latest issue

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latest issue

trends
in automation
The Festo customer magazine Issue 21
Inspiration
“You are your brain”
Interview with the neuroscientist
Prof. Manfred Spitzer
Compass
Up and away
SmartBird: aerodynamic bird flight
thanks to active torsion
Impulse
Layer by layer
Rapid manufacturing becoming
increasingly important in small
production runs
Cover story
There’s no end
to learning
Strategies, tips and new approaches
Precision!
The mini electric slide EGSL makes
complicated in-house designs superfluous
and is the economic standard solution for
precise assembly tasks.
Festo Ltd
Tel: 0800 626 422
[email protected]
www.festo.co.uk
trends in automation
Editorial 1
Knowledge
development
Dear reader,
How lucky our forefathers were: what they learned at school
and university prepared them well enough for their entire
professional life. This certainly is different today. The “half-life
of knowledge” is steadily shortening, and this means in turn that
we continuously have to increase our learning effort in order to
keep up to date with the exploding universe of knowledge that
is relevant to us.
On the other hand, we now have a much better understanding
of how we learn, see page 6 for the interview with Prof. Spitzer
on this point. We have more sophisticated training programs,
training media and learning tools to support us in our endeavour
to learn throughout our professional and personal life. And we
understand the importance of learning, we recognise that
knowledge is a strategic resource that is indispensable to
succeed in a competitive environment.
Gary Wyles, Managing Director, Festo GB
Smart people keep up to date. Festo Didactic addresses the
needs of both internal and external customers, developing
attitude, knowledge and skills. Perfecting the technical aspects
of a process is only part of a productivity solution; to achieve
success, the overall process as well as the skills and attitude of
employees must also be world class. New training products and
learning methods from Didactic such as the Synchro Game allow
participants to experience the extraordinary results that can be
achieved by optimising processes – opening their minds to
change in their own sphere of influence. In a nutshell, while
Festo Automation provides the technical solution, Festo Didactic
provides the customer with all relevant competencies,
completing the Festo productivity equation: “Productivity =
Technology + Competence”.
Festo is your partner for all aspects related to improving
productivity.
Yours,
Gary Wyles
Cover story There is no end to learning A machine
flies like a bird, rapid manufacturing where
components grow layer by layer. The fascinating
products created by human intelligence that are
included in our current edition are based on a
common process: learning. trends in automation
issue 21 therefore looks into how knowledge is
acquired, identifies new approaches and visits a
modern learning factory for future generations of
engineers.
Issue 21
Editorial 1
Panorama 4
Festo worldwide 36
10
6
“The brain is not a cassette
recorder that records every single
detail. Instead, it creates memory
traces, paths that work better and
better over time.”
Inspiration
For more than 30 years the renowned
neuroscientist, Prof. Manfred Spitzer,
has been studying the human brain.
In this interview Spitzer talks about
approaches to “brain friendly” learning
and explains why movement and feelings
are so important. 6
The SmartBird inspires us to
new methods for energy-saving
and lightweight design in
automation.
Compass
Flying like a bird
Perfection in motion: the bionic
SmartBird, inspired by the herring
gull, takes off, flies and lands
autonomously. Powerful wing beats
and electromechanical wing torsion
achieve electromechanical efficiency
of up to 45%. 10
Contents 2 3
–
14
There are many tricks and
methods that you can use to
help remember something
you have just learnt.
Impulse
Cover story
There is no end to learning How
do we remember the really
important things when up to 90%
of what we’ve learnt is forgotten
after 24 hours? Are there actually
ways of learning without being
aware of it? For companies, the
informal acquisition of knowledge
is becoming increasingly
important. 14
Further related articles
“You are your brain” 6
Layer by layer
Rapid manufacturing is mainly used
in product development today, but is
becoming increasingly important in
small production runs. 18
30
Eye catching discs: Brake discs on
the Audi R8 GT.
Synergies
Shaken, not stirred
An impressive solution for the safe
removal of the bed plate from the
V8 engine block in the Aston Martin
Engine Plant. 20
Eye catching discs
Technology from Sprimag and Festo
enhances brake discs at Audi – and
makes them the centre of attention for
motoring fans. 30
To your health
The valve terminal VTSA assists the new
system from Uhlmann with packaging
500 pharmaceutical folded boxes per
minute. 24
Good outlook all round
Ready to install control cabinets from
Festo play a vital role in Merck Serono’s
new Biotech Center. 33
At jaw dropping speed
OYSTAR IWK has broken the filling
record with its new toothpaste tube line.
Valve terminals CPX/MPA control the
plant. 26
A masterpiece of knowledge
With around 70,000 volumes, the
late Baroque library of the Admont
Benedictine Foundation is a true
treasury of knowledge and is considered
the largest monastic library in the world.
The foundation’s priceless works
comprise more than 1,400 handwritten
texts that date back to the 8th century.
These include 530 incunabula, so called
early printed works produced between
the middle and the end of the 15th
century. Since its founding in 1074 the
Benedictine foundation has been
collecting and storing valuable cultural
objects in the Austrian province of Styria.
The impressive library has existed in its
current form since 1776.
Panorama 4 5
–
Photo: Ernst Reichenfelser
Interview
Prof. Manfred Spitzer is one of the most famous neuroscientists in Germany.
In numerous books and lectures the scientist supports a new teaching and learning
culture that is based on results from brain research. In this interview, he explains how
our brain learns, the connection between sport and increased mental performance
and why it is important to get enough sleep.
trends in automation: Professor Spitzer, since the end of the
1980’s you have worked on brain research. What is it that makes
you so fascinated with this organ?
Prof. Manfred Spitzer: A number of things. First of all, the brain
is the only organ where, in a transplant situation, you would
rather be a donor than a recipient. Nobody wants another brain,
even if it were jam packed with knowledge. Your brain is your
identity. You are your brain. If someone were to give you another
brain, you wouldn’t be yourself any more.
There is a very important reason for this. The brain is constantly
changing because it is gaining experiences. Whatever we do,
whether it be observing, thinking, feeling or acting, electrical
impulses travel through about 100 billion nerve cells that are
connected to each other by about a million billion synapses.
These connections are constantly changing if they are fed with
information. This means that our brain changes through use.
I also find it fascinating that, thanks to the latest scanner
technology, we can examine very precisely which emotions and
social attitudes correlate with which brain activities. We take a
look at the brain at work, so to speak. Doing this enables us
to make many new, exciting discoveries.
You also do this when you state that the way knowledge is
taught in schools, for example, goes against current brain
research discoveries.
Spitzer: If, like me, you have children at school, who are dealing
with learning processes all day and then you see what actually
happens in school, you would go mad. In school it’s often: here
are the facts and now you will learn them. But that’s not the
right way because facts without context do not interest me
because I can’t understand them in the truest sense of the
word. This means that, from the brain’s point of view, basic
conditions in school or other teaching institutions are not
conducive to learning.
In your opinion what would “brain friendly” learning be like,
even outside school?
Spitzer: We now know that our brain learns in a very specific
way. The brain is not a cassette recorder or a video recorder
that saves every single detail. It does something much cleverer.
Take, for example, a baby who is learning to walk. It pulls itself
up on something and falls over, again and again, for weeks and
months. But when doing this the baby does not remember every
single time it flops down but the brain sends impulses to specific
muscles and learns how to stay upright. By doing so, our brain
creates so called memory traces that can be pictured as paths
and that work better and better over time. But such paths are
not created if you learn facts by heart. They are created when
you gain experiences as a person, with the body, with all the
senses and emotions that come into play. It is precisely this
that there is not enough of in school.
What is it like if you have to bone up on quite abstract
specialist knowledge? From the brain research point of view,
are there specific techniques that will help me do this?
About the person
Prof. Dr. Dr. Manfred Spitzer
Manfred Spitzer has been Professor of Psychiatry and Medical
Director of the Psychiatric University Hospital in Ulm since
1997. In 2004 he founded the Transfer Centre for
Neurosciences and Learning (ZNL), that develops teaching
concepts based on results from current brain research.
Spitzer was a guest professor at Harvard and at the Institute
for Cognitive and Decision Sciences at the University of
Oregon. Between 1990 and 1997 he worked as a consultant
at the Psychiatric University Hospital in Heidelberg. The
renowned brain researcher is the author of numerous
popular scientific books and presents the TV series “Geist
und Gehirn” (Mind and Brain) on the German television
station BR-alpha, of which more than 170 episodes have
now been broadcasted.
Inspiration 6 7
–
Spitzer: Our brain always learns in the same way. It does not
differentiate between experience and learning. But there are,
of course, study techniques that work well and those that don't
work so well. For example, the technique of repeating things
non-stop is a very bad strategy. It is better to divide the material
into small portions.
Of course, it is also important to have a quiet learning
environment, without distractions, because you cannot devote
your attention to more than one thing at a time. Studies on
so called media based multi tasking are very clear. People who
are learning with the television on at the same time or catching
up with their Facebook contacts make considerably slower
progress and make considerably more mistakes. And another
important thing: when you have learnt the material the brain
needs a certain amount of time to consolidate the new
information in the form of synaptic conversion processes.
Sleep plays a vital role in this process. Knowledge is
consolidated in deep sleep and dream sleep. During this time
it is reanalysed, compressed, coded and recoded. The newly
learned knowledge is linked to what is already there. This takes
about 90 minutes and happens four or five times a night. There
is, therefore, nothing more stupid than working through the
night when you have an exam the next day. You will stop your
brain recapitulating during the night what you learnt the
previous day.
Can your own learning capacity be improved, for example,
by sport?
“You can’t stop the brain
learning.”
Manfred Spitzer
Spitzer: Absolutely. We now know that sport is important
for performance for a variety of reasons. People who keep
physically fit promote growth of neurones in the brain.
Therefore, you should take the words “brain jogging” very
literally. When you jog it’s not only good for your circulation
but good for your brain too.
How important are emotions for learning?
Spitzer: Very important. Emotions are evaluation aids; through
them we know what is good or bad for us. Thus they have very
fast effects on learning. A child who puts his hand on a hot
cooker only does it once. Why? Because it is painful and the
child does not want to experience this pain again. Negative
emotions frighten you. In one way this is good if it involves
a hot cooker. On the other hand, fear also blocks our thinking
and creativity. Anyone who learns through fear will always
experience negative feelings associated with it if he later
remembers what he has learnt.
Inspiration 8 9
–
It’s the other way round with positive emotions. They ensure
particularly quick learning. If learning is fun, happy hormones
are released. They make learning a pleasant experience
because we are positively surprised by ourselves when learning.
Anybody who learns with pleasure likes learning and can
use what’s been learnt more easily for creative purposes.
The key words are grey cells. Is it really true that learning
capacity decreases with age?
Spitzer: Yes, and to an even greater extent than it says in most
text books. The rate at which synapses change drops from
100% in childhood to 10% at the age of 20 – a really substantial
drop. But this is not a drawback. In terms of development, at the
beginning our brain has to make very big learning steps very
quickly so that we can survive. But it takes time and many
small learning steps to adapt properly to external conditions.
That’s why it’s normal that older people learn more slowly. And
another interesting thing: anyone who knows a lot can continue
to learn until an advanced age because knowledge structures
have already been created in the brain and the new knowledge
can easily latch on to them. Anyone who already speaks six
languages doesn’t have to change all the synapses if he learns
a new one. And so you can see that our brain works like
a paradoxical shoe box: the more there is in it the more can
be fitted in.
What does a very busy man like you do in his free time?
Spitzer: Tonight, for example, I’m rehearsing with the band
in which I play mainly drums – not well, but I like it. We put
on a show from time to time. If you enter “Braintertainers”
on YouTube you can see what sort of music we play. I also go
jogging regularly. And once a week I bake my own bread. I have a
mill and grind the corn. And then there are my six children so I’m
never bored. ¢
Compass 10 11
–
SmartBird: an aerodynamic lightweight construction with active torsion
Flying like a bird
The bionic SmartBird, inspired by the herring gull, takes off,
flies and lands autonomously. Its integrated design inspires
new methods in energy saving and lightweight design in
automation. Showcased for the first time in the UK at the annual
Spring TED conference in Edinburgh, more than 1,250,000 people
have now logged on to see the Festo SmartBird fly.
M
en have been fascinated
by bird flight from time
immemorial. Visionaries,
scientists, flight pioneers –
for them flying was one of the most
fascinating challenges and one of the
greatest adventures. They studied bird
flight closely and analysed the anatomy
of birds in detail. Inspired by the seagull,
Festo has now managed to technically
imitate bird flight with the SmartBird.
The bionic bird is taking a revolutionary
step towards an extremely energy and
resource efficient, lightweight design.
The integration of coupled drive functions
developed during this process provides
wonderful inspiration for and an excellent
insight into the optimisation of hybrid
drive technologies. The many years
experience gained with the AirRay and
AirPenguin bionic learning projects
influenced the development of the
SmartBird. The knowledge acquired
during the project opened up new
approaches and solutions for automation.
Integrated concepts
The SmartBird is pure fascination.
Its integrated mechatronic, cybernetic
design combines many separate
solutions into one unique flying machine.
The development was only possible as
a result of the integration of intelligent
mechanics and electric drive technology,
discoveries made in fluid mechanics,
intelligent control and feedback control
systems and condition monitoring.
This was combined with constant
scientific validation and the transfer
of knowledge gained in practice.
Active torsion
SmartBird takes off, flies and lands
autonomously – just by flapping its wings.
Its wings not only move up and down but
rotate in a controlled way. This is made
possible by the active articulated
torsional drive. This, combined with
Determining overall efficiency in true running.
Aerodynamic efficiency of 80%
While being developed SmartBird was tested and measured in accordance
with the work of French physiologist Étienne-Jules Marey (1830 – 1904).
He made birds fly in a circle and studied their flight. A test device called
a brake dynamometer was specially developed to determine the
electromechanical effectiveness. SmartBird and its previous models have an
electromechanical effectiveness of about 45%. When measured in
a true run, aerodynamic effectiveness values of up to 80% were recorded.
a complex control unit, achieves
electromechanical efficiency of up to 45%
in flight mode. The active torsion of
the wing works without additional drive
aids and helps to achieve aerodynamic
efficiency levels of up to 80%. The
wings beat and twist in a cycle of a few
milliseconds and bring about the
optimum flow conditions of the air on
the wing. The SmartBird operates
without any rotating parts in the outer
shell and is thus unlikely to injure people.
Perfection in motion
The SmartBird’s flight is made up of two
principal movements. Firstly, the wings
beat up and down whereby a lever
mechanism causes the deflections to
increase from the torso to the wing tip.
Secondly, the wing twists so that the
leading edge points upwards during
the upwards stroke and the wing has
a positive angle of attack.
The wing consists of a two part arm wing
spar with an axle bearing on the torso,
a trapezoidal joint and a hand wing spar.
The SmartBird’s propulsion and lift are
achieved solely by flapping the wings
and it only needs about 25 watts of power.
All this with a total weight of about
450 grams and a wing span of two metres.
The technology in detail
The SmartBird’s arm wing generates lift
and the hand wing beyond the trapezoidal
joint provides propulsion. The spars on
the arm wing and the hand wing are
torsionally stiff. At the end of the hand
wing is a servo motor for active torsion
which rotates the whole wing against the
spar via the external rib of the wing. If the
Compass 12 – 13
Festo SmartBird
impresses the
Gadget Show
Those involved in the project present the SmartBird.
SmartBird lifts its wings the servo motor
moves the end of the hand wing to a
positive angle of attack that is then
converted to a negative angle of attack
within a fraction of the wing beat period.
The torsion angle remains constant
between these two phases. With this
sequence of movements the airflow on
the profile is used optimally to create
thrust. The battery, motor and
transmission, the crank mechanism and
the control and feedback control system
are housed securely in the torso. The
on board electronic system provides
precise control of the wings. In addition,
the control parameters can be set and
optimised in real time. This guarantees
the bird’s flight stability and thus its
operational safety.
Transfer into practice
The application of coupled drives for
linear and rotary movements as used in
the SmartBird range from generators for
extracting energy from water, so called
stroke wing power generators, to new
actuators in process automation.
Spurred on by a paradigm shift in
bionics, Festo has for a few years now
been developing products such as the
adaptive gripper DHDG that has already
been accepted in industry.
To view the SmartBird presentation and
flight at the TED Conference, see
www.ted.com and search SmartBird. ¢
www.festo.com/smartbird_en
Polly-Anna Woodward from the
Gadget Show recently went to Festo
HQ and filmed the SmartBird in
action for the latest TV series. The
producers were so impressed
they’ve asked to have the
SmartBird flying in the Super
Theatre shows that are running
three times a day at the Gadget
Show Live exhibition at Birmingham
NEC 11-15th April 2012. We will
also be demonstrating our 3D
AirMotion driving simulator ride on
the Festo stand.
As well as seeing the stars of the TV
programme in the live shows you
can also shop from around 280
stands and see new technology
months ahead of hitting the market.
The Test Track and Game Zone have
been supersized for 2012 to allow
more room for trying out the latest
games and transportation devices.
For more information see
www.gadgetshowlive.net
New ways to acquire knowledge
“There’s no end to learning”
This quotation from the famous composer and pianist, Robert Schumann
(1810 – 1856), is more relevant today than ever. On the job seminars, private further
education, information on the Internet, exchanging information on networks – the
opportunities for acquiring knowledge seem infinite. But what do people actually need
from it and how do people learn best what is most relevant?
W
hether you are seeking
general or expert knowledge,
the opportunities for
obtaining it are endless and
open up hitherto unknown sources for
people in 21st century. Global knowledge
platforms, social networks and
companies’ internal knowledge
management systems try to combine
the flow of data and make it available
in a systematic way. Now it is primarily
a matter of finding new ways of filtering
and processing relevant information.
Learning itself is not the main focus here
but rather the meaningful preparation and
processing thereof. Thinking and learning
must be freed from old attitudes so that
they can be focused more on creative
processes and problem solving.
Pre-requisite for successful
learning: the quality of the
information must be right.
Stimulating interest
A prerequisite for any type of learning
is predominantly interest as well as the
quality of the information. If you look
back at your own school days you will
certainly remember the mindless learning
by rote of mathematical formulae, the
periodic tables of the elements or the
mantra like declination of verbs. Often,
in spite of all our efforts, we still didn’t
learn it. If you want to be really good and
successful in an area you must be
interested in it and create suitable
conditions. Successful learning is the
result of being interested. That makes you
more motivated, and in turn, that
motivation makes you more interested.
That is what stimulates increased
curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. As
the Latin roots of the word reveal, interest
is made up of inter, which means
“between” and est “to be” – when
someone is in the middle of things and
actively takes part in a topic or a process.
The 24-hour rule
There are lots of tricks and methods that
can be used to help retain something you
have just learnt. These include memory
techniques, such as associating content
with graphical characters or devising
mnemonics. These are based on two
principles: the association and conversion
of words into pictures and models. Using
these, even complex content can easily
be saved and recalled later. For example,
Impulse 14 15
–
Exchange of knowledge:
People absorb about 70% of
their knowledge informally,
perhaps with friends or in
everyday life.
a simple mnemonic for learning the
names of the planets in our solar system
and their distance from the sun is ‘men
very easily make jugs serve useful
necessary purposes’. Each initial letter
stands for a planet with the same initial
letter. Eg. the M in men represents
Mercury (the planet closest to the sun),
and so on...
It’s not always easy, especially in the
beginning. Even with the best intentions,
sufficient interest, a high level of
motivation and concentration, after one
day we have already actually forgotten
up to 80 – 90% of what we have learnt.
The well known saying “You can’t always
expect to get it right first time” expresses
the most important principle of learning:
repetition. Therefore, whether we like it
or not, we must go back over what we’ve
learnt at least two or three times. The
best time for the first revision is one day
after the first learning unit. The second
revision is best done another 24 hours
after the first revision.
Learning without learning
However, people do not only learn in the
traditional sense by reading or direct
teaching by teachers and course tutors.
According to the UNESCO Committee,
people absorb about 70% of their
knowledge informally, i.e. outside
educational institutions, such as with
friends, on the sports field, in everyday
Open innovation
The wisdom of many
Prof. Frank Piller, Technical
University, Aachen/Germany
Independent acquisition of knowledge is one
thing but how can the experiences and ideas
of many people be merged into new concepts
and solutions? More and more often
expressions like “Open innovation” and
“Crowd sourcing” do the rounds. Now
many companies are trying to broaden
their technological tunnel vision using these
concepts. Prof. Frank Piller, Chair of Business
Management focussing on Technology and
Innovation Management at the Technical
University in Aachen, talks in an interview
with trends in automation about the
innovative concepts and the importance
of so called lead users.
trends in automation: What is open innovation?
Prof. Frank Piller: The latest studies show that in most industries
functionally new developments emanate from customers. But these are often
improvements to existing technologies, not far reaching innovations. Truly
new developments emanate from so called lead users. Open innovation tries
to sniff out these people and include them in a company’s innovation process.
That sounds easy.
Piller: It does but it’s not really, because lead users are not direct customers
of a manufacturing company but often people who only have indirect contact
with these companies or sometimes none at all. It is possibly someone who
is not connected at all with the industry or the discipline in question, but who
is in a position to solve a problem in a completely innovative way that the
technology experts simply hadn’t thought of because of their limited range
of experience.
How do you find lead users?
Piller: A tried and tested way is to advertise ideas competitions, either
traditionally via printed media or, more and more often, on online platforms.
Can you apply open innovation ideas from lead users as they are?
Piller: No, companies that want to incorporate the creativity of lead users
into new concepts must co-ordinate them with the experience of existing
customers. It is the only way that marketable products and solutions can be
created.
That all sounds very positive. Is there a catch to this?
Piller: I wouldn’t call it a catch, but it needs new processes through which the
results of open innovation can successfully be transferred to the company’s
own structures. Only if these are implemented correctly can open innovation
develop its full potential over time.
Jogging is not only good for the circulation
but also for the brain according to brain
research findings (see page 8).
Impulse 16 17
–
Active learning culture: Many companies are now setting up informal spaces and listening posts specifically to encourage employees to
exchange information.
life. The same applies to professional
life too. Places where you acquire
knowledge without noticing it are the
coffee area, the workbench or the printer
in the corridor. However, informal learning
cannot be easily controlled. What we
learn in this way is acquired
unconsciously. Therefore, more and more
companies encourage an open exchange
with colleagues outside training and
seminar rooms. Informal learning and
what is called an active learning culture
cannot be prescribed, it must be left to
employees themselves. What companies
can do is provide the scope for it. The
simplest methods are canteens or coffee
areas where staff can meet and talk about
work. In many places companies have
noticed that these meeting points can be
places for innovation, where an open
exchange of ideas becomes a real
production advantage.
Ready for the “listening post”
Apart from these common rooms many
companies are now creating new
informal spaces for informal learning.
These include, amongst other things,
deliberately wider landings. Here people
meet colleagues of whom they had
always wanted to ask just one question
but the opportunity had never presented
itself.
Another option is to set up so called
listening posts that are integrated into the
work process. These are places
where employees come together quite
deliberately during production, design
or development in order to talk about the
experiences gained during a joint project.
Listening posts can also contribute to
employees being ready and able to solve
difficult tasks on their own. This means
their actions are controlled more
by themselves than by other people.
They develop and learn in and from
the team.
Request our White Paper called
‘Manufacturing – a people business’,
about skills and training based on a
research report on the current state of
skills in manufacturing and engineering.
Further articles
relating to our
cover story
6
www.festo-didactic.co.uk
is infoservice 21-01
‘Manufacturing – a people business’
White Paper
¢
Absorbing knowledge in passing
About 70% of what we learn we absorb unconsciously, in conversations with
neighbours, friends or colleagues. So called informal or implicit learning can,
under the right conditions, lead to a production advantage for the company.
This includes five main points according to education advisor and e-learning
specialist, Jochen Robes:
1. Creating open learning environments that provide space for self-organised
learning.
2. Developing future orientated learning processes.
3. Informing staff about the nature and value of implicit learning.
4. Stimulating joint, networked learning opportunities.
5. Encouraging the passing on of explicit knowledge and minimising a sense
of entitlement.
Rapid manufacturing speeds up product development
Layer by
layer
In the Festo Fast Factory quite a few
one off items are produced – quickly and
tailored to the customer’s requirements.
Even short runs benefit from low cost
production.
Rapid prototyping in aluminium: the material
is applied as molton powder wherever the
component is to be produced later (above).
Aluminium laser melting: a 2.5 kg heat exchanger
for a test system is the largest component that has
so far been created with rapid manufacturing.
Thermoplastic powder: the base material for producing models, samples, prototypes, tools
and final products, such as the adaptive gripper DHDG.
Impulse 18 19
–
Interview
trends in automation:
Festo was awarded the
German Future Award
2010 for the bionic
handling assistant. What
part did the Festo Fast
Factory play in this
innovative robot system?
Klaus Müller-Lohmeier,
Leiter Advanced Prototyping
Technology, Festo
Klaus Müller-Lohmeier:
We built the individual
parts of the bionic
handling assistant in
our ”powder bakery”.
To do this, we
intensively and
consistently used
plastic laser sintering.
What are the particular advantages of the generative
manufacturing methods for the bionic handling
assistant?
G
enerative manufacturing
processes – called rapid
prototyping or rapid
manufacturing, depending
on the point of view – are an integral
component of the product development
process today. Prototypes produced
through generative manufacturing have
most of the technical properties of a
marketable product. Companies in
medical and dental technology, aviation
and space travel, machine building, as
well as automotive manufacturers and
their suppliers can thus quickly and cost
effectively produce small production runs
without expensive and complicated
moulds and tools.
Four ways to the end product
In principle, rapid prototyping is quite
simple. A component is cut virtually into
individual slices using a 3D CAD model.
A 3D printer then actually builds it up
layer by layer. The material is applied as a
liquid or as a molton powder to the places
where the component is to be produced
later.
In addition to selective laser sintering
(SLS), three other methods are used at
Festo: selective laser melting (SLM) for
Müller-Lohmeier: Using generative manufacturing as
opposed to conventional manufacturing methods, we
can create structures that are almost identical to those
found in nature, such as the elephant's trunk or the
vertical tail fin. There are almost no alternative
manufacturing options for this particular geometry
of the deep folds in the wall of the ”trunk segment”.
There is a clear shift away from production-oriented
design to design-oriented production.
Will rapid manufacturing oust the machining process
in future?
Müller-Lohmeier: I see the generative method more like
another string to our bow of manufacturing methods
that can be applied and used as required depending on
the materials used, the number of parts, the complexity
of the geometry, the functional requirements and the
economic constraints. Experts predict, however, that
a growing number of parts will be produced through
generative manufacturing, although this depends on
the industry. The layer manufacturing process clearly
accommodates the trend for customisation.
metals such as aluminium or steel, fused
deposition manufacturing (FDM) for
polymer products and stereolithography
(SLA). Experts predict a bright future for
plastic processing using laser sintering
and FDM. ”In five years, these processes
will be standard,” says Klaus
Müller-Lohmeier, Head of Advanced
Prototyping Technology at Festo,
confidently.
Bionically fast gripping
The best example is the bionic adaptive
gripper. Shaped like a fish fin, the gripper
was created using the selective laser
sintering method. To do this, layers of
plastic powder 0.1 mm thin were applied
one after the other to a platform and then
each one was fused into a definite
component using a laser. This reduces the
weight by up to 90% compared with a
traditional metal gripper.
The investment in the new Festo Fast
Factory has paid off. Klaus
Müller-Lohmeier adds: ”We use rapid
prototyping in research and development
in order to reduce the time for producing
initial samples, particularly for moulded
parts. Ultimately this reduces the total
development time and the products get to
market more quickly.” It will also enable
Festo to produce individual components
in small production runs quickly and
comparatively cheaply because savings
can be made on tooling costs.
Close contact with customers
These modern processes are also
influential during interactions with
customers. ”We can create sample
components faster so that we can then
discuss special designs with customers
and offer alternative solutions,” explains
Müller-Lohmeier. Thus, a model for
communication with customers and
initial sample parts can be created
overnight.
Now, only 75% of the products
manufactured using the generative
manufacturing method are internal
developments; 25% go directly to the
customer. ¢
Safely releasing the bedplate for Aston Martin V8 engines
Shaken,
not stirred
The innovative quartermaster “Q” from
the James Bond films would have loved
this new special machine in the Aston
Martin Engine Plant. Skilfully crafted,
it quickly, efficiently, and safely releases
the bedplate for Aston Martin V8 engines.
ames, when reading the word
bedplate, would most likely have
imagined something completely
different to Q’s dry operating
instructions. Of course he would have
tried out the special machine, because
its control elements bear a remarkable
resemblance to those of a motorbike.
In contrast to the film version though,
James, in his overeager testing, might
have been somewhat disappointed. The
latest development from the “Engineering
Task Force” based in Cologne, at the Aston
Martin Engine Plant, comprising Wilfried
Bäumler, Ralf Michels and Oliver Naumann,
is easy to use and doesn’t explode or fire
any shots. The semi automatic technology
for separating the bedplate from the
engine block, then rotating it and setting it
down is designed to provide people and
J
Lightweight
and upright:
by using state-ofthe-art pneumatic
components, the
special machine’s
weight was limited
to 270 kg.
Synergies 20 21
–
The bedplate and engine block
of the Aston Martin V8 are still
connected to each other, but
the vibrations of the pneumatic
muscles will soon separate
them (left).
The decisive moment: the
bedplate has been released,
the inner machine unit is lifted
away from the engine block with
the weight compensated by
a standard cylinder (top).
Elegant swing: after being
rotated 180 degrees, the
bedplate is ready to be set
down on the workpiece carrier
(bottom).
materials with the greatest protection
possible, giving this technology the licence
to let go!
Exceptional achievement
By simultaneously pressing the start
levers, the operator gently but forcefully
sets the system in motion. It lowers and
attaches itself to the bedplate using
technology for which the developers from
Cologne have applied for a patent. The
operator then switches the lever pair, the
inner machine unit lifts up slightly and a
uniform vibration releases the bedplate
with a resonant sound. Within less than
a second, it floats unattached above the
massive Aston Martin V8 engine block.
The bedplate is automatically rotated
180 ° and reveals its interior. At this point,
the operator presses the start lever again
and, with just a little pressure, moves
the machine – which weighs 270 kg –
sideways, where he sets the bedplate
down on a workpiece carrier. This ends
the tour de force, which is now child’s
play since the machine’s power has been
tamed by engineering skill.
Power needs precision
Let’s take a look at the technical details
of the system to understand why this
latest development is so special. The
so called bedplate lies under the engine
block of the Aston Martin V8 and together
they surround the crankshaft. It is
called a bedplate because the crankshaft
“rests” inside it – at least when the British
powerhouse is in the garage. During
driving, it transmits a maximum power
of 430 hp at 7,300 rpm to the transmission
system of the V8 Vantage S. This is
sufficient for a top speed of 305 km/h
and a brutish pulling power of 490 Nm
at 5,000 rpm.
Precision is essential in manufacturing.
That is why the bedplate and engine
block must be tightly connected during
machining of the crankshaft bearing
channel. However, during subsequent
processing the workpieces need to be
separated again. In some cases, coolant
residue could cause a problem at this
point as it could get inbetween the two
aluminium workpieces and get into the
mechanical guide sleeves and cause
unwanted adhesion.
Pneumatic muscular
power: four Festo
fluidic muscles shortly
before contracting
(left).
Pneumatics are on
board: the valve
terminal CPX/MPA
is attached to the
system’s rear side;
only the Profibus
cable is connected
to the control
cabinet (top).
Directly to the
application: the
pressure booster DPA
with the air reservoir
CRVZS increases the
5-bar pressure
to 6 bar in the system
by coupling (bottom).
Fluidic muscles
The previous system mechanically pulled
the bedplate from the engine block on
the linear axis. This then had to be
manually rotated 180 ° and set down
sideways on the workpiece carrier.
This was no small feat since the load
bearing crankshaft bed weighs
14 kg. When rotating and setting down,
there was a risk of injury from the sharp
outer edges of the cast aluminium part;
even wearing gloves couldn’t provide
sufficient protection. The new system
makes it all much easier. It does not
pull the bedplate off; instead it shakes
it free. Festo fast switching valves
oscillate a total of four Festo
fluidic muscles with 2 Hz, thereby
gently, but forcefully, releasing the
bedplate.
The fluidic muscle is a diaphragm
contraction system; in other words,
it is a tube that shortens under pressure.
It consists mainly of a hollow elastomer
cylinder with embedded aramid fibres.
When the fluidic muscle is pressurised,
its diameter increases and its length
contracts in a defined manner. This
enables a flowing, elastic movement.
Using the fluidic muscle enables motion
sequences that approximate human
movements in terms of kinematics, speed,
force, as well as finesse. It can exert ten
times the force of a comparably sized
cylinder, is very robust, and can also be
used under extreme conditions.
Control system on board
Another important function is fulfilled
by a Festo standard cylinder for weight
compensation. It supports operators
when lifting and lowering loads and
ensures that they can always operate
the semi automatic machine with the
same low level of force. A valve terminal
CPX/MPA safely and swiftly controls
a total of 22 pneumatic and electric
actuators for the system. The valve
terminal is attached to the rear side
of the special machine and travels
along with the system during all the
work steps. As the pneumatic control
could be attached directly to the
machine, only one slim Profibus cable
is connected to the control cabinet.
Models save time
Developing this innovative, special
machine took about 18 months. Following
the brainstorming and basic design
phases, Festo was included early on in the
development phase as a partner
providing advice on pneumatic solutions.
The aim was to create a small, compact
and especially lightweight design that
is suited to quick motion sequences.
The virtual 2D and 3D models from
Festo made the development phase
shorter and easier. In just a few clicks,
the development team was able
to download these models from the
Internet and integrate them into their
own design plans. A significant role
was played by the Festo FluidDraw
Synergies 22 23
–
The team of
developers:
Oliver Naumann,
Wilfried Bäumler
and Ralf Michels
together with the
consulting sales
engineer from Festo,
Martin Schlieter
(from left to right).
software, which was used to create
the circuit diagrams straight away.
This allowed the team to create a system
that impresses both because of its
technical finesse, as well as its ease of
use, while it also meets a high level of
acceptance among operators. Working
on numerous projects has taught the
team of experts that new machines
with improved safety systems are only
successful if the actual operators are
also convinced that the improvements
are beneficial. This required an ergonomic
adaptation to the operators’ needs, as
with the special machine for releasing the
Aston Martin V8 bedplate. It was possible
to make this precise adaptation by using
the sophisticated pneumatics software
from Festo in the run up to the system's
production. ¢
Partner for the automotive industry
brochure
www.festo.co.uk/auto
430 bhp under the bonnet:
the Aston Martin V8 Vantage S.
Photo: Aston Martin 2011
Pharmaceutical packaging
To your health
There are thousands of drugs licensed for use in the UK as well as many different dosage
forms. Packaging these quantities reliably calls for innovative machine technology and
optimum process technology. An example is the high performance blister machine from
Uhlmann, featuring the fastest cartoner in the world and sophisticated valve terminal
technology.
W
hether oval, rhombic or
biconvex, tablets come in
a wide range of shapes and
sizes. While tablets in the
USA are normally packaged in bottles,
blister or push through packs are more
usual on the European drug market.
The new B 1660 blister machine from
Uhlmann Pac-Systeme produces up to
750 of these blister packs per minute.
The connected C 2504 cartoner then
packages them in up to 500 folded boxes
per minute.
Benefit of the valve terminal solution
When it came to developing the new
machines, the engineers at Uhlmann put
a great deal of emphasis on minimising
tubing and wiring. To achieve this, the
company turned to valve terminal
technology from Festo. The standard
valve terminal VTSA is ideal for
Uhlmann's high performance packaging
machines. It ensures a reliable supply
for both vacuum generators and
cylinders, while the high flow rate of the
size 26 VTSA (up to 1,100 l/min) makes
it perfect for vacuum generation. The
VTSA also offers the option of vertical
stacking and provides special functions
such as different pressures in cylinders,
for example. The individual blisters are
drawn in and repositioned in the system
using vacuum. The pressure for individual
cylinders can be independently adjusted
and a separate gauge can be installed for
each valve in the terminal. The displays
on the pressure gauges are installed
“The valve terminal
VTSA is the perfect
solution for our
pneumatic circuits.”
Hubert Schmid, Designer
Uhlmann Pac-Systeme
Efficient and reliable production: Uhlmann B 1660 blister machine with the
C 2504, according to Uhlmann currently the fastest cartoner in the world.
Synergies 24 25
–
High flow rate is the decisive factor: the valve
terminal VTSA’s outstanding performance in the
cartoner.
Variety of shapes: packaging for drugs
back to front to enable them to be read
precisely from the rear.
Benefit of the safety valve
The folding box magazine at the cartoner
is raised for maintenance work using two
standard cylinders DNC. The cylinders
are securely equipped with two channels,
one pneumatic and one electric, to
protect the fitter during maintenance.
This can be easily done with the valve
terminal VTSA and ensures that the
requirements of the new Machinery
Directive are met. In addition, the entire
machine is safely exhausted using an
MS6 safety valve in the event of an
emergency stop. This ensures that no
uncontrolled movements take place
during troubleshooting, and also
addresses the requirement to provide
protection against unexpected startup.
Benefit of worldwide service
Since Uhlmann generates 85% of its
turnover overseas, a global service
network was an important criterion when
it came to selecting suppliers. Festo’s
worldwide sales and service network
was thus a major point in its favour.
Well before the two companies started
working together, Uhlmann had analysed
which pneumatic components were
needed for the packaging systems in
order to achieve optimum machine
performance. The components used
today range from sensors, cylinders
and valves to accessories such as tubing
and fittings. ¢
www.festo.co.uk/cpx
Valve terminal overview brochure
Uhlmann
Pac-Systeme
GmbH & Co. KG
Uhlmannstraße 14–18
D-88471 Laupheim
www.uhlmann.de
Field of activity:
Manufacturing systems for
packaging drugs for the
pharmaceutical industry
Filling and packing toothpaste tubes
At jaw-dropping speed
The record holder breaks his own record: OYSTAR IWK increases production from
510 to 750 toothpaste tubes a minute with the fastest tube line in the world. The
pneumatic drives of the machine are controlled by valve terminals CPX/MPA from
Festo. The safety soft start/quick exhaust valve MS6-SV protects man and machine.
C
leaning your teeth is one of the
basics of daily personal hygiene
and is one of the product
segments in the cosmetic
market that is growing all over the world.
Modern machines for filling toothpaste
tubes produce a large number of dental
care products. Near Karlsruhe in
south-west Germany OYSTAR IWK has
now developed the ultimate in filling
machines. The 8 part TFS 80-8 fills and
closes 750 tubes (x 28 mm diameter) a
minute with a pulse frequency of 94.
This corresponds to 45,000 tubes an
hour. The next cartoning machine, the
SC 3-800, packs the 750 tubes into
decorative boxes.
50% more output
The TFS 80-8 has a similar footprint to
the previous model, the TFS 80-6. The
major difference is in the increased
output of nearly 50%. The new machine
reduces overfilling of the tubes by
precisely checking its weight. All in all,
this may mean a saving of 83,000 kg of
toothpaste in a year. The machine has
two synchronised robots. State of the art
control electronics work together with
the safety soft start/quick exhaust valve
MS6-SV from Festo. Connected upstream
to a traditional 5/3-way directional
control valve, it easily meets the new
Machinery Directive and guarantees
correct exhausting in emergency or non
emergency situations. The dual circuit
pneumatic design of the TFS 80-8
ensures that tubes are fed in accurately.
The robot hand and the box feed operate
independently of each other. The valve
terminal MPA controls all the pneumatic
drives of the machine while the input
modules of the CPX process all the
sensor signals. Both the valve terminal
CPX/MPA as well as the MS-6 series
have been defined as the standard by
the OYSTAR Group for a very long time.
Correctly positioned and filled
In the first step of the process that leads
to a perfect tube of toothpaste, a robot
feeds the empty tubes, which are open
at the bottom, to the tube holder. In the
next step it transports them safely
through the machine. A high resolution
camera checks the edge of the tube
Synergies 26 27
–
Only one of 45,000 an
hour: the TFS 80-8 fills
Colgate toothpaste
tubes in record time.
Dr.-Ing. Marco Lanza and Dipl.-Ing. Andreas Siegele, Product Manager and Head Designer of the fastest toothpaste tube filling machine in the world
demonstrate the necessary precision processing of the filling system.
Overall view of the TFS 80-8 with the internal machine transport system in
the foreground.
for possible defects. Then the tube is
opened up using compressed air under
the watchful eye of another camera.
Using a printed mark the TFS 80-8
precisely aligns the tubes. It ensures
that the tube remains in the correct
position during the work process and
keeps a stable shape when it is filled.
If the alignment is not right the printed
design may be askew or shifted when
the tube is closed later. So that each
tube is allocated to the correct product
batch the machine reads the code again
at the same station. This enables
customers to clearly see where a tube
delivery came from or on which day it
was filled.
If a production error occurs, i.e. a
predefined number of errors in a specific
period, the machine stops and the
operators look into the source of the
error. Reject tubes are clearly identified
and do not impair the overall quality of
the batch.
After the tubes are filled they are placed on the control scales and
transferred to the cartoning machine in the next work step.
Neatly closed
The filling module distributes the
toothpaste inside the tube. A 3/2-way
directional control valve sucks in
the correct volume, redirects it and
discharges it. A plunger opens the filling
pipe, the toothpaste flows into the tube,
the filling pipe closes again and the
plunger cuts off the toothpaste. Each
filling point has a pair of scales that
supply data reliably to the machine
controls. Thus the precise amount of
toothpaste in each tube can be precisely
specified and the machine avoids
overfilling the tubes.
After it has been accurately filled the
open edge of the tube is heated with
hot air. The hot air must not come into
direct contact with the toothpaste or
have a negative thermal effect on the
aluminium separating layer because
otherwise the tube could leak. When
the material temperature reaches the
right range a press closes the tube
and embosses the tube seam. At the
Synergies 28 29
–
The valve terminal block MPA controls all the machine’s pneumatic drives.
The input modules of the CPX module process the sensor signals.
cutting station the end of the tube is
neatly cut.
Packed in a flash
At a station further down the line
TFS 80-8 discards the reject tubes. The
good tubes travel on to the discharge
point where they are ejected from the
holder and rotated 180°. After they have
been weighed again the machine places
the finished toothpaste tubes onto the
continuously running product chain
of the next machine in the line, the
cartoning machine. This is a critical point
in the manufacturing process because
the machine changes from a cyclical
mode to a continuous one. Particularly
critical is the design of the mechanical
components because at this point very
high acceleration rates occur and high
masses are moved.
At the end of the line folding boxes are
automatically opened up, aligned and
brought up to the same speed as the
tubes that are running in parallel.
The MS-6 service unit including the safety soft start/quick
exhaust valve MS6-SV ensures that the OYSTAR IWK machine
is provided with compressed air reliably and safely.
A special pusher finger pushes them
gently into the packaging. Now the
tubes are ready for their journey to the
shelves of supermarkets, chemist shops
and pharmacies. Safely and hygienically
packed and with an appealing look,
they ensure that people all over the
world are ready for a bite the next day
too. ¢
www.festo.co.uk/cpx
Valve terminal overview brochure
IWK
Verpackungstechnik
GmbH
Lorenzstraße 6
D-76297 Stutensee
www.oystar-group.com
Area of activity:
Production and sales of cartoning,
tube filling and closing machines as
well as complete packaging lines
Lacquering brake discs
Eye-catching discs
They look their best when they are at rest. It is particularly when the vehicle
to which they are fitted is at a standstill that lacquered brake discs attract the
eyes of car fans. At Audi, sophisticated technology from Sprimag and Festo is
generating some striking impressions in the automotive“underworld”.
he cheapest versions are cast, but
those for well-heeled customers
are cold-forged and precision-machined using CAD
modelling and water-jet cutting machines.
Aluminium wheels are the pride and joy
of prestige-conscious drivers. Their
unquestionably good looks also have a
small disadvantage: more and more of
the wheel interior is exposed to the
critical gaze. This means that the hubs, in
particular the brake discs, are exposed to
the ravages of time. Even with the most
exquisite alloy wheels, rusty steel will
spoil the picture.
T
It is therefore fortunate that dedicated
developers from Kirchheim in Southern
Germany have found an elegant solution
to the problem. The injection machinery
manufacturer Sprimag
Spritzmaschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG
protects brake discs with lacquer
technology to prevent corrosion,
transforming them into a feast for the eye
of motorists – including those driving the
premium brand Audi. The clever feature
of this process: proportional pressure
control valves type VPPM controlled via
Profibus by a valve terminal MPA are used
to regulate the spray pressure so finely
during the lacquering process that there
is no need to mask the friction surface of
the discs to protect them against lacquer
mist. This innovative solution reduces the
consumption of lacquer with semi- and
fully-coated brake discs and makes the
finishing process quick and cost-effective.
Powerful valves: A dozen proportional valves VPPM regulate the
spray pressure precisely.
Minimised overspray
At the heart of the lacquering process is
the perfect implementation of computer
programs by pneumatic components.
Within the brake disc feed system, a laser
probe identifies the type of brake disc
and sends this information to the PLC.
The system controller sends the
appropriate data packet with the
necessary parameters for the product
specific spray pressure to the
proportional valves VPPM. The cascade
control system for these valves, with
integrated multi-sensor control, adjusts
the atomiser air, the spray jet and the
pilot air to optimum settings and reduces
overspray. This is the amount of lacquer
which escapes during spraying
applications into the environment in
Fine nozzle: No need for protective masking of brake discs which are
to be only partly lacquered.
Synergies 30 31
–
Eye catcher: Brake discs on the Audi R8 GT.
the form of spray mist. Minimising
overspray not only improves the quality of
the lacquer finish but also saves wear and
tear on moving machine parts and
reduces the consumption of lacquer.
“Without Festo’s
reliable technology
and great capacity
for innovation, we
could not have
realised the project
in this form.”
Georg J. Langer, Mechanical Design, Sprimag
However, the Sprimag developers were
not satisfied merely with precision. They
also succeeded in making the throughput
times extremely short. The lacquer
coating is made especially weather
resistant, shock and impact resistant by
subsequent baking in a hot air oven.
A round dozen
A unique feature of this solution, not
found anywhere else in the world, is the
interaction of twelve Festo proportional
valves VPPM. Each of the four painting
robots has three valves, each of which
provides a spray function. The first
provides for perfectly metered atomising
air, the second controls the spray jet and
the third precisely regulates the amount
of lacquer material. In comparison with a
single regulator, the Festo proportional
valves VPPM allow considerably higher
control accuracy and more dynamic
operation. The overall controlled section
is subdivided into smaller subsections
which can be controlled more accurately
in accordance with task specific
requirements; thus, not only the output
pressure but also the diaphragm pressure
is monitored in the valve. The two values
can be evaluated together, leading to
highly stable and precise control
behaviour.
The Sprimag system delivers lacquer
finishes of consistently high quality. It
requires no set up for changeovers from
one product type to another and reduces
the tubing and wiring in the two identical
lacquering systems at Audi. The twin
systems increase process reliability and
ensure that the manufacturing process is
not interrupted by malfunctions, failures
or maintenance work. At times when
demand is particularly high, both units
are operated together for a higher
production rate. ¢
www.festo.co.uk/proportional
Proportional pneumatics brochure
The Sprimag lacquering station
at Audi finishes a brake disc.
Sprimag
Spritzmaschinenbau
GmbH & Co. KG
Henriettenstraße 90
D-73230 Kirchheim-Teck
www.sprimag.com
Area of activity: Manufacture of
automated painting and lacquering
machines for the external coating
of series-produced workpieces
and the internal coating of metal
packaging
Synergies 32 33
–
Ready to install control cabinets set standards in biotechnology
Good outlook
all round
High over Lake Geneva with a view of the grand panorama of the French Alps
one of the most remarkable biotech facilities in the world is emerging: the
Merck Serono Biotech Center. This is where, from 2012, the cancer treatment
product Erbitux will be produced using reliable automation technology in
ready to install control cabinets from Festo.
Merck Serono on Lake Geneva:
a site with the best outlook for
biotechnology.
A control cabinet as a complete solution: The core
of the automation process at sensor actuator level
is the valve terminal CPX/MPA (below).
A combination with a promising future:
Bioreactors and automation technology with
valve terminals CPX/MPA from Festo in the
control cabinet supplied ready to install (above).
“For us standardisation only has advantages,”
emphasises Dr. Sven Kelly and Gabriele Wulf,
responsible for installing the bioreactors and
buffer equipment.
M
erck Serono, the
pharmaceutical arm of Merck
KGaA, is investing 350 million
euros in its new plant and
creating 200 new jobs for biologists,
engineers, technicians and laboratory
staff. Drugs based on complex molecules
that cannot be synthesised chemically
are created in a biotechnological process
on four production lines with a bioreactor
capacity of 140,000 litres. This includes
the development of the cell bank, the
production of proteins in the bioreactors
and filtration and purification for the
purest protein concentrations.
Uninterrupted and fully automatic
“Without reliable automation technology
the operation of bioreactors with a
capacity of up to 15,000 litres would
be inconceivable,” says Gabriele Wulf,
responsible for installing the buffer
equipment in the new biotech factory.
It is vital to monitor and constantly
and carefully check the environmental
conditions in the bioreactor, such as the
oxygen supply, the temperature, the pH
value and the stirring speed. This is the
only way that cells can reproduce in the
best possible way.
plant, Merck Serono called in experts
in pharmaceutical plant construction
and automation technology. “There are
practically no plant manufacturers in
Europe that were not involved in the
building of our new factory,” reveals
Dr. Sven Kelly, responsible for building
the bioreactor facility.
Anyone who wants to get ahead in
world markets has to comply with
statutory regulations such as those of
the European EMA, Swissmedic and
the American FDA. To achieve this, the
validation of all processes is absolutely
essential. Thanks to automation the
whole manufacturing process can be
monitored and documented fully
automatically and paper free.
“Of course this meant that the
coordination task was huge,” Kelly
adds. The standardisation of control
cabinets was very helpful. “For Festo
it was obviously not a problem to advise
the equipment suppliers from every part
of Europe on our behalf and to supply
us with the right control,” Kelly says.
Plant manufacturers from all over Europe
In order to build its future orientated
Ready-to-install control cabinets
Festo supplied 200 ready to install
stainless steel control cabinets for the
approximately 80 preparation vessels and
Synergies 34 35
–
Impressive facts: 200 turnkey stainless steel control cabinets from Festo for the approximately 80 preparation vessels and bioreactors in the new biotech
factory with around 5000 valve functions.
bioreactors in the new biotech factory
with around 5000 valve functions. The
differently sized control cabinets house
modular valve terminals CPX/MPA.
Completely pre-assembled and tested,
Festo’s ready to install system solution
was delivered directly to the plant and
came with all the construction data and
wiring diagrams. When faced with the
pressure to meet deadlines in plant
construction, read to install solutions
are ideal from Gabriele Wulf’s and Sven
Kelly’s point of view.
Standardisation simplifies operation
“For us this standardisation is nothing
but advantageous. As a result, our
machines are less complex to repair. It
means we only need a few spare parts,
training costs for maintenance staff go
down and we only have one contact for
the pneumatics,” Kelly states. This applies
not only to the planning and installation
phase of the project but above all to
the reliable operation of the machines.
Research shows that maintenance and
repair costs over the whole life cycle of
a plant are often significantly higher
than the actual investment.
The core of the automation process at
sensor actuator level is the valve terminal
CPX/MPA. Thanks to its flexible design
any non fieldbus capable signals and
process valves are connected to the bus
controlled valve terminal as an I/O
component. Thanks to standardised
automation technology, biotechnology
for Merck Serono will become a really
promising production technology – not
only at sites such as this one, high above
Lake Geneva. ¢
Merck Serono S.A.
9, chemin des Mines
Case postale 54
CH-1211 Geneva
www.merckserono.com
Area of activity:
Development, production and
marketing of Merck Serono
treatments with prescription drugs
www.festo.co.uk/btp
Control cabinet solutions brochure
Great Britain
A typical assembly task on a Phasa 40/80 machine – a complex car door panel comprises various components which are welded into position.
Increased throughput
Servo-motion control slices critical seconds off plastic joining machines for car doors
Phasa has recently enhanced its specialist plastic component
joining machines by employing a key servo-based motion control
system in place of a pneumatic actuator. The servo enables
several seconds to be shaved off the assembly time of complex
car door panels, significantly increasing productivity. The servo
technology repays its investment after just a couple of months.
especially important in the automotive sector, where products
need to be traceable throughout their lifecycle” says Terry
Elvidge, Phasa's Operations Director.
www.phasa.co.uk
Phasa manufactures standard and custom machines to
automate the entire door panel assembly process – from
inserting the thermoplastic mouldings into the components
being joined, to selectively heating, forming and cooling them.
The principal advantage of the servo approach is that by using
closed-loop control it is capable of fully programmable multistop positioning, compared to the end-to-end positioning of
standard pneumatic cylinders. This results in faster and more
accurate placement of the assembly nest, reducing the overall
processing time.
In addition to providing excellent programming flexibility,
“A further advantage of using Festo servo drives is that they
facilitate the capture of timed process parameters for every part
made. This is vital to our customers’ quality management
procedures, enabling the data to be networked to a central
server system and logged against the bar code for that particular
part, providing a complete manufacturing record. This is
The main assembly nest platen on Phasa's 40/80 machine is moved by a
Festo servomotor and toothed belt axis.
Festo worldwide 36 37
–
Education
Worldwide
Festo at The Big Bang
Fair 2012
NCFM Hosts World
Skills Delegates
Thousands of young people,
over 35,000 visitors in total,
are expected again at The Fair
at Birmingham NEC, 15-17
March 2012.
The Big Bang is the UK’s biggest single celebration of science and engineering for
young people and aims to inspire them in science, technology, engineering and maths.
The Fair is now the largest single celebration of science and engineering for young
people in the UK. Its prime target is children aged 11-14 years old about to choose
their subject options at school. Festo have been invited for a second year running by
the organisers to show the Festo AirPenguins to demonstrate a fun and interesting
engineering application. They will entertain visitors with their graceful aerobatic
agility as they fly around the exhibition.
The Festo stand will feature interactive displays for the children and visitors to play
with and video material of other Bionic developments from Festo's Bionic Learning
Network. We’re expecting the stand at Birmingham NEC to be as busy as it was last
year at London Excel. Our aim is to interest and enthuse the children with our
engineering concepts, showing that science and engineering can be fun.
To register to attend see:
www.thebigbangfair.co.uk
What is The Big Bang Fair?
Involving over 150 organisations from across the private, public and voluntary
sectors, and reaching out to schools and students across the country, The Big Bang
represents a true partnership of the UK’s science and engineering communities.
The event is led by EngineeringUK in partnership with the British Science
Association, the Institute of Physics, the Science Council, the Royal Academy of
Engineering and Young Engineers. The Event is supported by The Department for
Business, Innovation and Skills as well as numerous sponsors from industry.
Thousands of young people visited the
Festo stand in 2011.
Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business,
Innovations and Skills, talking to Steve Sands,
Marketing Manager, Festo GB.
WordSkills delegation visits the NCFM
One of the highlights of the WorldSkills
London 2011 was a visit by 50 VIP visitors,
from 11 different countries across the
world, to the National Centre for Food
Manufacturing (NCFM) at Lincoln
University’s Holbeach campus. The visit
was organised by Festo, a partner of the
NCFM, to showcase the factory facilities,
and to provide the opportunity to share
experiences and listen to engaging
presentations by authorities from the
centre.
Festo Training and Consulting supports
improved productivity through the
development of key competences, and
Festo has supported the WorldSkills for 20
years as a Global Partner. In London 2011,
Festo was a partner for the Mechatronics,
Mobile Robotics and Polymechanics
competitions, to promote the education of
up-and-coming talent.
Festo Food and Beverage Industry Sector
manager Andy MacPherson said “Visitors
had a great day sharing knowledge and
making contacts. It was extremely
interesting to hear views and opinions
from delegates from academia, as well as
government and industry coming from
countries as diverse as Canada, Estonia,
Finland, Latvia, Mexico, China, India,
Russia and Indonesia.”
There is no end to learning
People hold their knowledge in their own hands. People
ultimately decide themselves whether to absorb and retain
information. At least as long as it involves conscious learning
processes. But a large part of everything we learn during our
lives is absorbed unconsciously via so called informal learning.
More and more companies are recognising the value of these
open learning processes where people gain knowledge while
they go about their ordinary business, almost in passing.
Great Britain:
Festo Ltd
Applied Automation Centre
Caswell Road
Brackmills Trading Estate
Northampton
NN4 7PY
Phone +44 (0) 1252 775059
Fax +44 (0) 1252 775015
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.festo.com/gb
Ireland:
Festo Ltd
Unit 5
Sandyford Park
Sandyford Industrial Estate
Dublin 18
Phone +353 (0) 1 2954955
Fax +353 (0) 1 2955680
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.festo.com.ie

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