Piab introduces piSOFTGRIP® 40-3 – a food-approved soft gripper for delicate handling

Piab is expanding the piSOFTGRIP® family with the new 3-finger piSOFTGRIP® 40-3, developed for the food and chocolate industry. Based on the proven piSOFTGRIP® 30-3, the new model increases gripping capacity up to Ø40 mm while keeping the same concept and ease of use.

The vacuum-based soft gripper safely handles sensitive, lightweight products with irregular shapes or surfaces. Its one-piece, sealed design with three gripping fingers is robust, dust-insensitive, and allows easy adjustment of gripping force via the vacuum level - ensuring gentle and reliable handling across a wider range of applications.

Food approved for delicate handling

piSOFTGRIP® 40-3 is made from detectable silicone approved for direct food contact, in compliance with FDA 21 CFR and EU 1935/2004 regulations. Designed for the food and chocolate industry, it enables automated handling of an even wider range of products - including delicate food items and chocolate pralines - without the risk of crushing, deformation, or damaged toppings. With a sealed vacuum cavity and optional wash-down fitting, piSOFTGRIP® 40-3 is easy to clean and well suited for hygienic production environments where reliability and cleanliness are critical.

Easy to use, control, and clean

piSOFTGRIP® 40-3 combines soft gripping performance with the simplicity of a suction cup. Using the same fittings as piSOFTGRIP® 30-3 and Piab’s piGRIP® suction cups, it supports easy upgrades, retrofits, and standardization across production lines.

To match different application and cleaning requirements, piSOFTGRIP® 40-3 is available with a tiered range of fittings. As a cost-efficient base option, standard piGRIP® fittings offer a compact and economical solution for general-purpose installations. For applications requiring a firm, rotation-locked connection and broader mounting flexibility, a new aluminum clamp fitting provides a secure, non-rotating interface with multiple thread options – ideal where mechanical stability is key, but exposure to highly aggressive detergents is limited. For the most demanding hygienic environments, the premium stainless-steel rotation-locked washdown fitting delivers maximum corrosion resistance and is designed to withstand cleaning with strong detergents and frequent washdown cycles.

The gripper can be easily configured for multimode applications, such as rows or grid layouts, to handle different pick patterns. The intuitive design ensures fast integration into automated systems, helping maintain product quality, secure hygienic handling, and boost overall productivity.