Gripping Systems Are Collaborative, Intelligent And Intuitive To Operate

"We are witnessing a fundamental shift in industrial production towards smart, intelligent processes – from initial planning and design to commissioning to ongoing operation and maintenance," emphasizes Henrik A. Schunk, Managing Partner, CEO, gripping system and clamping technology specialist SCHUNK at the conclusion of SPS 2019. "As a consequence, the component landscape will also change fundamentally. For gripping systems, this means that flexibility, intelligence and a radical simplification of design, commissioning and programming are becoming more and more the focus of users."

Empowering Machines & Operators
The trend is reflected not least in the highlights that SCHUNK presented under the motto "Empowering Machines & Operators" in Nuremberg. Thus, the SCHUNK ERT celebrated its world premiere as the currently flattest turning unit with absolute encoder on the market. Universally applicable, it convinces in compact space with a freely definable rotation angle and high torques. Milestones in the field of collaborative robotics were the certified large-scale stroke gripper Co-act EGL-C, the certified small parts gripper Co-act EGP-C as well as the flexible SCHUNK EGH, which enables a particularly easy entry into the world of cobots.

Digital Product Lifecycle
With the SCHUNK EGI, the innovative family-owned company also presented an intelligent small parts gripper with a certified PROFINET IRT interface,which enablesan individually programmable stroke of up to 57.5 mm per jaw and flexibly doseable gripping forces up to 100 N. As an example, SCHUNK at the EGI illustrated how the complete product life cycle of SCHUNK-Komponentscan be digitally mapped, from the calculation and design tool to the digital twin,thecommissioning via a web server up to smart data evaluation and processing during operation via the PROFINET interface.

Plug & Work Portfolios for Lightweight Robots
In the opinion of SCHUNK, lightweight robotics in particular will gain noticeably inthe coming years. Fix and finished abtuned plug and work portfolios, among others for Universal Robots, should make it easier for users to get started. The component spectrum includes certified co-act grippers as well as proven pneumatic and electrical grippingmodules, sensors, quick-change systems and plugins. A highlight in this segment was the large-stroke gripper EGL, which in connection with the robot armsn of UR definesa new benchmark in flexibility, power and functionality in clean to harsh environments. Im Power connection can be handled with it a wide variety of parts up to 3 kg in alternation reliably and at the same time gently. For more information, visit schunk.com