Festo introduced its AI-enabled monitoring and predictive maintenance system Festo AX Motion Insights Pneumatic. AX Motion Insights Pneumatic is a cost-effective, easy-to-use solution for preventing costly unscheduled machine downtime through its monitoring of pneumatic cylinders for wear and anomalies. This AI-based industrial app ensures operations are more reliable, efficient, and ultimately more profitable, the company stated.

The system uses AI to detect anomalies in the behavior of pneumatic drives and cylinders without the need for additional sensors. It provides a “health score” as a “risk of failure” indicator for each cylinder. Connectivity is achieved via a PLC function block. The system is compatible with actuators from different manufacturers and has specific connectivity details for Siemens, Rockwell, and Beckhoff controllers.

Motion Insights Pneumatic enables maintenance teams to schedule tasks in advance, significantly reducing the risk of unexpected downtime. The platform offers the flexibility of on-premises computing, giving end users full control over their data and deployment. This is an open system and works with both Festo and third-party components. The AX platform features ease of use and seamless integration, opening the door for customers to embrace without worry today’s AI, data-driven solutions, and digital transformation.

A critical element of Motion Insights Pneumatic is its integration with Festo’s Smartenance maintenance management system. Motion Insights Pneumatic works in tandem with Smartenance; the insights app identifies when maintenance is needed, and Smartenance manages the resulting tasks. The integration of the two creates a cohesive, end-to-end workflow that ensures predictive insights are not just seen but also efficiently acted upon.