Flexible, Cost-Effective Vacuum Gripper Solution for Repacking Application

Challenged to efficiently remove filled cardboard boxes weighing up to 44 lb and ranging from ~9.5” to 14” in length and ~8.5” to 9.5” in width from crates, place them on a roller conveyor, and, in reverse order, to place cardboard packages in crates, FIPA developed an extremely flexible, cost- and energy-efficient, and process-reliable vacuum gripping system capable of handling both individual cardboard boxes and whole layers of boxes without changing grippers or wasting vacuum flow and related energy costs, regardless of the position of the packages.

Employing a customized TC Series vacuum gripper mounted to a Z-axis to generate the vertical lift movement required to place the cardboard packages in a crate and vice versa, FIPA’s economical and process-reliable custom handling solution can accurately pick packages from both crates and the roller conveyor despite the absence of an accurately defined position. Featuring custom integrated valves capable of turning off suction openings that don't come into direct contact with a package, FIPA’s custom solution also conserves energy and mitigates operating costs. Designed to beat current system requirements to save on future operating expenses, FIPA’s custom solution can handle loads weighing up to 66 lb with surface areas up to ~9.5” by ~13”.