Schunk will now be assembling grippers in the United States. The company has completed a 40,000 square foot expansion in Morrisville, N.C. earlier this year, resulting in an additional 19,000 square feet of manufacturing space allowing increased capacity and additional product line assembly. Another 22,000 square feet of additional office and training space completed the expansion. The […]
Grippers
Best practices for handling bags with suction cups
A bag of sweets dropped on the floor in the plant’s packaging area. Or a bag of frozen peas deformed from its original square shape into a messy plastic package with an ugly cone-shaped suction mark. These are the kind of problems faced by manufacturers wishing to use a vacuum-based automated system to handle bags, […]
Vacuum-based soft gripper for handling sensitive, delicate objects
Piab has introduced a new soft gripping tool piSOFTGRIP, developed especially with food industry automation in mind. The vacuum-based soft gripper will grip sensitive and lightweight objects of odd geometries and/or an unusual surface. Bin-picking of small irregularly shaped objects, such as toys, is another potential application. piSOFTGRIP has three gripping fingers and a vacuum […]
Rethinking manual handling in the digital factory
Digitalization is on the rise in factories, and manual handling is no exception. Increasingly customized products go hand-in-hand with increasingly complex processes, and the way workers deal with goods needs to adapt. Intelligent handling devices play an important role in making this growing complexity manageable, according to the engineers at J. Schmalz GmbH, Glatten, Germany. […]
Bimba launches pneumatic gripper system for high force applications
Bimba has announced the expansion of its angular and parallel gripper portfolio by launching the new Bimba Pneumatic Gripper System (BPGS). The BPGS offers a cam activated, high gripping force solution for handling large and heavy objects in the most demanding environments. Key features of the BPGS include: Gripping forces up to 450 lb at […]
Grippers handle spools with ease
Spools (or reels or coils) of wire, cables, and cords constitute a special category of loads that need to be lifted and handled. The spools are often heavy, plus the cylindrical shape and the need to rotate when in use creates unique requirements. Forklifts are often used for handing, especially for larger spools. Problems involve not […]
End-of-arm tooling for press tending
With many years of experience in metal handling across a variety of industries, including deep experience within the automotive industry, Piab understands many complex design challenges. Heavy-duty materials long reaches and multi-tasking are no match for purpose-built End-of Arm Tooling. Robots have grown in popularity for metal handling applications because of their ability to manipulate, […]
Vacuum gripper uses foam pad or suction cups
Piab’s Kenos KVG series of vacuum grippers has been extended to include the option of using suction cups, instead of the technical foam pads offered as standard. The popular vacuum grippers can now be configured with suction cups from Piab’s flexible and durable suction cup series Duraflex BX as well as the generic Value Line […]
Piab’s unveils end-of-arm tooling line
Piab is introducing a new line of robotic End-Of-Arm Tooling (EOAT) products, enabling customers to build automated systems that perfectly fit their specific applications. Piab’s complete set of off-the-shelf standard components can be used to solve the real automation challenges facing manufacturers. Made up of several different families of components, the new EOAT line offers […]
End-of-arm sprue grippers from FIPA are ideal for handling plastic materials
FIPA Inc. has upgraded its product line of sprue grippers for handling plastic material. The updated Series 90, 100, and 130 grippers now bear the red FIPA dot, which makes the gripper components immediately identifiable in installations. The grippers in each of the series offer unique features and benefits. For example, the Series 90 grippers […]
