• Machine manufacturer Optima uses multi-carrier-system in its new machines
• Transport system from Festo and Siemens increases the flexibility of production processes
• Joint presentation of a machine at the Siemens Booth at the Hannover Messe 2015

Optima consumer GmbH is the first pilot customer for the multi-carrier-system developed jointly by Siemens and Festo. This highly flexible transport system can be integrated precisely into existing intralogistics systems. With the help of the new transport system, machine manufacturers and manufacturing companies can adapt their production lines and machines quickly to different formats, sizes and product types and to seasonal requirements. Moreover, Siemens supports users back at the design phase with comprehensive industrial software for modelling and simulating the functional machine design. This makes it possible to create a seamless digital process chain, starting with product and machine design and continuing through the engineering right on to production automation. As a pilot customer, Optima will be using the multi-carrier-system in its filling and packaging machinery. The company will be able to apply its know-how and many years of experience as a machine manufacturer in the development of this innovative machine concept. The multi-carrier-system will enable Optima to increase the production flexibility of its customers in industries such as food and beverages, non-food products, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. As Optima is one of the world?s leading machine manufacturers, we?re very pleased to have been able to secure them as a customer for our multi-carrier-system,? says Ralf-Michael Franke, CEO of the Business Unit Factory Automation at Siemens AG. ?The increasing individualization of industrially manufactured products demands modular machine concepts that permit minimum batch sizes with maximum speed and maximum flexibility. Manufacturing companies as well as plant and machine manufacturers are consequently on the lookout for solutions that increase production flexibility. The multi-carrier-system developed jointly with Festo makes a significant contribution to this end.?

At the Hannover Messe 2015, Siemens is presenting the benefits of the multi-carrier-system in the Digitalization Forum at its trade fair booth using an actual machine from Optima. The showcase exhibit demonstrates to visitors how the multi-carrier-system can be adapted quickly and flexibly to different production requirements in conjunction with industrial software from Siemens. In practice, machine manufacturers can check individual solutions or modular machine concepts on the basis of 3D models and simulations and thus speed up the commissioning of their machines. The multi-carrier-system makes it possible to move and position the transport vehicles completely freely and independently of each other in accordance with the simulation. Vehicles can also be flexibly inserted into the system or removed from the system, and integrated into existing intralogistics systems. The result is that different product formats can be manufactured on one production line.

The technical basis of the multi-carrier-system is formed by linear motors from Festo for moving and precisely positioning the transport vehicles. Siemens brought its extensive automation know-how into the development of the transportation system: i.e. using a holistic engineering approach and integrated motion control functionality, the transport movements can be controlled precisely, and different machine modules can be coordinated in one system.

You can find this press release at http://www.siemens.com/press/PR2015030168DFEN

Further information on the multi-carrier system is available at www.siemens.com/mcs
Contact for journalists:
Peter Jefimiec
Phone:+49 911 895-7975;
E-mail: peter.jefimiec@siemens.com