Festo is offering its EPRF electric cylinder together with the EMMH-AS servomotor as a complete stainless-steel electric drive for hygiene-critical production. The package targets food, packaging and pharmaceutical machines that are cleaned frequently and aggressively, where standard actuators and motors corrode or trap dirt.
A matched cylinder-and-motor package
The EPRF electric cylinder and the EMMH servomotor are designed to work together. The motor is supplied with a matching motor cable, and motor, cable and drive all come from Festo, so the machine builder deals with one supplier and one set of documentation.
Because the components are already matched, installation is simpler and less engineering effort is needed to size and commission the axis.
Technical data
| Feature | EPRF + EMMH-AS |
|---|---|
| Housing material | Stainless steel 316L |
| Degree of protection | IP69K |
| Maximum speed (EPRF) | 1 m/s |
| Ambient temperature | -10 °C to +60 °C |
| Design | Hygienic, easy-to-clean, corrosion resistant |
| Scope of supply | Cylinder, servomotor, motor cable and drive from one source |
According to Festo, the 1 m/s speed puts the EPRF among the fastest electric cylinders of its kind on the market.
Typical applications
- Food processing machines in the wet or splash zone
- Packaging lines exposed to washdown
- Pharmaceutical equipment with strict cleaning procedures
- Other harsh environments where corrosion resistance is required
Why it matters for machine builders
In hygienic machines, electric axes are often the weak point: a standard aluminium cylinder needs a protective cover, and a painted motor may not survive high-pressure cleaning with chemicals. Covers add cost, complicate cleaning and can themselves become a contamination risk.
A cylinder and motor built entirely in 316L stainless steel with IP69K protection can be mounted directly in the cleaning zone. For designers, that means fewer custom enclosures, simpler cleaning validation and a shorter path from mechanical design to commissioning. Choosing a matched set also avoids the usual integration work of pairing a third-party motor with the actuator: mounting, cable and drive parameters are already defined.
The operating range of -10 °C to +60 °C is also relevant in food plants, where the same machine may sit in a chilled processing room or next to hot filling and sealing stations. Combined with the 1 m/s cylinder speed, the package is aimed not only at slow adjustment axes but also at productive handling and dosing movements in the hygienic area.
For applications that are moving from pneumatic to electric motion in food and pharma, this kind of ready-made hygienic package removes one of the main obstacles to the switch.
More from Festo
Festo announced the combined solution in October 2026. For more electric motion products, read about the ELGD axis family from Festo or visit our Festo news section.