MARKET OVERVIEW
Another major focus area is tire manufacturing, especially control systems for autoclaves, where common pneumatic solutions include smart valve terminals and electronic pressure-control valves. The chemical sector is a further example. Pneumatic solutions such as smart valves terminals and air-quality preparation sets are frequently deployed in the fluid-control systems found at chemical plants. Osvaldo Tomio Sato, Product Manager at FESTO, points out that, being a simple force and movement control system, pneumatics may be applied to numerous industrial segments: “Applications are wide-ranging and include the movement of a unit in a packing conveyor, placing workpieces in machine tools, transporting parts in the automotive industry, holding devices in the electroelectronic sector, opening and closing dispensers in the pharmaceutical industry, opening and closing doors on buses and trains, and devices for the selection of grains in the food sector.” Sato says that his company is working across several markets in order to advance the use of pneumatic automation: “By way of example, niches in the food segment include meat and refrigeration, confectionary, chocolate, and dairy products. The main reason for this versatility is that pneumatic automation may be easily implemented in applications such as product transportation, handling, packing and inspection. In addition, this technology can help to increase productivity and hygiene levels. The pneumatic automation components deployed are classified as ‘clean design’ or products made of materials compliant with FDA [Food and Drug Administration] standards, such as pipes, fittings, actuators and valve terminals.” PNEUMATICS AND INDUSTRY 4.0 Flexibility, easy design development and cost are the main advantages of pneumatic automation, according to Brand. “There are, however, processes where installing an efficient pneumatic system, with air reservoirs and distribution and access points, is difficult, because this is not part of the plant’s original design,” he states. “In such cases, using an electric solution is preferable to the creation of ideal conditions for pneumatics.” Brand adds that, on the other hand, in cases where the plant design already includes a pneumatic distribution system, handling, positioning and serial production applications should not be replaced by electrical equipment which, according to him, is three to four times more expensive than pneumatic systems performing the same function.
MORE INFORMATION
“Another characteristic of pneumatics is its ability to work in industrial environments without requiring any kind of special protection,” says Brand. “In contrast, electrical equipment for use in such areas will always require some kind of special protection. Factors such as moisture, vibration, heat and electromagnetic interference do not impact on pneumatic equipment.”
22 | Industry EMEA | November 2019
8
So, is pneumatic automation actually fully integrated to modern industrial processes? According to Brand, the answer is affirmative. “Over the past 15 years, pneumatics has proven a reliable partner for fieldbus, onboard control, data collection and diagnostic functions,” he says. “Together with other types of technology, the pneumatic technology of today offers the capability for migration to Industry 4.0. For instance, modern smart valve terminals with IO-Link communication are now part of our industrial reality.” According to Sato, pneumatic automation is simple: “Compressed air is one of mankind’s oldest energy types, using atmospheric air as a source, which is present and abundantly available everywhere on Earth. Generating compressed air is easy, and its maintenance is straightforward. Furthermore, pneumatic automation provides safe and reliable operation, mainly due to its simplicity.” The application of pneumatic automation has consistently intended to replace human labor in repetitive tasks, thus increasing operational productivity while decreasing production cost. Overall, the idea has always been to allow employee engagement in more rewarding roles, such as preventive maintenance, programming, process improvement, and optimization of the final product to improve quality and reduce cost, making it competitive in European and global markets. Sato reports that his company is continuously modernizing its pneumatic technology product line, and that one of FESTO’s most recent developments is the VTEM (Motion Terminal). “The Motion Terminal uses the ‘digitalized pneumatic’ concept, fusing basic pneumatics and electronics, plus a powerful software controller, in order to create a highly innovative product capable of covering the functions of over 50 individual components,” he explains. “Motion Terminal can be called outstanding thanks to its ability to provide a wide range of functions with just one valve, remotely controlled by ‘Motion Apps’, whose parameters may be altered in real time,” continues Sato. “The product provides, in a single platform, the aspects necessary to meet the requirements of Industry 4.0, such as flexibility, energy efficiency and monitoring, making it an ideal choice for industry’s automation future. Motion Terminal’s digital pneumatics improve automation processes, with benefits extending from faster planning and design phases, to easier commissioning and parameterization. Additionally, operational productivity is enhanced by providing a faster and easier means to convert or modernize a system.” In summary, pneumatic automation is already well established in the market and vendors are complying with the demands of IIoT and Industry 4.0. The technology tends to be favored due to its simplicity and unlimited applications.