Festo Scharnhausen 技术工厂是先进自动化技术的代表：占地 66,000 平方米，拥有 1,200 位员工和成熟、高效的价值链，且通过学习工厂和创新智囊团实现开放沟通。 网络化系统助力工业 4.0 的首项技术解决方案诞生。在 Festo 的每一天，员工均可直接且安全地与柔性机器人交互。信息和材料在无缝的价值流中快速、灵活且可靠地运输。
距离短
在 Festo Scharnhausen 精益技术工厂，各个制造流程之间以最短的路径相互连接。尽可能避免了库存之间的临时缓冲。例如，原本需要在若干个工厂内进行（跨越 32 千米的距离）的某些流程，现如今在技术工厂内部相距仅 120 米的空间内即可完成。因此在非常短的时间内，即可在同一屋檐下完成对高质量产品、阀和阀岛、电子元件和客户解决方案的生产。
完美外形
技术工厂一楼 14,000 平方米的区域内布满了重达数吨的金属切割机床。车削、铣削、钻削与磨削——通过机械加工生产的金属精密部件将在组装中接受进一步加工 生产线二十四小时运转，生产 Festo 产品的基本部件，例如直线气缸的阀壳体和单独部件。生产线每年生产的密封阀芯达数百万个，每天生产的阀壳体达数万个。这些元件在同一车间的电镀槽内接受表面处理。
全自动化和手工生产
技术工厂的生产范围包括客户解决方案性能中心的手工打造和高度灵活的节能装配线自动化生产（如用于制造 VUVG 阀系列的两个模块化装配系统）。在超过 30 米的区域内，八个生产单元按顺序运行。每年可装配数百万个阀，循环周期不超过 15 秒。工厂使用的产品和解决方案大都是公司自产。换句话说，就是用 Festo 产品制造 Festo 产品。这些设备可以分别生产超过50种不同尺寸的单独规格，其中 20 种占据生产总量的 80% 以上。
将阀片装到阀岛内时仍需手工作业，此外，Festo 还需根据客户的个性化需求以手工作业方式打造特殊解决方案和单独部件。我们的供货量从每年几千个或几百个的小批量到单个产品不等。某些必须根据客户的特定规格在短时间内完成制造的产品，可能有多达 10 的 40 次方种派生型。
Electronics included
Many products simply wouldn’t exist without electronics. In the Technology Plant, 200 employees produce complex electronic assemblies and products in an area covering 6,000 square metres. 2.5 million of them are produced each year for use by the company itself. The areas responsible for further processing receive either complete assemblies in their housing or mounted circuit boards. Here too, the variations run into the hundreds.
Innovation in automation
Besides offering highly efficient and competitive production, the new plant also sets an example. It is used by Festo as a reference factory for its customers to demonstrate the latest automation technology. The Technology Factory is characterised by lean and energy-efficient processes as well as highly sustainable and environmentally-friendly production. The plant’s green credentials were acknowledged with a Platinum Certificate by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) which was awarded in September 2015. The high degree of adaptability of the production site and the creation of efficient value chains and value streams were decisive factors for the overall plant concept. Plant manager Stefan Schwerdtle is positive about the future: “With the Technology Plant we are well prepared for future requirements. We have created the space necessary for co-operative technology and product development and considerably improved the time to market through optimised procedures and reoriented core processes.”
Human-machine interaction
Many of the aspects of Industry 4.0 – such as human-machine interaction – are already a reality in the Scharnhausen Technology Plant. The assembly robot grips housings, joins cartridges and frames together and passes the component on to a worker for further processing. Such teamwork poses no risk for the individual. Sensors continuously monitor all the robot’s actions. It does this thanks to a specially developed plastic “skin” fitted with highly sensitive sensors. As soon as an employee comes too close to it, the robot slows down or just stops. Thanks to effective safety mechanisms, the robot does not have to be behind bars.
- This article was published in the Festo customer magazine trends in automation 1.2016