Schunk is proud to announce its new technology, ADHESO, has won first place in the New Product of the Year Awards at the 2021 Assembly Show. The gripper placed first in the Robotics category.

 

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.

 

The wide variety of workpieces in automated assembly create many challenges for engineers. Parts to be handled can range from tiny springs and ball bearings to computer chips, circuit boards, automotive body panels and windshields, engine blocks, and on and on. Its ability to handle the most sensitive parts gently, without external energy or leaving any residue, makes ADHESO an optimal gripper for the automated assembly industry.

 

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 New Product of the Year awards are hosted annually in conjunction with the Assembly Show as a way to highlight new technologies on display during the event. Attendees voted for the products they thought to be especially innovative.