Every maneuver involved in a production line must be quick and safe to ensure optimal operation and maximum productivity. Material handling is no exception.
However, moving objects with irregular surfaces and dimensions can be a real challenge. In this project, we demonstrate how using custom vacuum gripping systems makes handling, even automated, more efficient and reliable.
The machine to which the new vacuum gripping system was to be applied was a mechanical arm that needed to pick up 10 and 25 kg bags containing feed from a conveyor belt and place them on pallets for shipment.
The client, a key player developing custom automation solutions for various industrial sectors, was building this machine and contacted us because they were having difficulty with the gripping phase.
The root of the problem lay in the nature of the objects to be handled. The feed bags, being heavy and flexible, stretched under their own weight during lifting. This created irregularities on the surface (wrinkles) that prevented standard suction cups from maintaining the vacuum necessary for lifting. Consequently, vacuum gripping was particularly complex. Adhesion was reduced, and handling became difficult.
The problem of lifting an object with very specific characteristics is quite common in sectors such as logistics and packaging. The best solution must be custom-designed according to those characteristics. An innovative suction cup was needed—one capable of adapting to the product's deformation and ensuring a firm and secure grip even during the acceleration of the handling robot.
After analyzing the gripping difficulties with the client, we realized that a project based on an innovative suction cup was needed. One alternative could have been to apply a suction cup capable of covering the entire surface of the object to be lifted, but in this case, the feed bags had different dimensions (10 and 25 kg), so a suction cup that could grasp both was required.
We selected the Vacupredator suction cup from Vuototecnica, a leading European company in vacuum creation and management technologies. The Vacupredator suction cup is specifically designed to adapt to flexible and irregular surfaces, such as those of feed bags. It achieves this thanks to its sponge rubber edge that compensates for wrinkles and an adjustable-height bottom that grips the bag from within, ensuring a stronger hold.
We paired this suction cup with one of our vacuum generators to create an optimized vacuum gripping system capable of managing the irregularity of the bags and maintaining the vacuum even during the acceleration and movement phases of the palletizing robot. Thanks to the innovative structure of the suction cup and the precise adjustment of vacuum parameters, the system guarantees a firm grip, reducing the risk of drops and improving the safety and reliability of the process.
To confirm the effectiveness of the solution, we organized a testing session at Vuototecnica, using an industrial robot to simulate the exact operation that the client would integrate into their production line. Specifically, it was necessary to verify that the bag remained securely held once gripped and did not slip due to the speed of the robot's movements.
The tests showed that the Vacupredator suction cup, with its flexible configuration, could securely grasp and hold 25 kg bags even during the rapid palletizing movements, perfectly adapting to the wrinkles and shape variations that the product assumed during lifting.
VUOTOTECNICA® VacuPredator vacuum cups in action.The new vacuum gripping configuration solved the holding issues and enabled greater operational continuity. Using a suction cup designed to ensure an efficient and stable grip reduced the risk of bags falling and improved the palletizing rhythm, contributing to overall increased productivity.
The solution implemented for this client is fully customized for their machine. However, the methodology can be replicated in other contexts where irregular or difficult-to-handle products are present, paving the way for future collaborations on projects that require advanced vacuum gripping technologies and industrial automation.