Upping packaging efficiency with pneumatic grippers

For a case study with manufacturer El Pinto Foods, In-Position Technologies had to develop a custom pneumatic gripper capable of handling various weights, sealing types and surfaces of single-serve cups while ensuring precise alignment within the shipping boxes.

The engineering challenges, Automation World reported, involved extensive testing, CAD modeling and collaboration with component suppliers like Coval Vacuum to achieve a solution that enhanced efficiency while meeting space constraints.

The integration of robotics, particularly the Universal Robots’ UR10e, highlights how automation can optimize traditionally manual tasks. This project not only reduced labor requirements but also significantly increased throughput by enabling the simultaneous handling of 12 cups instead of just one or two manually.

For engineers, the process illustrates the importance of robotic customization to enhance production scalability, minimize downtime and encourage future automation opportunities in similar applications. Automation World details how the case study is applicable to controls engineers in this full article.