Engineers producing machinery for automated assembly often face challenges due to the wide variety of workpieces. Parts to be handled for assembly can range from tiny springs and ball bearings to computer chips, circuit boards, automotive body panels and windshields, engine blocks, and on and on. Equipment designers rely on their experience with different types of gripping technologies such as mechanical grippers, magnets and vacuum, depending upon the particular task at hand. It is important that they have a variety of end-of-arm tools from which to choose.

 

Schunk’s new technology, ADHESO, will be on display at the 2021 Assembly Show.  ADHESO, a 2021 New Product of the Year finalist at this year’s Assembly Show, allows for handling of the most sensitive parts gently, without external energy or leaving any residue.

 

ADHESO products work to grip parts using tiny filaments adhering to the workpiece via Van der Waal forces. They perform ideally with flat workpieces and foils, and unlike with vacuum grippers, holes or other interruptions in the workpiece surface are no problem. The size and types of filaments can also be optimized for holding force depending upon different types of workpieces that need to be handled.  Other major advantages are that ADHESO uses no power to maintain its grip once the workpiece is held, and it leaves no marks when released.

 

ADHESO, in all its optimized forms, is available in standard sizes that are easy to mount to most robot wrists. It is also customizable for specific workpieces up to two square meters. This new and unique gripping technology can offer a major advantage in simplifying gripping tool designs when engineers incorporate it into their solution toolbox. With the ADHESO gripper, solutions can be tailored to each customer’s individual needs, creating opportunities that are as diverse as the applications themselves.

 

The Assembly Show takes place October 26-28 in Chicago.