Festo has developed a servo-pneumatic swivel module that can rotate a load through 180 degrees is 0.5s, and does not need a shock absorber to provide braking, thus cutting costs. The DSMI-B module (below) is said to combine the advantages of pneumatic and electric drives, and is claimed to be 30% faster and to use 30% less air than standard pneumatic systems.

The semi-rotary vane drive with an integrated measuring system can be used either as a soft-stop axis, or for free positioning of objects. It can move loads of up to 300kg through angles of up to 270 degrees, and can deliver mass moments of inertia of up to 6,000 kg-cm².

When used with an electronic end-position controller, the module brakes gently to its end positions, even at high speed. This soft-stop facility is said to reduce cycle times by about 30% as well as lowering noise levels. The system can also move to two, user-definable intermediate positions, without a fixed stop.

Another possibility is to use the module to position loads of more than 10kg freely to an accuracy of 0.2mm, with a force controlled to an accuracy of 5%.

To illustrate the capabilities of the swivel module, Festo has a demonstration in which an arm attached to the module catapults a ball in an upwards curve, using a short-stroke cylinder. While the ball is in the air, the arm swivels through 180 degrees, brakes without vibrating, and catches the ball.