A vacuum lifter apparatus for lifting sheet material articles, comprises an upper chassis joined to a substantially planar lower suction plate and an airflow suction system for conveying vacuum air pressure to the suction plate. The suction plate comprises a lower side and an upper side, the upper side of the suction plate being affixed to the chassis, and the suction plate lower side providing a downwardly oriented and substantially planar suction lifting surface for making contact with the upper surface of said articles, said suction lifting surface comprising a plurality of laterally adjacent portions, each of said portions comprising a plurality of orifices through which, in use, air is drawn along airflow paths by the airflow suction system to provide a suction lifting pressure. The airflow suction system comprises at least one air outlet for connection to a source of vacuum air pressure, and between said outlet and the suction plate at least one airflow manifold, said manifold comprising a plurality of branched ends, said ends being configured to convey said vacuum air pressure from said outlet to corresponding portions of the suction plate.

A vacuum plate lifting system for lifting sheet material articles, comprises a vacuum lifter apparatus for lifting sheet material articles, a lifter actuation system configured to lift and/or move the vacuum lifter apparatus during use and a control system, the control system being configured to control the lifter actuation system during said movement. The vacuum lifter apparatus comprises: a substantially horizontal suction plate; an airflow suction system for conveying vacuum air pressure to said perforated suction lifting surface; at least one mount for connection of the suction plate to at least one actuator of the lifter actuation system for lifting and/or moving the suction plate during use. At least one elongate bar is movably mounted along an edge of the suction plate. A bar actuation system is configured to drive movement of said bar between a raised orientation and a lowered orientation.

A register (20; 60) for a processing machine (1) for processing plate-like elements (10) includes a gripping element (21; 22) for placing the plate-like elements (10) in a gripper bar (31) of a conveyor (30) of a processing machine (1) conveying the plate-like elements (10) in a longitudinal direction, an actuator module (201, 202) to drive the gripping element (21; 22), at least one front correction sensor module (7) configured to measure the front position of register marks (12a) printed on a front section of the plate-like element (10) grasped by the gripping element (21; 22). The register (20; 60) includes at least one front pre-correction sensor module (80), placed upstream of the front correction sensor module (7) in the longitudinal direction, the front pre-correction sensor module (80) is configured: to detect the passage of a front transversel edge of the plate-like element (10) in at least two longitudinally spaced lateral axis of detection (P1, P2), one located in front of the other, and to provide measurements to a computation and control unit (40) of the processing machine (1) that is configured: to control the actuator module (201, 202) in order to move the gripping element (21; 22) toward the gripper bar (31) and to activate the gripping element (21; 22) in order to grasp a plate-like element (10). Also a processing machine for processing plate-like elements includes the register. A method for placing plate-like elements within a processing machine is disclosed.

A gripper arrangement for lifting a flexible semi-finished product from a support, wherein the gripper arrangement comprises a flexible semi-finished product resting on a support and at least one pair of grippers with a suction gripper or needle gripper and with at least one clamping gripper, wherein the suction or needle gripper is pivotable around an axis between a pick-up position for picking up an edge of the flexible semi-finished product and a transfer position for transferring the edge of the flexible semi-finished product to the clamping gripper. Furthermore, a corresponding method is described.

An apparatus for picking a product, including a control circuit, at least one vacuum cup arranged to adhere at least one sheet of material to the at least one vacuum cup, and at least one sensor configured to monitor an area proximate the at least one vacuum cup, and transmit at least one signal regarding a presence of at least one sheet of material in the area, wherein the apparatus is arranged to displace to a second location while continuously monitoring the area proximate the at least one vacuum cup, the at least one sensor is configured to transmit the at least one signal, and the control circuit is arranged to determine, responsive to the at least one signal, the sheet of material is not present in the area, and generate an error signal indicating that the at least one sheet of material is not present in the area.

A vacuum lifter apparatus for lifting sheet material articles comprises an upper chassis, a modular lower suction plate supported beneath the chassis, a controller and a source of vacuum air pressure, the suction plate comprising a suction lifting surface for providing vacuum lifting pressure to said articles. The modular suction plate has plural side-by-side modules, each module providing a different portion of the suction lifting surface and having one or more air outlets, outlets of one module separate from outlets of other modules and in fluid communication with the corresponding portion of the suction lifting surface and not with different portions of the suction lifting surface. The chassis comprises at least one air outlet connected to said source of vacuum air pressure, and a plurality of separate air flow channels through the chassis. Each air flow channel has an associated air flow valve and a valve actuator.

The invention relates to a packaging apparatus (1) for combining a plurality of articles (8) an outer package (6) formed from a cardboard blank (3). The packaging apparatus (1) comprises a magazine (2) for cardboard blanks (3), the cardboard blanks (3) being stacked and lying on top of one another within the magazine (2), a removal apparatus (4) for the cardboard blanks (3), and a handling device (5). The removal apparatus (4) is vertically and horizontally movable and comprises at least one suction tool (9) for withdrawing a cardboard blank (3) from the magazine (2). The suction tool (9) arranged pivotally movable within the removal apparatus (4) or on the removal apparatus (4) for executing a compensation movement and aligning the withdrawn cardboard blank (3) in a horizontal plane. The invention also concerns the removal apparatus (4) (3) and a method for withdrawing cardboard blanks (3).

A system for robotic sorting includes a bin system comprising a plurality of bins for holding items to be sorted, where each bin is configured to hold more than one of the items. The system further includes an item handling system configured to travel to each of the plurality of bins. The item handling system utilizes a vacuum force to remove an item held in one of the plurality of bins. The item handling system further utilizes one or more curvature generation devices to enable card manipulation. Additionally, the system includes a drive system coupled to the item handling system. The drive system is configured to move and position the item handling system over each of the plurality of bins. The system also includes a control system coupled to the drive system and the item handling system. The control system controls movement of the item handling system and the drive system.

A vacuum lifter apparatus for lifting sheet material articles, comprises an upper chassis joined to a substantially planar lower suction plate and an airflow suction system for conveying vacuum air pressure to the suction plate. The suction plate comprises a plurality of suction plate modules, each comprising a housing with a substantially hollow interior and each of said housings being located laterally adjacent at least one other of said housings. Each of said housings comprises a lower plate, an upper plate and at least one side plate, each housing being affixed to said laterally adjacent housing along a seam between adjoining pairs of side plates. The upper plates each comprise at least one opening and said lower plates are each perforated with a plurality of orifices through which, in use, air is drawn along airflow paths through said interior and out of said opening by the airflow suction system.

A system and method for separating a layer from a layer assembly when the layer assembly includes a backing layer and a material layer. The system includes an automated machine having a controller and an end effector. A separating tool is attached to the end effector of the automated machine. The separating tool includes a displacing member, with an outer face, configured to establish a void between the backing layer and the material layer by displacing a portion of the backing layer. The separating layer also includes a securing member configured to establish a mechanical connection with a displaced portion of the backing layer.