Festo’s true underlying goal is to make Industry 4.0 a reality, integrating varying functions across system boundaries.
“That is why Festo is working so closely with other companies in the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association and on the Platform Industry 4.0 project to create a common reference architecture,” Dr Michael Hoffmeister, Management Expert at Festo, explained.
And with Festo’s latest IoT gateway, CPX-IoT, the secure cloud solution, all data will be at hand. This new solution will allow machine and system builders as well as end customers to significantly improve their overall equipment effectiveness.
The CPX-IoT connects components and modules from the field, such as the Festo Motion Terminal, to the Festo Cloud through their OPC UA interface. Additionally, the data can be prepared and monitored using the cloud, allowing trend analyses to be determined, and to set up early warning systems and automatic notifications in the event of incidents. The IoT gateway also provides the controller with a cloud interface, and ensures the relevant information is communicated in the right format at the right time.
With the CPX-IoT, it is possible to have preconfigured dashboards for each Festo component, alongside additional customisation, and the dashboard is viewed in the web browser and shows diagrams and indicators, and specific widgets offer additional clarity. Moreover, the monitoring solution improves error diagnostics and fault identification; creates transparency regarding energy consumption; delivers clear information in graph format; and makes historical data available.
The CPX-IoT can be used in a wide variety of applications, and can also be easily integrated into the application environment of a machine builder thanks to its open interfaces. Additionally, the perfectly matched components and function of the kinematics, the controller, as well as software, all guarantee operational reliability.
