Download | May 10, 2013

The Benefits Of Valve Terminal Technology

Source: Festo Corporation

Created in 1989 as an innovative idea, Festo valve terminals are a milestone in the development of easy to use pneumatics; so much so that it is hard to imagine the world of automation without them. The valve terminal was the single most decisive step in reducing complexity and costs in automation.

The benefits are:

  • simple installation, configuration and commissioning,
  • low maintenance and service
  • very adaptable – mechanically, pneumatically and electrically

Enhanced modularity and flexibility

The individual combination of different functions on one terminal enables precise configuration of the valve terminal to the application. Made for a broad range of applications, such as:

  • Automotive industry
  • Biotechnology/pharmaceutical industry
  • Food and packaging industry
  • Electronics industry

Minimized error quota
Previously, each individual valve and each individual component part such as coils and silencers had to be ordered and installed individually. The error quota in orders, assembly and commissioning fell dramatically with the introduction of valve terminals.

Reduced costs
If you are looking to reduce the overall costs of a system you should consider using cost-saving and comprehensive solutions such as valve terminal technology. Thanks to fully preassembled and tested units, ordering and logistics costs are drastically reduced.

Valve terminals for every automation concept
Valve terminals from Festo are ideal for all automation concepts, be they simple applications or complex systems. Thanks to remote I/O and installation systems, their bandwidth and functionality – in practically every conceivable application in pneumatics, electrics and networking – cannot be beaten.  It’s a combination of maximum performance, very high process reliability, and an impressive price/performance ratio. The potential for minimizing overall costs in terms of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is yet another plus.

Fieldbus Technology Advantages:
The number of pneumatic and electric drive and control elements is growing at a very fast rate. With parallel wiring of ever larger and more complex systems and interlinked processing centres over larger networked processing cells, the cabling is becoming immensely complex. The number of input and output points is driving installation work and costs skyhigh, while the likelihood of errors is increasing considerably.

Reducing connections by up to 65%, making huge time savings and increasing the reliability of the connection: these are the key advantages of fieldbus technology.

Conventional assembly and connection technology:

  • Time and cost-intensive assembly
  • Greater material requirements
  • High error quota during installation and individual inspection of all connections
  • Larger space requirement for cable packages
  • Connection technology on a P-manifold: individual silencer per valve
  • Connection technology on a PRS-manifold: ducted exhaust air via a common bus silencer