences with a great impact: how to choose the right valves/valve terminals

In order to survive in a tough competitive environment, many companies are searching for ways to make savings in their production. Such savings can often be found in their existing compressed air systems, which have generally been in place for years. Up to 60% of energy costs can be saved through optimisation at both the production facility and system level.

Product life cycles are becoming ever shorter. Less and less time is available, whether for development of an installation or its possible
modernisation. Companies and their employees therefore try to continuously optimise their processes as that is the only way they can
remain competitive and deal with increasingly demanding challenges.
The software tools provided by system and component suppliers can support them in this; they have been available for quite some time and
their number is constantly growing. The short tips in this white paper are intended as a guide to selecting tools which will help you to save
valuable time.

Product life cycles are becoming ever shorter. Less and less time is available, whether for development of an installation or its possible
modernisation. Companies and their employees therefore try to continuously optimise their processes as that is the only way they can
remain competitive and deal with increasingly demanding challenges.
The software tools provided by system and component suppliers can support them in this; they have been available for quite some time and
their number is constantly growing. The short tips in this white paper are intended as a guide to selecting tools which will help you to save
valuable time.

Product life cycles are becoming ever shorter. Less and less time is available, whether for development of an installation or its possible
modernisation. Companies and their employees therefore try to continuously optimise their processes as that is the only way they can
remain competitive and deal with increasingly demanding challenges.
The software tools provided by system and component suppliers can support them in this; they have been available for quite some time and
their number is constantly growing. The short tips in this white paper are intended as a guide to selecting tools which will help you to save
valuable time.

Maximum availability is not something that happens by chance, it’s the result of forward-looking action. Processing food economically and at the right time is absolutely essential. Otherwise there is a risk that production has to be stopped and raw materials are wasted.

Taking overall equipment effectiveness into consideration provides clear guidance on how to maximise productivity, and thus on economic operation of the system. But which influencing factors affect overall equipment effectiveness and how to get started on the path to
optimisation?

Summary:
Due to their bistable characteristics, bistable valves in certain applications present the user with tasks that seem to be difficult to solve. This application example is to show how a solution can be developed systematically taking the various operating states and operating transitions into account. Considering the various hazards in the various operating statuses of the machine appears a sensible approach to finding the solution. They require chronologically successive, different reactions of the safety circuit to implement the required protective measures.

Summary:
Technical Reports 2 and 3 [1-2] and DGUV Information FB HM-076 [3] already explained the circumstances under which bistable valves can be used in safety-related applications. The present report links these reports to the current product portfolio of Festo AG & Co. KG. The suitability of the bistable valves listed for safety-related applications can be confirmed taking the previous series of technical reports and respective technical documentation of the individual components into consideration.