Festo was founded in Germany in 1925 and currently has 13 500 employees globally. The company focuses on two sectors – automation control systems integration and turnkey solutions. Didactic is responsible for the high-end training with which the company is synonymous. Festo South Africa has successfully supplied cutting edge control solutions for small, medium and high technology requirements to the southern and African manufacturing industries for the past 36 years.
Dedication to quality is evident in the ISO 9001:2008 accreditation for equipment design and manufacture. All operations at the head office in Isando, Gauteng, are managed within the quality standards system and the company has the VDA 6.4 (German automotive quality) standard mark, EU 1930 explosion-resistance accreditation and also complies with the ISO 14001 environmental standard. Seven branches, employing more than 160 people, are strategically located throughout the country, together with an extensive network of dealers and agents throughout southern and east Africa and neighbouring countries. Festo Didactic is a multinational training company, with over 32 000 participants having attended various courses in pneumatics, hydraulics, electro-pneumatics, PLCs, mechatronics and process instrumentation.
Festo boasts over 25 000 mechanical, pneumatic, electronic and automation products and annually invests 7,5% of its turnover into R&D. Of late, focus has been placed on expanding its capabilities and product range in electric drive automation. Above and beyond its ready to install system packages, Festo also offers tailor made industry specific solutions.
The company has a digital customer catalogue which is available as a DVD or online and which offers design and programming software. Special selection tools ensure that the user can design and construct the most efficient, economical and cost effective solutions. Festo also has the only online shop of its kind in South Africa. Site visits and inspections are a standard feature of the Festo service offering and its project engineers are equipped to assist in the control design for any new machinery or the upgrading of existing equipment.
Using up to date technology, software engineers ensure that the most practical and efficient solution is devised for each customer. The company also employs panel engineers and installers to ensure that the turnkey facility is seamless. The company then provides a delivery, installation and commissioning service.
The Festo panel manufacturing production technicians are qualified to assemble all of its configurable items, for example, PLCs, valve terminals and air preparation units. Pneumatic and electrical components can be installed and connected within an enclosure to provide a unique, customised solution to suit client specific automation requirements.
Service does not end after a plant is commissioned. The repair department runs virtually 24 hours a day and provides a breakdown service to customers. In addition the counter sales desk is structured in such a way that all operators are technically trained and customers can talk their issues through with an engineer if required. The Isando facilities house a well established cylinder manufacturing operation with experienced staff and a suitably equipped workshop. This includes a ‘breakdown’ service, whereby a cylinder can be manufactured typically within a few hours. The test facility allows the team to see if cylinders have air leaks and also provides testing of air quality.
Some projects that Festo has recently been involved in include:
* A complete process automation solution for the Kleinbrak River water treatment works in Mossel Bay in the Western Cape.
* The supply of four automated systems for Mercedes Benz South Africa’s production facility in East London.
* The upgrade of the control systems on two fire engine trucks for Air Mauritius in Mauritius.
For more information contact Joanne Dexter, Festo, +27 (0)11 971 5560, [email protected], www.festo.com
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| www: | www.festo.co.za |
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