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LATEST-GENERATION VALVE TERMINALS FEATURE AS-INTERFACE FOR FAST, COST-EFFECTIVE DISTRIBUTED I/O CONTROL SYSTEMS

* Festo launches new AS-i versions of MPA, CPV and VTSA, offering drop-in flexibility across a wide range of valve terminals

Northampton, March 27, 2008 — Following close on the heels of launching its VTSA configurable valve terminal, Festo has announced availability of an AS-i version, enabling OEMs and system integrators to implement high performance decentralised control systems very easily and economically. The company is also now offering this interface technology as an option for its popular CPV fixed grid and MPA compact series valve terminals.

Actuator sensor interface (AS-i) technology is an open standard, supported by a large number of leading automation companies. Designed for interconnecting digital and analogue devices such as sensors, actuators and valve terminals via a 2-wire cable, it is the simplest industrial networking protocol on the market, and is used for a wide variety of PLC- and PC-based automation systems. There are currently more than 13 million AS-i devices in use worldwide, in a diverse range of applications including food processing and packaging lines, bottling plants, conveyors, process control valves, airport carousels and elevators.

The AS-i version of Festo’s VTSA configurable valve terminal is supplied as a fully assembled and pre-tested unit, enabling users to effectively replace an entire control panel via a single order. It can accommodate up to eight ISO standard 18 mm, 26 mm and 42 mm valves in any combination mounted on the same manifold. Festo offers a wide range of compatible 5/3, 5/2 and dual 3/2 valves. The VTSA-AS-i valve terminal – and the new AS-i versions of the MPA series valve terminals – are fully compliant with AS-i specification 2.1 which accommodates up to 62 digital slaves and 31 analogue slaves per master.

Festo’s new CPV-AS-i fixed grid or block type valve terminal complies with AS-i specification 3.0, and is the first of its type to use the 7.A.7 profile. This facilitates A/B operation with four inputs and four outputs per slave, paving the way for even more flexible and cost-effective control schemes. Each master can accommodate up to 62 digital slaves and 62 analogue slaves, and the cycle time per slave is only a few hundred microseconds. A fully populated network using the 7.A.7 profile will exhibit a maximum bus cycle time of only 20 ms. Enhancements to AS-i system functionality combined with exciting new products fully utilising the system capabilities heats up the technology race between base level fieldbus systems, making all options more attractive for machine builders.

Ref: fgb165

About Festo
Festo manufactures pneumatic and electrical components and systems to support customers with factory and process automation. The company has an annual turnover in excess of 1.5 billion Euro, and has facilities in 176 countries around the world. Festo operates an aggressive R&D programme, holds over 2,800 worldwide patents, and introduces about 100 innovative new products to the market every year. For more information about the company’s products and services, please visit: www.festo.com/gb.

About Festo Didactic
Festo Didactic, the training and consultancy division of Festo, supports organisations seeking to develop competencies in sales & service, leadership, employee engagement, change management, team-working, coaching, business planning, production processes and automation technology. The division has particular expertise in working with manufacturing and engineering businesses. It has a full time workforce of over 200 and operates in 70 countries worldwide. Each year, it manages more than 230 consultancy projects and runs more than 2,900 open courses in 31 languages, involving some 42,000 participants. For more information about Festo Didactic, please visit www.festo-didactic.co.uk

For further information please contact:

Nicola Meadway, Festo Ltd, Technology House, 1 Fleetwood Park, Barley Way, Fleet, Hampshire GU51 2QX, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1252 775000; Fax: +44 (0)1252 775015; www.festo.com; email: nicola_meadway@festo.com

Press release issued by: Nick Leatherdale of Wordsun Ltd. Tel: +44 (0)1202 856000; email: nick@wordsun.com