For lifting,grabbing or positioning ferromagnetic products such as sheet steel in the automotive and steel processing industries, among others, we recently developed an electrically switchable magnetic gripper. This system does not require compressed air and complements the current generation of pneumatically-controlled magnetic grippers. Introduction will take place at Blechexpo in Stuttgart, Hall 3, stand 3302. The end-of-arm tool can be attached to robots and manipulators and holds a steel sheet or other product once gripped firmly in place, even during pick and place operations. The energy-efficient magnet system has a bi-stable design, ensuring process safety even in the event of a power failure, emergency stop or malfunction.
With its mechatronical design, the safe E-gripper requires low energy consumption and eliminates the need for costly compressed air; something that is required with current generation magnetic grippers. The gripper contains no moving parts; this makes it wear-resistant. Even ten million cycles are no problem. Installation on, for example, a robot arm or manipulator is easy thanks to the plug-and-play design and installation manual. This animation shows you how it works.
In the automotive and steel processing industries, a lot is invested in automation. Thereby, setting up an automatic production cell or assembly line is a huge technical challenge. Accidents regularly occur that damage products, machinery or operators. This results in expensive repairs, claims or costly downtime. The recently developed E-gripper prevents such problems. It also offers further advantages:
Failsafe, reliable and energy-efficient
As mentioned, the E-Gripper is bi-stable with permanent magnets. This means that a gripped product remains in place even in the event of a power failure, emergency stop or malfunction. The magnet gripper holds the workpiece firmly even at high acceleration forces. The mechatronic E-Gripper has no moving parts, so process reliability is high. Thanks to its low connection voltage (24V DC) and minimal power consumption (<0.5Watt in standby / 100Watt during a switching pulse of 350ms), the E-Gripper is energy-efficient.
Intelligent end-of-arm tool
The magnetic gripper is equipped with a complete set of sensors, including inductive sensors for detecting product presence, as well as Hall sensors for signaling the on/off position. They provide feedback to the PLC. If the workpiece is lost due to a collision or for any other reason, the PLC receives a real-time notification , so the line controller can react accordingly and the production process does not experience any serious disruption. Moreover, the E-Gripper is equipped with all-round visible LED lighting that indicates the status of the system with colours and light signals. This is particularly convenient for operators.
High productivity and long lifetime
The E-Gripper has a fast switching time of 350 msec, resulting in fast cycle times. It holds products such as steel sheet firmly on a relatively small surface area and requires no changeover when changing product dimensions. The magnetic robotic gripper is a mechatronic product with no moving parts, resulting in no wear and tear. The only wear part is the friction ring, which is easily interchangeable, extending its service life.
Simple commissioning
The magnetic gripper has screw holes on the top and is easy to attach to a robotic arm as an end effector. Control is provided by internal electronics with integrated microprocessor and can be connected with only one cable for "Power & Logic". The manual contains clear assembly instructions, making commissioning quick and easy. Of course, we will gladly support you during commissioning, if you wish.
In short, the new magnetic E-Gripper is an excellent choice for engineers looking for a safe, durable and intelligent solution for gripping steel products of various shapes and sizes.
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