EandM is an authorized Festo distributor serving manufacturers, system integrators, OEMs and industrial facilities across the West Coast — California, Oregon, and Washington — including full support for Festo electric drives, pneumatic actuators, valve terminals, and air preparation components.
Quick Summary
- IP69K-rated electric cylinders and servo motors, built for washdown environments
- 316L stainless housing, NSF-H1 food-grade grease, dual-seal technology
- Feed forces to 12,500 N • speeds to 1 m/s • strokes to 1,000 mm
- Complete servo solution—cylinder, motor, drive, cables from one source
- Designed for food, beverage, pharma, packaging, and corrosive environments
- Available through EandM across CA, OR, and WA
A Gap That Engineers Have Worked Around for Years
Festo has long been a go-to for pneumatics and general automation—excellent technology, strong support, and a broad portfolio. But when the conversation turned to electric cylinders and motors that needed to survive daily high-pressure washdown, engineers specifying food, beverage, and pharmaceutical lines had to look elsewhere.
"Stainless steel" and "washdown-rated" are not the same thing—and that distinction has limited Festo's electric motion portfolio in some more hygienic F&B applications. Until now.
The Festo EPRF stainless steel electric cylinder and EMMH-AS stainless steel servo motor are purpose-built to broaden Festo's electric automation portfolio into these washdown zones.
What F&B Environments Actually Require
This is one of the most common conversations we have with engineers specifying electric actuators for food and beverage lines. The assumption is that "stainless steel" means washdown-ready. It doesn't—not on its own.
Per FSMA guidelines, hygienic design has three non-negotiable requirements:
Cleanability
Smooth surface finish with no crevices for bacteria to accumulate.
Drainability
No geometry that traps water, dirt, or biofilm between cleaning cycles.
Material Selection
Food-safe and corrosion-resistant at every contact point, inside and out.
An IP69K rating alone doesn't guarantee all three. What matters is how that rating is achieved—and what materials and design principles are behind it.
What Festo Built—and Why It Checks the Boxes
The EPRF cylinder and EMMH-AS motor were engineered together as a matched hygienic system. Every design decision traces back to the environments they need to survive:
- 316L Stainless Steel Housing (1.4404): Both products utilize 316L stainless, rated Corrosion Resistance Class 4—Festo's highest classification for particularly high corrosion stress. This provides excellent resistance to common food-processing cleaning agents, humid environments, and corrosive washdown cycles.
- IP69K Dual-Seal Technology: The EPRF uses two IP69K piston rod seals connected in series, rather than a single seal with a backup. A pressure equalization connection safely discharges air to the outside of the food zone, preventing condensation buildup inside the cylinder.
- NSF-H1 Certified Grease: Both products utilize NSF-H1 food-grade lubricants suitable for incidental food-contact environments.
- Laser-Engraved Rating Plates: Laser engraving ensures permanent identification that does not degrade under repeated washdown, unlike standard adhesive labels.
Performance Specs—Not a Compromise Product
Some washdown-rated products achieve their environmental protection at the cost of performance. These do not. The mechanical capability is competitive with standard (non-hygienic) electric cylinders.
EPRF Stainless Steel Electric Cylinder
- Five sizes: 36, 45, 55, 75, 86 mm diameter
- Feed forces up to 12,500 N
- Stroke lengths from 25 mm to 1,000 mm
- Max speed: 1,000 mm/s
- Repeatability: ±0.02 mm
EMMH-AS Stainless Steel Servo Motor
- Four sizes (68, 88, 108, 138 mm), two lengths each
- Continuous stall torque: 0.75 Nm to 18.1 Nm
- Peak torque up to 59 Nm
- Battery-free multi-turn absolute encoder (EnDat2.2)
- Single-cable solution (OCP) with pressure equalization
A Complete Servo Solution from One Source
Festo built the entire drive stack to match—and sourcing everything from one place removes significant engineering overhead. The CMMT-AS-MP servo drive supports all major fieldbus protocols (Profinet, EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, Modbus) in a single hardware platform, streamlining integration into your PLC network.
Industry Applications
Beyond food and beverage—including filling lines, meat processing, and kitchen automation—these products are ideal for pharmaceutical manufacturing, battery production, pulp/paper, and harsh outdoor infrastructure like car wash equipment.
Need Sizing Help for Your Hygienic Zone?
EandM’s Festo specialists provide local technical support for application reviews, sizing, and commissioning across California, Oregon, and Washington.
Contact EandM Engineering Support