At Audi Hungary's production plant in Györ, some 6,900 automotive engines roll off the production lines each day. In addition, some 84,000 finished cars are assembled annually, and a planned 2013 expansion will boost capacity and round out the facility with press, body and paint shop capabilities. In June, 2010, attendees of Festo's ninth annual global media event in nearby Budapest toured the facility and saw how thousands of Festo components and systems are helping the world's largest engine plant achieve new levels of safety and efficiency. | And when it comes to making handling applications more efficient, speed of movement is important—and that directly relates to the sizing and weight of automation components, explained Jӧrg Tertünte, promotion concepts handling and solution. "It's all related to minimum moving mass," he said.
"Energy efficiency is a journey, a direction in which you are moving," added Gomeringer. "It's a pillar of our production system, and is integrated into our culture."
Global approach driving record sales
Thanks to its range of appropriate customer solutions, Festo was able in 2010 to increase its global sales by 37% to a record level of €1.8 billion. Outside Germany, China is now Festo's most important and largest market. "This is not surprising, since the growth markets of China and India will account for almost 40% of the entire global gross domestic product in the next 15 years," said Kriwet.
In order to ensure that Festo continues to occupy a leading position in Asian markets, production and logistics facilities in China will be extended to allow Asian customers to be supplied quickly. Germany and Europe will nonetheless remain important for Festo, Kriwet said.
He also acknowledged that we must prepare for a world in which traditional industrial leaders will need to share the global spotlight. "We must rely on innovation and partnerships around the world," he said."How can we use our creativity, our engineering excellence to participate?"