Festo begins bonded manifold production following Carville takeover

Festo has begun production of multilayer plastic manifolds in 2025, following its takeover of Carville’s bonded manifold technologies. With HADB tech and valve integration, we now offer complete microfluidic solutions from a single source.

Festo has taken over Carville’s process technologies and production facilities for the manufacture of multilayer plastic manifolds, following Carville’s closure at the end of June 2024. Production has now begun this year under Festo, ensuring continuity for customers and opening new opportunities in the life sciences sector.

This addition expands Festo’s portfolio, which already includes integrated components and automation solutions for laboratory automation and medical technology. Multilayer manifolds are a key element in fluidic systems, providing compact, reliable connections for distributing liquids and gases. Compared to conventional tubed or machined systems, bonded manifolds offer higher integration density and greater process reliability — both critical in high-precision laboratory and medical applications.

At the core of this capability is HADB (High Accuracy Diffusion Bonding), a process that produces precise manifolds from acrylic and Ultem. Its high geometric accuracy makes it ideal for microfluidic applications, giving device manufacturers the chance to design more compact, intelligent systems with improved performance.

Festo is also combining bonded manifold technology with its established range of media-separated valves, including the VYKA, VYKB and VYKC series. Together, these technologies give customers access to complete microfluidic solutions from a single supplier.

“By taking over Carville’s bonded manifold technologies, we are ensuring continuity for customers while expanding our capabilities in Life Science,” said Russell Lotinga, Business Development Manager – Life Science at Festo. “Alongside our automation expertise, this puts us in a strong position to help manufacturers design precise, reliable and efficient solutions for their applications.”

Festo’s Life Science experts will be available on Stand M112 at Lab Innovations to share more about these developments and explore the possibilities for customer-specific applications.