Incredible Machine works on the Rube Goldberg principle

It all began 100 years ago in a workshop in Esslingen am Neckar. Festo founder Gottlieb Stoll asked himself how technology could make work easier. From the initial production of machines for woodworking, the company developed into the production of pneumatic and electrical automation technology for mechanical engineering in a wide range of industries. Today, Festo is one of the world's leading automation specialists.

To mark the company's 100th anniversary, Festo has designed an extraordinary application, the Incredible Machine. It’s not a specific product, but works on the principle of a Rube Goldberg machine, in which one movement triggers the next. The Incredible Machine demonstrates the history of automation technology from the past to the present and reflects our wide range of competencies and our comprehensive expertise.

A look into the future of automation

The Incredible Machine shows the fascination for motion technologies, be it pneumatic, electric, digital or a combination of these, it presents the most important industries in which Festo operates, it inspires enthusiasm for technology and it provides an outlook on what the future of automation could look like – because inventiveness and a pioneering spirit have been part of our DNA from the very beginning.

Just as a butterfly can trigger a chain of movements by fluttering its wings, sometimes a tiny impulse can bring about significant changes. That is why our eMotionButterfly sets the machine in motion. During this journey, we look back at our history, but above all we are looking forward to the future. A motion impulse runs in 12 modules over a total length of 46ft, triggering a chain reaction of different motion functions in the machine. More than 1,000 Festo products and more than 1.12 miles of tubes and cables are installed in the machine.

Motion in automation

Whether pushing, turning, lifting, positioning, or relocating workpieces, materials, and products during their production process, whether dosing, filling, throttling, or pumping liquids and bulk materials in the process industry: motion is involved everywhere in industrial manufacturing processes. As a specialist in automation, Festo has made motion its core business.

The machine is not a purchasable product, but rather an innovation carrier that demonstrates the range of technical solutions in automation technology. Festo also wants to show how important freedom for creativity and inventiveness are to maintain a leading position in global competition. Festo wants to be the best partner for its customers, always at the highest technological level and as a holistic provider of electrical, pneumatic, and digital solutions and – as a special USP – the matching training courses from Festo Didactic.

Innovations can solve specific problems and have the potential to change entire sectors and create new industries. The driving forces behind these innovations are the ecosystems of customers and partners who are looking for solutions to their challenges. The journey in the machine leads through specific industries, such as battery production for electric cars, laboratory automation in the life sciences, intralogistics, and the semiconductor industry. It delves into the company's history and ends with insights into the actuator technology of the future. But the momentum continues.

Motion is changing our world and will continue to do so in the future. How this change will unfold over the next 100 years remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: it will be characterized by motion and bold ideas. Through small impulses that can trigger chain reactions and ultimately lead to something big.