Page 24 - trends in automation

B efore an automation module
­becomes part of a machine or
system, it must pass through
numerous stations in its value
chain. With regard to the time factor, this
chain can be broken down into the fol-
lowing constituent parts: development
and design, engineering, selection and
sizing, ordering and procurement as well
as commissioning and assembly. With
the Optimised Motion Series, the biggest
time savings are achieved in engineering,
ordering and commissioning, as time
­savings of 70 per cent can be achieved
during configuration.
Shorter time to market
To stay one step ahead in fiercely compet­
itive markets, being able to commission
the right automation modules in your
machines and systems faster than your
competitors can be a decisive advantage.
Time to market is the key here. The
­shorter this is, the greater the compet­
itive edge that machinery and equipment
­manufacturers can give their customers.
It’s with good reason that management
studies say that, “It is not the larger who
eats the smaller, but the faster who eats
the slower.” Companies that minimise
development and design time enable
their customers to bring their products
onto the market faster. At Festo, for
­example, development projects must ­be
subjected to the Critical Chain Process
Management. Development engineers
continuously look for areas in the new-
product development process ­where de-
velopment time and costs can be reduced.
Quick to configure
Machinery and equipment manufacturers
notice significant progress when they
choose the electric cylinder EPCO. The
time savings in terms of the engineering,
selection and sizing processes as well as
Reaching the market faster
Saving time with the Optimised Motion Series
When you analyse the processes along the entire value chain, you clearly see just how
much time can be saved with automation modules. The electric cylinder EPCO from the
­Optimised Motion Series, for example, can help to significantly reduce the amount of
­time spent on engineering, procurement and commissioning.