Festo CPX: What functions can be realized in today’s Industry 4.0

What functions can Industry 4.0 achieve today?

Festo’s electromechanical integration automation is the cornerstone of industrial integration

“Industrial integration” is the theme of 2013 Hanover Industrial Expo. In the era of industrial integration, different workpieces will determine what functions the production device needs to provide. An important milestone on the road to industrial integration is Festo’s integrated automation concept – based on the automation platform CPX.

In Plant 4.0, machines, devices, workpieces and other components will be able to exchange data and information in real time. This represents the transformation from a rigid centralized plant control system to a decentralized intelligent plant control system. “The tasks that are still performed by the central master computer will be replaced by components. These components will be intelligently connected to each other, can be configured by themselves, and the process is simple, and can independently meet the needs of production orders.” Dr. Peter Post, director of research and planning strategy of Festo Group, predicted that.

Automation platform CPX

Industrial integration is characterized by the networking of components in the production system. Continuous signal exchange, evaluation of different sensor signals, detection of complex events, independent local decision-making and control are all integrated. Today, Festo’s integrated automation concept based on the automation platform CPX provides a way to achieve the above goals.

The electrical terminal of the valve island is not only connected to the site and the main control layer. It has diagnostic facilities and can provide status monitoring functions. Its various modules have enabled it to integrate the cylinder control with the electric cylinder control: control the cylinder through the modular valve island MPA and VTSA, and control the electric cylinder through the motion controller. And it has integrated security features.

This allows us to access diagnostic information, quickly locate faults and replace modules. Examples of functional integration include: IT services such as network servers, front-end controllers for decentralized local control, terminal controllers, proportional valves or pressure sensors for detecting internal pressure or external signals of valve islands.

Internet of Things

CPX has integrated all common bus systems and industrial Ethernet. This means that CPX is well prepared for the future. Experts predict that the era of Industry 4.0 will end the chaos of countless different fieldbuses. In the future, there will be only one globally standardized protocol — an Internet protocol based on WLAN or Ethernet with real-time capabilities.

This trend towards simplicity is based on the same philosophy as the new adaptive and intelligent installation platforms. Until now, when the product changes, the production device still needs to be partially modified. However, the new highly adaptive device can automatically adapt to future product modifications. In the future factory, we don’t need to set time for the machine to discuss.

Adaptive and simple

Electric drive technology is also following this trend. Festo’s positioning system “optimized sports series” has contributed to this trend. The core of this system is the electric cylinder EPCO, which is a model of factory automation, easy to use and economic electric cylinder products. Software tools greatly simplify network configuration and network diagnostics. Therefore, the electric cylinder is as easy to use as the cylinder.

In the era of Industry 4.0, robots will actively cooperate with humans. Intelligent sensors will enable robots, like humans, to choose different paths. Robots will be able to know changes in the environment and make judgments even in complex situations. This means that robots will no longer be a threat to human beings, but will assist workers in manual operation and become a part of the industrial auxiliary system. The award-winning bionic grab assistant and Exohand, both from Festo, are pioneers of this development today.