Festo offers solutions for handling technology worldwide with its feed separators. The Festo feed separators facilitate the feeding process of workpieces.
The feed separator series are used when continuously arriving workpieces have to be separated (e.g. from a spiral conveyor or on an assembly line) and individually transferred to a downstream device. Depending on the workpiece to be separated, feed separators with one plunger or with two plungers can be used. The former can be used for general separation or as a pure stopper. The advantage of the feed separator series with two plungers is the mechanical synchronization of the two fingers and the associated reduction of actuation to a single valve. They are used on small workpieces.
The plungers each offer mounting options for individual attachments, allowing the product to be perfectly adapted to the separating task. The space-saving solution of the sensor concept is an additional advantage of the Festo feed separators: our proximity switches SME-8 and SMT-8 can be fitted as accessories directly into a sensor slot on the housing.
Stopper cylinders are pneumatic cylinders used for cushioned or uncushioned stopping of movements in machines or workpiece carriers on transport systems. On transport systems, stopper cylinders with cushioning can stop loads of up to approx. 800 kg. Stopper cylinders are primarily designed to stop or block moving parts, such as load in an assembly line.
Feed separators also stop, cushioned, or hold one or more accumulating workpiece carriers at defined contact surfaces. Separating is a special case of allocating, in which only one object is separated from a continuous series of objects for process-related reasons. In manufacturing automation, one is mainly interested in the separation (partitioning) of workpieces. With pneumatic feed separators, the separating stop function is ensured by the supply of compressed air.
The DFSP stopper cylinder is our standard stopper cylinder in trunnion or roller versions. In the trunnion version, it is available both with anti-rotation lock and without – the same applies to the internal thread. In the roller version, the stopper cylinder comes with anti-rotation lock. It has an impressive compact design, sensor slots on three sides, a long service life thanks to very good cushioning behavior and robust piston rod guidance. It can safely stop workpiece carriers, pallets or packages weighing up to 90 kg.
Thanks to its cushioned rocker arm mechanism and integrated, adjustable shock absorber, the DFST stopper cylinder stops workpieces remarkably gently, without any vibrations or noise. The adjustable effective direction (90°, 180°, 270°) makes the cylinder very flexible and very robust with an impact mass of up to 800 kg.
The STAF stopper cylinder is a cylinder with a toggle lever design, rebound protection and feed separator function. It scores high points for its absorption of high lateral forces of up to 150 kg and can be controlled quickly via a flange-mounted solenoid valve – even over greater distances. In addition, it is available as single-acting or double-acting.
The HPV feed separator is available in a version with two plungers, as well as with double pistons, non-rotating piston rod and locking slide. This feed separator is particularly cost-effective – it replaces at least two drives in the feeding process. The proximity switch SME/SMT-8 can be integrated in the housing.
Our HPVS feed separator is a version with a plunger and a non-rotating piston rod. Here, too, the SME/SMT-8 proximity switch can be integrated in the housing.