The FAST™ Program is a group of close to 2,000 products that can be utilized in many automation applications that we guarantee to ship within 1, 3, or 5 days, depending on the configuration.
Frank Langro
Please start off by telling us a bit about Festo and its products.
Festo is a global manufacturer of pneumatic and electromechanical systems, components, and controls for process and industrial automation. Festo was founded over 80 years ago just outside of Stuttgart, Germany where its’ global headquarters remains today. For over 40 years, Festo Corp. has been in operation in the United States offering a range of automation solutions to the US market place.
You have something called the FAST™ Program. Tell us about that.
The FAST™ Program is a group of close to 2,000 products that can be utilized in many automation applications that we guarantee to ship within 1, 3, or 5 days, depending on the configuration.
When and why did Festo introduce this program?
The FAST™ Program was introduced by FESTO over 10 years ago. One thing we recognized is that delivery is key in the US market place. Machine builders need a reliable delivery from their suppliers to avoid bottlenecks in their build schedule. A machine builder also needs to be adaptable to the demands of their customers and the FAST™ program basically meets this need.
What has been the market reaction to FAST?
The market reaction to FAST™ was and still remains extremely positive. It gives a machine builder the flexibility to incorporate changes late in the build schedule without impacting the machine delivery date. For an end user the FAST™ Program has provided a safety net where the customer can really minimize the amount of spare parts kept in inventory. In both cases the customer is benefitting by not having to tie up a big amount of capital in spare parts as we can deliver what they want when they need it.
Tell us how the FAST program has changed and evolved over the years.
The program has continued to develop over the years as we have added some parts as they have taken hold in our market. For example this year we have introduced the EGC toothed belt axis.
Does the FAST™ Program still have the same relevance today as it did years ago?
Absolutely, if not more so. As every business out there is under extreme pressure to “do more with less”, the benefit of maximizing your capital hits home more than ever. Being able to rely on Festo to deliver when you need it gives the customer the opportunity to maximize their efficiency and focus their resources in other areas instead of following up on orders or tying up capital months before a machine is to ship.
Give us an example of why a manufacturer may want to use the FAST™ program.
As mentioned earlier, a manufacturer / end user would benefit by using items from the FAST™ program as a way to minimize unplanned downtime. Ideally the end user would have spare parts on hand, but if for some reason a part needed to be changed the item could be shipped in a short time to keep any downtime to a minimum.
About Festo, Festo Corporation
Festo is a leading manufacturer of pneumatic and electromechanical systems, components, and controls for process and industrial automation. For more than 40 years, Festo Corporation has continuously elevated the state of manufacturing with innovations and optimized motion control solutions that deliver higher performing, more profitable automated manufacturing and processing equipment.
About Frank Langro, Director of Marketing & Product Management,
Frank Langro has over 20 years’ experience in the field of automation and is currently the Director of Marketing & Product Management at Festo Corporation. Mr. Langro has represented Festo in multiple areas in support of the advancement of fluid power. He is a longtime member of the National Fluid Power Association and has participated in the development of national and global standards. He had also represented Festo as an Industrial Advisory Board member for the CCEFP (Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power), a partnership between industry and several leading universities to steer the direction of fluid power research.
Mr. Langro also holds four patents in fluid power related developments. As Festo Corporation’s Director of Marketing, Mr. Langro is currently developing and refining Festo’s energy saving services for introduction into the US market.
The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of RoboticsTomorrow
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