Smart, flexible gripping systems: interesting for automation and robotization

At this year's TechniShow, which will take place from March 12 to 15 at the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht, SCHUNK will present a number of products and services that have never before been shown at a trade fair in the Netherlands. Jasper Merkus, technical product specialist at the specialist in clamping and gripping systems, gives a sneak preview.

"Last December, SCHUNK launched an e-shop," he begins. "Existing and new customers can register here very easily through the website. Once logged in, they can not only easily place orders online, but also find all the background information they want on our products, from specifications to manuals. In addition, they can add step files. In short, we are providing additional convenience for our regular and potential customers. And those who register during the TechniShow can count on an extra surprise."

Hydraulic expansion tool holder

In addition to this virtual first, the company is also unpacking a tangible novelty: the TENDO Silver hydraulic expansion tool holder. "It is a budget-friendly entry into the world of hydraulic expansion technology. It is a reliable and accurate chuck that is compatible with the most common spindle fixtures in machine tools. It allows users to change their tools quickly and reliably with a few simple steps. It saves a lot of time through shorter setup times and no investment costs for additional clamping devices."

Showpiece

Not new, but a showpiece from SCHUNK and also on display at the TechniShow is the VERO-S zero-point clamping system. It is a powerful, pneumatic quick-change system for machine tools where positioning and clamping can be done in one step. "The automatic positioning ensures that the correct position is always selected. This leaves no room for manual errors in setting. In addition, the system is modular which allows it to be well tailored to the user's specific needs, applications and machines." Merkus mentions a number of additional options. "Think about automatically blowing the module clean between changes, feeding a medium such as cooling or compressed air, checking if the pallet is on it, monitoring the position during the process, and so on. Perhaps the most notable enhancement is an optional spring-driven cone seal that automatically closes the module's change interface as soon as the clamps up."

Smart, flexible gripping systems

Last year, SCHUNK also introduced two new smart, flexible gripping systems to the market that had not previously been shown at a trade fair in the Netherlands: the EGK and EGU. "These are models that are interesting for automation and robotization where there is increasingly high mix, low volume. They can be used flexibly for the loading and unloading of machine tools and are available in the most common interfaces of all renowned robot manufacturers. As a result, they are plug-and-play grippers that put ease of use first." 

Delicate workpieces

Merkus elaborates on the distinction between the two variants. "The EGK is suitable for precision work due to its SoftGrip mode. Think of operations in clean room environments, laboratories or handling electronics and other delicate workpieces. The gripper has integrated gripping force retention. This prevents workpieces from falling, even during an emergency stop."

Larger automation projects

The EGU gripper is primarily used in larger automation projects and for higher weight workpieces. "Our EGU grippers are smart universal grippers with a gripping force amplifier. Two gripping modes are available in this regard: the BasicGrip and the StrongGrip. With BasicGrip, continuous operation of the motor and thus permanent re-gripping of the workpiece is possible. The gripping speed is thereby automatically optimized to match the gripping force. With StrongGrip, the maximum gripping force is generated and then stored by the gripping force retention. For workpieces with different weights, the gripping force can be increased up to 150% without having to use another gripper. This makes this Strongrip for increased gripping force a reliable all-rounder for a variety of handling tasks." Merkus expects a growing demand for flexible grippers. "They will play an important role in automation and robotization in the future. Due to a shortage of technicians, flexible, easily programmable grippers will become indispensable."