Background
A large international OEM had a challenge dropping products. They used a suction cup from a competitor that wore out very quickly. Consequently, the vacuum level decreased and the product was dropped during its movement. The product was packed snacks in an oval and cylindrical shaped bag. A technical cooperation was started with Piab to find the optimum design of a new suction cup to increase productivity through no dropping of the products.
Solution
The solution ended up in rectangular DURAFLEX® suction cup RB20x45P on a complete packaging line on the flexpicker robot. The rectangular suction cups are recommended for handling of long and narrow objects and surfaces when maximum lifting force and grip are desired. They are especially suitable for products in plastic flow packs, such as candy bars. The suction cup material DURAFLEX® features the elasticity of rubber and excellent wear resistance of polyurethane. The vacuum source was an integration of COAX® cartridge MINI to maximize the line's effectiveness.
Result
With the rectangular suction cup RB20x45P and COAX® technology, they improved their productivity by 70% as they dramatically decreased the number of dropped products.
