Festo Launches VTEP Proportional Valve Terminal: World’s First with Closed-Loop Control on up to 10 Channels

Festo has officially introduced the VTEP — the world’s first proportional valve terminal — to the U.S. market. The VTEP is suitable for flexible gripping, web tensioning, force-controlled polishing, precision piloting, dispensing, dosing, and diaphragm pump control. The VTEP was awarded silver in Design World’s Annual LEAP Awards.

The VTEP valve terminal provides closed-loop control of moderate air flow — vacuum up to 35 lpm. It comes in 2-, 3-, and 5-valve variants, which can control up to 10 channels. Measuring less than 5 inches wide, it is ideal for today’s smaller footprint machines. VTEP features an EtherCAT digital communication interface for real-time communication and full data transparency.

Piezoelectric Proportional Technology

Each valve contains an integrated pressure-temperature sensor, an airflow control algorithm, and four digitally controlled 2/2 piezoelectric cartridges. The cartridges are arranged in a bridge circuit, allowing two independent channels to be controlled by a single valve. The VTEP uses the same piezo control technology found across Festo’s Controlled Pneumatics portfolio, which product market manager Daniella Gonzalez describes as “the heart and soul of all of our piezo controlled technology.”

“Target Reached” — Servo-Style Completion for Pneumatics

Users set performance parameters per channel and the valves provide closed-loop control to those presets. Valves deliver highly dynamic response and precise pressure control to achieve “target reached” status for each channel — similar to the “motion complete” function familiar from electric drive technology. Based on feedback from the valve’s temperature and pressure sensor, the embedded control algorithm automatically maintains the target position.

Application Scenarios

The VTEP is particularly well-suited for web tensioning applications such as dancer roller control in printing, coating, and laminating lines. It also excels in wafer polishing, where variable contact pressure across individual polishing chambers must be precisely regulated, and in flexible gripping and precision dispensing where multi-channel closed-loop pressure and vacuum control is required.

The VTEP is the latest addition to Festo’s Controlled Pneumatics line, which also includes the VTEM motion terminal for high flow rate applications, the VEAB proportional pressure control valve for pressure ranges up to 6 bar, and the VPPI proportional pressure regulator — all designed to reduce component count, simplify implementation, and conserve energy.

Visit Festo at www.festo.com for complete specifications and selection guidance.