The SCG-HSS flow gripper is designed for gentle handling of highly structured, dimensionally stable workpieces with a height difference of up to 25 mm. The gripper consists of two core elements: the integrated vacuum generator and the flexibly adjustable gripping surface. This is realized by a pin curtain that gently adapts to the surface structure of the workpiece and is pneumatically fixed in position. This adaptation to individual workpiece contours eliminates the need for costly set-up times. Thus, handling of workpieces in batch size 1 can be realized with low operating costs. Thanks to the ESD-compliant design, there is protection against uncontrolled electrostatic discharge. This makes the gripper suitable for use in PCB handling as well as for unloading injection molding machines and for packaging processes.
The pins of the gripper are extended via a compressed air pulse. When they are placed on the workpiece, they adapt to the surface geometry of the object to be handled. The clamping of the pins is activated by compressed air. The vacuum generation is then switched on to lift the workpiece and move it to the target position. By deactivating the vacuum generation, the workpiece is put down and the gripper is released from the workpiece. The clamping of the pin is released, thus preparing the gripping surface for another surface contour.