MechChem Africa March-April 2021

Pick and place systems with digitised pneumatics Festo’s new valve technology and Motion Terminal VTEM system enables pneumatic valves and positioners to be digitally programmed and controlled via Motion Apps, a system combination that replaces over 50 individual components. This article describes how this modern technology is revolutionising and simplifying pick and place positioning applications.

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Motion Terminal VTEM is assigned a package

workpiece size, for example, by precisely de- fining the variables such as the motion speed and impact energy in the end position. With the Positioning App, pneumatic actuators can be freely positioned along the entireworking stroke, and the cylindermove- ment can be controlled using limit values for the speed, acceleration and jerk parameters. Gentle positioning is possible for selected series with strokes of up to 300mmby speci- fying the limit values. Pressure and vacuum control TheProportional PressureRegulationMotion App ensures safe transport with vacuum, with the vacuum level being adapted to the weight that needs to be moved. This enables plant manufacturers to increase the energy efficiency of their application. Changeover times or manual format changes are a thing of the past because users can easily switch over to the parameters they need. In addition, the virtual vibration-free travel into the end position with Festo’s Soft Stop Motion App minimises wear and shortens the cycle times. Software instead of hardware Thanks to the fast activation of new func- tions via Motion Apps, machine developers can create a basic machine type using the Festo Motion Terminal and then select the relevant Motion Apps to equip it with differ- ent functions and features as per customer requirements. The ability to copy and transfer parameter sets makes planning easier and saves time. Assigning functions via software has theaddedbenefitof preventing tampering since it is not possible to tell from the outside which functions the valves are executing. Maintenance is simplified, as leaks are automatically monitored. Also, long lists of spareandwearingparts area thingof thepast. With the Leakage Diagnostics Motion App, malfunctions can be detected via diagnostic cycle and pinpointed to a specific actuator and defined threshold values. This enables predictive maintenance. Festo Motion Apps are the key to limit- less function integration for valve terminals. Combinedwith software, FestoApps simplify the entire value chain, since only one piece of hardware required. www.festo.com/cms/en-za_za of Motion App licences, which enable valve functions available within the Motion Terminal to be freely assigned to each individual valve.

A wide range of products, functions and complete solution packages are integrated into the Festo Mo- tionTerminal. Among these are the MotionApps, whichheralda newIndustry4.0 era. Motion Apps are revolutionising pneu- matics by increasing flexibility, energy effi - ciencyandacceleratingproductionprocesses. This alsohas benefits for handling technology, as the automation platformVTEM opens the door for positioning using pneumatics. Users can execute different taskswith just one valve andoperate 16pressure regulation channels with eight valves. This significantly reduces the amount of work required, from engineering to format change-overs. For this reason, experts recognise the Festo Motion Terminal VTEMas a revolution in automation technology.

Simplifying pick and place applications

With the Motion Terminal VTEM, users can realise all the functions in their pick and place application in just one system. There is no need for components such as shock ab- sorbers or flow control valves. Since Motion Apps now take over many tasks and replace complicated mechanical structures, the de- sign process is much easier. The process data can be read out at any time, enabling users to respond quickly to deviations and guarantee consistent quality. Positioning using pneumatics Festo’sPositioningMotionAppgives handling experts flexibility when positioning work- pieces of different sizes. They can optimise the end-to-end motions for every possible

With the Ethernet interface and the intuitive WebConfig user interface, developers can efficiently parameterise every valve on the Festo Motion Terminal via a PC and a web server.

Motion Terminal VTEM from FESTO enables users to realise all the functions in their pick and place application in just one system.

18 ¦ MechChem Africa • March-April 2021