Advanced gripper technology from Schunk
With the bionic inspired ADHESO gripper from SCHUNK, users can safely handle delicate parts without the risk of any residual marking. The new SCHUNK ADHESO gripper offers sensitive gripping without mechanical force or the need for any external power supply. The German Design Council honored the new technology with the German Innovation Award 2021 in the competition class “Excellence in Business to Business.”
This new way of handling is based on a principle of function from nature and uses the intermolecularly acting Van der Waals forces. Geckos are using these adhesive forces allowing them to grip to various surfaces quickly and easily. This type of gentle and residue-free handling of sensitive components opens numerous new fields of application. Ultra-light glass materials or micro-mechanical parts can be handled, but also heavy automotive or mechanical engineering components. The ADHESO technology is especially effective in hygienically sensitive environments where its strength really come to the fore: as it works without particle emission, it is perfectly suited for cleanroom applications in lab automation, medical and pharmaceutical industry as well as electrical industry. ADHESO grippers can safely grip and hold containers, syringes, wafers, or circuit boards without requiring external energy.
This is a real added value in terms of operating costs but also facilitates commissioning. The competence leader for gripping systems and clamping technology won over the Council of the German Innovation Award 2021 with this functional and sustainable overall concept, and they honored the SCHUNK ADHESO in the competition class “Excellence in Business to Business,“ in the category “Machines & Engineering“ as innovation.
SCHUNK developed the flexibly configurable adhesive gripper in cooperation with the young start-up company INNOCISE. Anyone who wants to use the new technology in his robotic application, can have it validated under real conditions in the SCHUNK CoLab before buying it. This ensures more safety within the planning process.