TRUMPF introduced a new and versatile multigripper that delivers greater productivity for automated bending processes. The innovative vacuum gripper is fitted to the TRUMPF BendMaster robotic arm. Up to 12 grippers can be positioned in this way. Using these grippers, the BendMaster is able to remove a workpiece from the stack, move it reliably and efficiently within the bending cell and then place it on the stack for finished parts. The new multigripper can be set up much more quickly than conventional vacuum grippers. Whereas a conventional gripper has to be modified for each new workpiece, all necessary adjustments for the new multigripper can be made at the system level. This reduces the time needed to set up the bending cell. “Two challenges facing sheet-metal processors are small-batch production runs and a shortage of skilled labor,” explains Bernhard Fischereder, director of product management and international sales for bending at TRUMPF. “The TRUMPF multigripper makes it economic to use automated bending processes even for smaller batch sizes. Any company – even those already well advanced in the area of automation – can increase their efficiency with the multigripper.” The gripper is available in two variants: small (S) for the transport of workpieces up to four kilograms in weight, and medium (M) for workpieces up to 35 kilograms. Using these two variants, companies will be able to cover a wide range of parts.
