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Gripper: mechatronic, servo-controlled, IO-Link

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The mechatronic grab and components of Gimatic are always conquering new applications. And so there are no limits to the creativity of the user, regardless of whether it is about the new coupling gripper, IO-Link gripper or mixing individual medicines for cancer patients. Here you will find the innovations and applications of the mechatronics specialist.

Gimatic gripper

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Pneumatic coupling gripper with flange for inserting pins

04.04.2021 | Gimatic has launched a coupling gripper series with a flange. With her you can Robot or linear handling systems Tools or dock and position storage positions exactly. Now the series has been expanded to include a variant for higher accuracies. An increased request for a larger series made the new development necessary. The AGG 30-BF is more stable than its smaller sister AGG 20-BF and offers 0,025 mm shape and position tolerances.

The coupling grippers from Gimatic are suitable for applications in which, for example closely tolerated metal inserts before injecting Plastic must be precisely positioned in the form. The coupling grippers of the AGG series have already proven themselves very well and many times in use.

In order to reduce the effort for presetting and adjustment to the Insertion of pins To reduce it into various small parts, Gimatic has developed the coupling gripper of the AGG..-BF series. The grab has a screw-on flange that is very precisely tolerated in terms of shape and position relative to the socket embedded in the tool. This means that nothing stands in the way of precise and simple inlay work. The assembly of the AGG is always the same in a reproducible manner. The gripper can build precisely from this zero position. This is an advantage, for example, when inserting pins for nozzles, Plug or other small parts.

The pneumatically operated coupling gripper AGG30-BF can now withstand axial forces of up to 5000 N at 6 bar record, tape. The large version offers more stability. With it, tolerances in positioning of 0,025 mm are maintained.

Magnetic angle sensors with CAN SAE J1939 interface

There are altogether three versions on coupling grippers: AGG21-B and AGG30-B are a double-acting variant with a safety spring, through which the gripper remains coupled even in the event of air failure (NC or spring-closed) The single-acting coupling gripper AGG19-B is equipped with a return spring (NO or spring opening).

The coupling grippers are used in the Plastic Injection Molding Industry, Robotic and for handling tasks. The system, which is easy to assemble, is very well suited as a zero-point clamping system in assembly and for handling workpiece carriers. Compared to classic zero-point clamping systems, these grippers are very inexpensive.

Medical technology grippers: Concentrated know-how for the megatrend

23.10.2020/XNUMX/XNUMX | It's a mega trend that the Medical Technology will also grow strongly in the coming years due to the growing world population. In order to be able to meet the demand, it must be massively automated. Gimatic offers for this mechatronic grippers and within the Barnes Group a lot of know-how. 

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Servo-controlled gripper without a motor, among other innovations

October 08.10.2019, XNUMX | Gimatic has the first year affiliation with the American Barnes Group left behind and tackled the next new building in Germany. We have John Lörcher, Managing Director, Gimatic Vertrieb GmbH, Hechingen, met at the Motek in Stuttgart and asked him the following questions:

  • How is Gimatic doing after that first year of membership to the American Barnes Group?
  • You always grow out of yourself quickly: What are you doing New building in Hechingen?
  • What new products present at this year's autumn fairs? 



Finger gripper sprue pliers removes injection molded parts

07.10.2019 | Gimatic presents two new ones Angus pliers For grippers for removing parts from plastic injection molding machines: The gripper specialist has integrated a patented handling system into the DD and PB series, which eliminates the previous disadvantages when gripping.

Usually when gripping Plastic injection molded parts a sprue gripped. Gripping takes place preferably via a sensor query. The state of the art is that a switch flag is located on one jaw of the gripper and actuates a sensor. The main disadvantage here is that the sensor is placed far in front because the switching accuracy is higher there. However, it often forms an interfering contour here. Gimatic has now developed a completely new query system. The sensor was positioned at the back of the body, where the gripping fingers are attached and the interfering contours are eliminated.

The patented mechanism sits in the body of the tongs. It allows the mounting of different jaws on one and the same body. It does not matter how big the sprue is and where the jaws are gripped. The switching accuracy is constant. In addition, the jaws are no longer secured as before by a cone or steel pin. An internally positively secured pin prevents falling out of the pins and thus the jaws.

 These vacuum grippers handle everything

The self-centering pneumatic sprueAngle Tongs DD have two jaws and a simple drive with spring opening. They are equipped with steel fingers, have been provided with robust end stops and offer a high clamping force. The non-self-centering sprue angle grippers PB are equipped with aluminum or steel fingers. They are smaller than the DD pliers and are suitable for smaller sprues that require less clamping force.

With all sprue guns, all materials and lubricants are FDA H1 compliant. They are therefore suitable for use in the Medicine- and pharmaceutical technology. The new technology is also very suitable in its own version for vacuum applications.

Voltage-packed capacitor box for robot grippers 


01.07.2018 | Usually due to the robotic arms only a low voltage of approx. 0,6 to 1 A, so that powerful components cannot be connected directly there. The Gimatic robot gripper require high voltage for only a few milliseconds thanks to their gripping force safety device. In order to make this available, the so-called "capacitor box" was developed, which makes the increased voltage available when it is needed.

This allows the grippers to be operated without any problems. Due to the direct connection, the gripper can be connected to the arm rotate endlessly. This would not have been possible with external cables. The box has an NPN/PNP output, with which input and output signals can be wired individually. In another version, the control signals can be triggered via WiFi.

Mechatronic grippers with IO-Link for Industry 4.0

26.06.2018/4.0/XNUMX | The increasing Industry XNUMX Automation doesn't stop at Gimatic either. And so the mechatronics specialist started to equip its grippers with the IO-Link communication standard. Why this still often happens out of the blue has something to do with a certain user insecurity to do.

"We are now equipping our products with IO-Link to provide our customers with the increasingly popular communication standard in the grippers," says Dr. Closely. Andrea Menegolo, R&D Mechatronic, Gimatic Srl IO-Link is a technology that is almost ten years old, but at Gimatic there has only been demand for it for a short time and it is only now slowly coming onto the market in the gripper sector.

"Many of our customers would now like to have IO-Link without there being a specific need in any case," says Dr. Menegolo drew attention to the current uncertainty on the market. IO link means Access to process data, so you want to make the best possible use of them. “But often there is no acute application or related specification. If we ask our customers what data they would like to get from their device, they often want everything that is possible,” reports the developer. And because IO-Link is not an 'information model', manufacturers try to provide as much data as possible based on assumptions and inquiries.  

Plug and play and servo gripper

IO-Link is an alternative to the simple plug-and-play and the more intelligent servo grippers that Gimatic offers. Of course, they still have their right to exist. The plug-and-play standard grippers can be easily controlled with just one digital signal generated by a PLC or control unit via an integrated embedded drive. For some applications, however, customers want a full steering of the gripper instead of the simple open or close command: you want to control the speed, the positioning of the jaws, the gripping force and sometimes a combination of these.

“To support our customers in all these applications, we have developed a new series of servo grippers. Their main feature is direct access to the built-in Servomotor with Encodersignals, so the customer is free in the Coding and can also am free controller Industrial robots use, describes Dr. Menegolo the new development and continues: "For example, if you have a 6-axis robot that has an additional servo controller free in the controller, you get one, so to speak 7th axis. One benefits from this, for example, in traversing movements: even before the robot has reached its position with the gripped workpiece, it begins to move the robot gripper fingers because it 'knows' that it will be there in a moment. And that saves time."

gripper | pneumatic + electric from various manufacturers

MPLF is the new family name of the upcoming product line of servo grippers based on brushless FLATEngines based. These are about one Transmission connected directly to the jaws and can thus move them in a self-centering manner. Three sizes MPLF1630, MPLF2550 and MPLF3260 as well as a special KIT for GMP applications are currently under development. First prototypes will be available in October 2018.

Gripper with IO-Link 

If we equip the plug-and-play grippers with IO-Link, we can Use process data. With the IO-Link function, the devices are also easier to install and configure. With it, the device can be monitored and diagnostic functions can be queried. In addition, replacing the gripper is easier, the new gripper is automatically regarded as the old gripper and configured as such.

In the near future we will use these IO-Link grippers with additional Positioning features equipment, resulting in an even more flexible device with all the advantages of a plug-and-play solution. Other products that can be improved in a similar way are, for example, sensors and sensor boxes, which are typically found in the EOAT (End of the Arm Tool) solutions should be used.

“Even if there is still a certain amount of uncertainty in the market, it makes sense to use IO-Link grippers in all applications where the communication protocol already exists and our grippers can be easily integrated.

The function is also suitable for applications in which more than a gripper is used. This simplifies installation, configuration and maintenance. If a high level of flexibility is required when reconfiguring the production process, or if the quality and reliability of the production process are to be improved, it is also advisable to equip the gripper with IO-Link,” the developer describes useful use cases.

Gateway box helps with implementation

To the IO-LinkCommunication possible for its products, Gimatic has the iolbox developed. The special IO-Link device behaves like a Gateway. It translates a proprietary protocol working on the gripper side into the IO-Link communication protocol. Several grippers can be connected to one and the same Iolbox in a bus-like architecture.

At the IolboxGateway The unit is a true IO-Link device that communicates with one or more special digital versions of standard grippers. Users who are already familiar with Gimatic's plug-and-play grippers can use the Use the IO-Link version without any problems. The grippers are identical on the outside and mechanically, they only have the additional output signals.

Users using our gripper for the first time only have one IO-Link unit and therefore only one IODD file. These are independent of the number and type of grippers installed: The Iolbox automatically recognizes all connected grippers during the start-up process and, if necessary, reconfigures a replaced device - with the last functional parameters of the old device. All electric grippers are designed for maintenance-free operation 10 million cycles guaranteed, but using the IO-Link protocol, the maintenance worker is alerted when the time for maintenance has come.

Specialist lecture on the new gripper family – video

Dr. Closely. Andrea Menegolo, R&D Mechatronic, Gimatic Srl, Roncadelle (BS) Italy, presents the new Servo gripper-Family and reports why Gimatic is now equipping its grippers with IO-Link and why this often happens out of the blue. The presentation was given on June 7, 2018 at the trade press conference in Roncadelle, Italy (in English).



Gripper applications from injection molding technology to medical technology

Gripper lid locking system plug-and-play to South Africa

25.09.2017 | Bowler Plastics automated two Arburg injection molding machines, ending the monotonous manual closing of plastic caps for food or cosmetic bottles. Thanks to the gripper systems and the Lid closing machines from Gimatic, this monotonous, labour-intensive activity is now a thing of the past.

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Geiger Handling relies on parallel grippers from Gimatic

30.08.2016/XNUMX/XNUMX | Ordered ten years ago Geiger handling With the parallel gripper MHZ2-16 D, this is the first time a product from the company Gimatic. Over the years, a collaboration has developed that one can consider in good conscience win-win partnership can denote.

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Gentle grippers load the Innolas wafer sorting system

04.07.2016 | mechatronic grab from Gimatic are much easier to use than pneumatic ones, are maintenance-free and suitable for clean rooms. All advantages, why they are among the developers of the Wafer Marking and sorting systems from Innolas Arouse enthusiasm. Read why Gimatic's swivel unit and gripper have become popular with the laser specialist.

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Gripper for organic sheets and sensitive surfaces

19.12.2013/2013/XNUMX | At the K XNUMX, a Vacuum gripper for organo sheets along with many other gripper innovations. customers like Prautec, Gerhardi and Hahn Automation also gave insights into the collaboration with the mechatronics engineer, who impressed them not only with half the delivery times. 

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Mechatronic gripper handles plastic parts for medicines

04.10.2013 | Truly large machines are needed to mass-produce comparably small pharmaceutical plastic parts. In the development and manufacture of a Removal and palletizing device for the manufacture of injection molded parts, the ordering manufacturing pharmaceutical company Waldorf Gimatic parallel gripper used.

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Archive for Gripper News

Needle grippers for handling textiles in plastic injection molding

21.08.2017/XNUMX/XNUMX | For the hard-to-reach materials in the automated handling of porous or flexible parts special grippers must be used. For such applications, Gimatic is presenting the PT28 needle gripper at this year's Motek and Fakuma autumn trade fairs, thereby supplementing the range in the Plastics product group.

The needle grippers are particularly suitable for gripping Woven fabrics, fabrics or nets in the plastic injection molding and packaging industry. These can be inserts made of fabric, for example, which can also be heated. Organic sheet materials and fabric inserts for airbags or pads in the packaging industry are predestined applications.

The needles pierce the materials to grip the workpieces. The needles are pneumatically extended in opposite directions, which generates the clamping force. Of the needle lift can be easily adjusted from 1 to 7 mm using a screwdriver. This means that thin and thicker materials as well as tiles can be gripped securely.

Even if the PT28 is designed in particular for use in the plastic injection molding industry was developed, it is also suitable for use in the packaging industry and other sectors. It is particularly light at 128 g. Thanks to the Teflon cover on the support side, the needle gripper can withstand temperatures of up to 60 °C. This cover contains small holes through which an air connection can be attached to the side of the gripper. The gripped components can then be blown out in a targeted manner.

Mechatronic grippers for industry


02.04.2014/XNUMX/XNUMX | Originally for the Clean room technology or medical technology applications, the mechatronic grippers from Gimatic are conquering more and more fields of application such as handling, assembly, machine tool construction or general automation. The gripper specialist is now presenting the complete mechatronic modular system, the numerous variants of which can be delivered 'plug and play' in two to a maximum of four weeks.

As more and more users are becoming aware of the compact and lightweight grippers, those designers in particular are using the mechatronic parts welcome if you want or have to do without compressed air. Often it is no longer worthwhile to install the complex pneumatics because of one or two grippers. All variants are available with gripping forces from 60 to 250 N, including angular grippers, radial grippers, long-stroke grippers and three-jaw grippers. Swivel modules are available with a torque of up to 1,4 Nm.

Robot gripper, EOAT, gripper kits for Cobot and IR

Special benefits and various patents offer competitive advantages: All grippers do not require any programming. With a weight from 160 g, they are particularly light, very compact and often only half the weight of other grippers on the market. They are also environmentally friendly and work energy-efficiently. The innovative gripping force safety device ensures that the components are only energized when they are moving and reliably hold their transported goods when they are not energized. An integrated motor controller card, the direct signal processing of the valve control and maintenance-free up to ten million cycles are further advantages of the entire series. In three months at the latest, the last gripper will also be clean room certified by the IPA Stuttgart – in addition to the many that are already approved today.

It is controlled with 24 Vdc, through just one line via a PLC signal, so that direct signal processing of the valve control is possible. Current is required between 0,8 and 3 A. brushless DC motors give the grippers a long service life. Optional magnetic sensors can be used to query the position. All technical data sheets are of course also available.

Widest mechatronic gripper program – video statement

08.10.2013 | John Lörcher, Managing Director, Gimatic Vertrieb GmbH, Bodelshausen, provides the novelties on the Motek 2013 in Stuttgart before:

Pneumatic internal gripper with passage for leak testing

05.12.2012 | The pneumatic internal grippers of the MFD / MFU series from Gimatic now have a through hole for leak testing or for cooling the parts. From gripper size 27, magnetic sensors can be attached as an option. Depending on the application requirements, two different expansion parts can be mounted to accommodate the part.

The new patented concept of the two grippers is suitable for picking up or setting down parts in typical pick and place applications. With 10 types for gripping diameters from 8 to 85 mm, the program offers a wide range that is perfectly coordinated. The grippers can also be provided with a centering cone for a precise positioning. Two different stretch parts are used to hold the part securely.

The red silicone part has a higher temperature range and with 1 million cycles also longer lifespan. It is suitable, for example, for use in the food industry. However, the black EPDM expansion part is advantageous for certain applications. The material has a higher coefficient of friction and therefore a higher gripping force. At the same time, it leaves no residue, so that parts that are to be painted or coated, for example, can be moved with it. Its service life is 500.000 cycles. Both expansion parts are available as spare parts and can be easily exchanged.

New in all gripper types is the Through hole for compressed air supply or to build up a vacuum. This can be used to test for leaks or to cool the part. Another new feature is the optional attachment of magnetic sensors from size 27. This is made possible by the magnet integrated in the piston and the attachment strip that can be mounted on the outside of the gripper. Up to two sensors can be attached to each gripper. Four different sensor sizes are available in the program, depending on the size of the gripper.

Electric gripper with patented clamping mechanism for small parts

08.09.2011 | The electric gripper MPPM by Gimatic was designed for handling small parts. A newly developed, patented clamping mechanism enables powerful electrical gripping in the smallest of spaces. The MPPM electric gripper, which is easy to integrate, is used wherever pneumatic solutions reach their performance limits. Compared to pneumatic solutions, the new gripper range is much simpler and easier to install.

With an output voltage of 24 V, it can be connected to a standard M8 connector in the Plug and play procedure install easily. No external control is required. The already integrated motor controller does not have to be programmed or parameterized. Control is via an external PLC. Control signals from pneumatic valves can also be accepted.

The range consists of four sizes with a Gripping force from 40 to 900 N. The smallest size weighs only 54,2 g with dimensions of 43 x 25 x 170 mm. It offers a gripping force of 40 N and a high frequency of 2 Hz, which enables a high number of cycles in handling. If the gripper is open or closed, no current flows, so there are no energized downtimes, which can quickly lead to thermal problems in the small installation spaces.

The jaws of the MPPM gripper are in proven T-slots guided, they offer high moment capacity and allow the use of large finger lengths. As with all Gimatic grippers, the parallelism of the fingers is controlled via a patented self-centering feature. This makes the functioning of Gimatic grippers simple, robust and completely maintenance-free.