Festo is setting new standards in process optimization on the production floor. Particularly, by using AI and other smart solutions, Festo will enable its customers to achieve flexibility and efficiency in production processes.

A significant increase in overall system effectiveness has already been demonstrated in many projects. The Festo AX Industrial Apps in particular make digitalization and networking scalable. Moreover, it will support the efficient advancement of Industry 4.0 in production.

Technical availability is a key performance indicator in measuring and maximizing the company’s productivity and effectiveness. Accordingly, a study claims five to 20 percent of productivity losses happen because of component failures. For that reason, more and more companies are turning to predictive maintenance to avoid unplanned downtime. At the same time, respond to maintenance needs at an early stage.

“We are proud to offer our customers innovative solutions that make them more efficient, faster and more productive,” says Gerhard Borho, Member of the Management Board Information Technology and Digitalization at Festo.

Moreover, Borho took note of the importance of AI-supported process optimization tools. These, he said, enable their customers to increase competitiveness and take their production to a new level. “Our AX Industrial Apps offer exactly that: easy-to-install, scalable solutions that enable effective implementation of predictive maintenance,” said Borho.

The AI-based AX Industrial apps make decisions easier

The industrial software solution Festo AX Industrial Intelligence uses artificial intelligence methods. Specifically, it enables the optimization of various processes on the shopfloor by making the best possible use of plant data. This enables users to increase productivity, reduce energy costs, avoid quality losses, optimize administrative store floor processes. Moreover, in coordination with machine builders, it helps establish new business models.

Customer experience shows optimization rates of over 20 percent and gives an idea of how much potential there is in this data and algorithms.

Therefore, Festo AX Industrial Intelligence enables optimization in three typical fields of application. Namely, Predictive Maintenance, Predictive Energy, and Predictive Quality. Together with the customer, Festo develops how to implement scalable and individual solutions.

What was classic AI project business just a few years ago has now taken on two new dimensions at Festo. With AX Solutions, more complex subsystems such as welding, gluing, riveting or packaging are made scalable with just a few adjustments. The AX Industrial Apps are even more scalable. Here, customers can even install standardized AI applications themselves and thus optimize products and processes.

In the interests of standardization and a solution that is as simple and scalable as possible, they indicate framework conditions such as the type of drives or the number of sensors.

The customers themselves can operate AX Industrial Apps even without their own AI expertise. Thus, manufacturing companies of all sizes benefit from the new, innovative technologies. Furthermore, machine builders or original equipment manufacturers can set up new business models immediately without the need for years of development work.

Monitoring and maintenance with the Insights Pneumatic app

One example of an industrial app from Festo is the AX Motion Insights Pneumatic App. By using AI and machine learning, the industrial app detects anomalies in the behavior of pneumatic components early and reliably, without the need for complex sensor technology. This enables companies to plan preventive maintenance measures and minimize unplanned downtimes.

The industrial App Festo AX Motion Insights Pneumatic offers a user-friendly interface and simple horizontal and vertical integration into existing systems. Moreover, it enables companies to monitor their pneumatic components independently and effectively and thus continuously optimize productivity.

Industrial apps also on Siemens Industrial Edge

Festo is also part of the Siemens Industrial Edge ecosystem. This starts with the industrial App Festo AX Data Insights, which is already available on the Siemens marketplace.

The app feeds data from Festo components into Siemens Industrial Edge to supply analysis applications with data. Based on this data, customers can set up monitoring and thus improve maintenance processes. At the same time, it can reduce their energy consumption and improve quality. Further industrial apps from Festo will soon be available on Siemens Industrial Edge. For example, for AI-based monitoring of pneumatic and electric drives.

AX Smartenance closes the loop

With AX Smartenance, Festo also offers a solution for maintenance management. This enables customers to digitalize and simplify the maintenance and servicing process in a consistent and intuitive way. In addition, AX Smartenance closes the loop by returning condition-based recommendations for action from AX Industrial Apps and AX Solutions to the right addressee in the maintenance process at the right time. This is on top to cyclical maintenance tasks.

-22 April 2024-