With three new attachment options, Piab offers further possibilities for EOAT design aimed at building optimal handling system solutions. These options include an angle adapter, a locking ball joint, and an extension kit. Using the stainless steel angle adapter, multiple suction cups can be connected in series. The integrated M8 3/8” male thread makes it easy to install suction cups onto metal rails or profiles, facilitating their connection to the vacuum system. The locking ball joint (also made of stainless steel) allows for angle adjustments of the suction cup on the fixture. By adjusting the angle of the suction cup to be parallel to the work surface, lifting performance is improved. Two sizes of locking ball joints are available. For more details, visit here: https://www.piab.com/ja-jp/news/piab2/

Piab is constantly optimizing its product lineup by adding new products to provide vacuum technology for niche applications. Recently, Piab developed a suction cup that can handle surfaces with rough textures. The new P series suction cups are particularly suitable for handling workpieces with strong structures and uneven surfaces, such as stone tiles, wood, and checker plates. The fittings are made of aluminum, and an elongated sealing rubber made of EPDM is installed to conform to the contour of the fitting. The rubber can be easily replaced even after wear. This expands the possibilities for adapting to work surfaces that were previously not considered for vacuum suction handling. The "P series" suction cups are available in three sizes: 35 mm, 60 mm, and 100 mm, with one type of fitting provided for each size. For more details, visit https://www.piab.com/ja-jp/news/piabp/

The Bellows Polyurethane Suction Cup Series has newly added sizes of 150 mm and 200 mm in diameter, further expanding its range of applications. The short bellows type Bellows Polyurethane (BP) suction cup is suitable for handling workpieces of varying heights with a single lifting device. This is an important feature when handling wooden components for furniture manufacturing. You can choose between a version where the entire suction cup is made of rubber hardness 60, and a version where the bellows part is hardness 60 and the lip part is hardness 30. The version with a hardness 60 bellows and a hardness 30 lip is ideal for handling rough surfaces of unprocessed wood or structured surfaces. On the other hand, the hardness 60/60 version is best suited for handling smooth, leak-free flat surfaces such as glass, metal sheets, or wooden panels of painted or coated furniture.

A comprehensive approach to automation requires a network, not just the simple connection of individual components. For true innovation to emerge, partnerships for development must be established. This is the only way to make the final product more than just a collection of parts. With this goal in mind, a new comprehensive concept for production assembly called SINA was created through the collaboration of Ecosphere Automation, EFFIMAT, MIR (Mobile Industrial Robots), Piab, robominds, ROEQ, Sick, and Universal Robots (UR). The production of complex products requires a continuous supply of numerous individual components in the appropriate quantities at the workstation. This applies whether it is fully automated or manual. Storage space is often limited, and employees may also need to move to other departments. For more information, visit: https://www.piab.com/ja-jp/news/reinventing-intralogistics/

The separation of samples is a regular task carried out while conducting research in a chemistry laboratory. By using Piab's Lab Vac vacuum pump, an energy and cost-efficient, reliable process can be achieved with a standard compressed air system. In separation, rotary evaporation, vacuum filtration, gas release, and gel drying serve as common methods to separate reaction products from liquid solvents or gases, with vacuum technology playing a crucial role in these methods. Hydraulic suction is a simple technology with low initial costs but high operational costs, and its biggest drawback is the poor quality of the vacuum. Additionally, the increasing number of regions with dry seasons and little rainfall raises concerns about the sustainability of using water as a power source for suction, as this can have serious implications for water supply. This suggests that public water rates may rise, further increasing operational costs.

By using Piab's Kenos(R) area gripper, the time required for the palletizing process of food cans and beverage cans can be significantly reduced. With Piab's Kenos(R) vacuum gripper, palletizing robots can accommodate a variety of workpieces. The Kenos foam gripper can handle multiple workpieces at once, including food cans, beverage cans, sugar packets, and unpackaged food, and can also perform the action of placing sheets between layers of products. It is capable of handling workpieces of various sizes and weights. The Kenos(R) gripper has a wide suction area, allowing for high-speed palletizing even if there is some misalignment in the placement of the workpieces. Therefore, it is a relatively simple solution compared to grippers that use suction cups. For more details, visit here: https://www.piab.com/ja-jp/news/quick-to-market-with-new-canned-products-thanks-to-efficient-palletizing-solutions-from-piab/

Tecno Pack SpA has designed and developed an efficient gripper capable of handling pick-and-place applications in the factories of international leading confectionery manufacturers, using Piab's piGRIP(R) suction cups and piCOMPACT(R)23 SMART vacuum pumps. Tecno Pack's packaging line performs "primary packaging," which involves picking biscuits and packing them into flow packs, and "secondary packaging," which involves packing flow packs into cardboard boxes. This process is characterized by the variety of flow pack types used for the biscuits and the different carton sizes depending on the size of the flow packs. Piab's solutions are utilized in the "secondary packaging" phase. To accommodate these tasks, a robotic station equipped with four flex picker robots has been installed at Tecno Pack's factory.

For the cosmetics industry, packaging each product to suit a wide range of channel partners—from the vast sales floors of department stores to flagship stores and small cosmetic shops—is never an easy task. Currently, this process is typically done manually, with workers picking each product by hand and packing them into specific boxes. While there is significant potential for automation in this task, it also presents challenges. This is because achieving a worthwhile investment requires extremely high flexibility. Piab's UR plus certified Kenos(R) KCS gripper addresses this challenge for cosmetics industry customers who need solutions to provide a variety of packaging methods tailored to numerous small products for different delivery destinations. For more details, visit: https://www.piab.com/ja-jp/news/choosing-right-cobot-gripper-cosmetics-handling/

dm is currently the largest drugstore in Europe. The distribution center located in Weilerswist, Germany, began operations in 2009. Here, an average of 3,500 pallets loaded with goods are shipped daily. Many of the goods stacked on the pallets are depalletized by machines using Piab's DURAFLEX(R) suction cup "BX52P" and transported to the order picking chain. The suction cups are very robust, enabling high-speed cycles to securely hold the workpieces. For more details, visit https://www.piab.com/ja-jp/news/dm-drugstore-distribution-center-relies-piab-suction-cups/

We are proud to introduce the piSOFTGRIP(R) 100-4, a large soft gripper specially developed by Piab for automation in the food industry. It can also be used for handling machine parts with special shapes and for extracting injection-molded parts. The piSOFTGRIP(R) 100-4 is the largest size in the series. The series also includes the piSOFTGRIP(R) 50-3 and 30-3, which are three-finger types ideal for picking small fruits and candies, and the piSOFTGRIP(R) 50-2, a two-finger type suitable for picking small, elongated workpieces like waffle cones and fish fillets. The piSOFTGRIP(R) can be used not only for picking individual workpieces but also for applications that require grasping multiple workpieces at once. For more details, visit: https://www.piab.com/ja-jp/news/pisoftgrip-100-4-piab-launching-largest-gripper-of-series/

Features of the KENOS Form Gripper * Fully customizable * Energy efficient * Easy maintenance * Adaptable to various workpieces * Compatible with robots and various transport devices * Please see the attached materials.