The reliability of technology partners is a fundamental requirement for OSAI at both the management and product levels. "We are looking for technology partners, not just suppliers," stresses Franco Cresto, technical director of Italian special machinery manufacturer OSAI. Festo thus became not only a technology partner for electric and pneumatic automation, but also an enabler for greater energy efficiency.
OSAI A.S. S.p.A., located in Parella near Turin, is a company specializing in the design and manufacture of standard systems, special machines for the assembly and testing of high-tech components for the semiconductor, automotive and electronics industries. Each system is customized according to the customer's requirements and equipped with the latest technology.
Sensitizing customers f for energy efficiency
"We raise our customers' awareness of energy efficiency," explains Franco Cresto. OSAI draws from the entire range of components for pneumatic automation, with Cartesian systems for handling workpieces and even Festo's more recent use of electric drives. "Thanks to these solutions, which harmoniously integrate pneumatic actuators and electric drives, we at OSAI are able to offer innovative solutions in terms of energy efficiency for 80% of our machines," explains Cresto.
Cresto continues: "Energy efficiency requires a holistic approach because it affects the entire process. All parameters must be right to ensure the energy efficiency of a machine or plant from the planning to the operating phase." This starts with the software for creating energy-efficient products. From the front end to the valves and compressed air preparation, everything is designed and implemented with the aim of maximizing potential savings. In other words, products and solutions complement each other to achieve the desired effect, and the contribution is not only technological, but also includes training and consulting.
Automatic leakage detection
When the E2M module is switched off, it performs the leakage test of the system. If it detects a pressure drop that the user has previously defined as critical, it reports this to the plant's control system. The E2M automatically detects any leaks in the plant's tubing line so that the necessary maintenance work can be carried out. The module also has an option whereby the compressed air supply can be switched on and off manually. For particularly complex production processes, it is possible to deactivate the automatic stand-by detection and let the user decide via the PLC whether a machine is in production or not.
Another advantage of the MS6-E2M energy efficiency module is the active condition monitoring function, which provides system operators with the most important energy and process data at any time. The module can be fully integrated into the machine control system via Profibus, with the possibility of cyclic exchange of relevant data, such as energy consumption and plant and system availability.