The present invention provides systems, methods, and apparatus for a vacuum tool having a switchable plate, such that a common vacuum tool may be adapted with different plates. A switchable plate may form the entirety of the vacuum tool's material contacting surface or a switchable plate may form a portion of the material contacting surface. The vacuum tool is effective for picking and placing one or more manufacturing parts utilizing a vacuum force.

A transporter includes a traveling body, a supporting body including first and second members with relative positions that can be mutually changed, a first suction pad on the first member, a second suction pad on the second member, a first presser on the first member, a second presser on the second member, the first and second suction pads being between the first and second pressers, and a controller to control the relative positions of the first and second members so that the first and second suction pads are positioned inside a contour of a product to be picked up and the first and second pressers are positioned above a workpiece outside the product.

The invention relates to a method for conveying components and to an automated vacuum gripper (1) for components (3), in particular sheet metal parts, comprising a plurality of suction elements (4), which are arranged at a preferably movable support part (5), a first vacuum generator (8) for forming a first vacuum circuit (9), a second vacuum generator (10) for forming a second vacuum circuit (11), at least one switching element connected to a system controller (14) for automated switching of the first vacuum circuit (9) to the second vacuum circuit (11), at least one compressed air supply (15) connected to at least the first and the second vacuum generators (8), at least one sensor device (16, 17), wherein the first vacuum generator (8) is associated with a first predeterminable group (12) of suction elements (4), and the second vacuum generator (10) is connected to a vacuum tank (18) for forming a second vacuum circuit (11), which may be activated in case of emergency and is redundant to the first vacuum circuit (9), and wherein at least one first sensor device is (16) is formed for monitoring the vacuum at least at the first vacuum circuit (9), and at least one second sensor device (17) has an optical sensor for detecting a relative movement of the component (3) during a conveying operation.

The invention relates to an automated vacuum gripper, a feed unit and a method for conveying flat components (3). The vacuum gripper (1) comprises a support part (5), at least one support part element (7), a plurality of first suction elements (4′), which are arranged at the at least one support part element (7) and define a first suction plane; at least one bearing assembly (28) and at least one actuating assembly (29), wherein the at least one support part element (7) is pivotably mounted at the support part (5) by means of the at least one actuating assembly (29) about the at least one bearing assembly (28). The plurality of second elements (4) is arranged at the support part (5) and defines a second suction plane (19). The at least one support part element (7) with its first suction plane defined by the plurality of first suction elements (4′) is pivotable from a standby position that is at an angle relative to the second suction plane into a working position that is congruous with the second suction plane, and vice versa.

A hollow rod developable actuator tool including a first link comprising an outer cylinder, a deployment ring including second link comprising a first portion pivotably connected to the first link at a first joint mounted in a first cavity in the wall of the outer cylinder and a third link comprising a second tool portion pivotably connected to the first portion at a second link, and a fourth link comprising an inner cylinder to which the second portion of the deployment ring is also pivotably connected at a third link mounted in a second cavity in the wall of the inner cylinder. When the inner cylinder of the fourth link is rotated in relation to the outer cylinder of the first link the actuator tool transitions from a first state where the deployment ring is stowed within the tool to a second state where the deployment ring is deployed externally.

An end effector for the packaging industry comprises has a frame, a bridge on top of the frame, a rack and pinion assembly, actuation rods, carrier assemblies, and vacuum ports. The rack and pinion assembly is configured to be operatively connected to a robot's rotatable shaft, and to the actuation rods. The actuation rods are fixedly connected to one or more of the carrier assemblies. As the robot's shaft rotates, the rack and pinion assembly is actuated, which actuates the actuation rods, which causes the carrier assemblies fixedly connected to the actuation rods to move longitudinally along the frame. Each carrier assembly includes a carrier block and at least one pick-up member. Each carrier block has at least one arm with a grabber to cooperate with an adjacent arm with grabbers of an adjacent carrier block(s) of the same subgroup.

A support device supports a component gripping device including an engagement part to be engaged with a predetermined component. The component gripping device grips the component in a state in which the engagement part is caused to be engaged with the component. The support device contains a support body part, a first shift mechanism part, a second shift mechanism part, a third shift mechanism part, a first rotation mechanism part, a second rotation mechanism part, and a third rotation mechanism part.

A gripper head is for a robotic gripping system. The gripper head body has an attachment section and a tool section defining an attachment region for a tool. The attachment section is configured to attach the gripper head body to a mount of a robot. The gripper head body has a first port at the attachment section and a second port at the tool section. The gripper head body defines an internal channel mutually connecting the first port and the second port. The internal channel is configured to pass air between the first port at the attachment section and the second port at the tool section.

This invention relates to a suction cup, a negative pressure transfer means a handling assembly comprising the suction cup and the negative pressure transfer means, a tray for securing the handling assemblies and a container grasping system comprising the tray and handling assemblies.

The suction cup comprises channels that are secured by suction onto a perimeter of an aperture of a hole of the container and a protrusion positioned internally in relation to the channels that closes a hole of the container. The suction cup enables the container to be grasped and handled while closing its hole. The use of numerous suction cups in parallel enables numerous containers to be handled in parallel.

A food product handling device includes a movable loading head having a plurality of coupling rails, a vacuum system operatively associated with the loading head, a plurality of suction devices carried by the loading head and configured to pick up and transport a food product, a plurality of mounting blocks slidably coupled to each other by the coupling rails, and an actuating device operatively associated with the mounting blocks for sliding each of the mounting blocks between a first position and a second position. Each of the suction devices is selectively coupled to the vacuum system. At least one of the suction devices coupled to each of the mounting blocks. The actuating device includes an actuating cylinder configured to displace the mounting blocks between the first position and a second position.