Flexibly gripping in a machine tool

The SCHUNK unit can be used together with centric or parallel grippers.

03-11-2014 - With the Lean Automation Program from SCHUNK, the competence leader in clamping technology and gripping systems, machine tools can be automated quickly, easily, and cost-effectively. The principle is simple: via a shank interface, handling and cleaning modules are clamped in toolholders, deposited in a tool rack, and on request they are exchanged in the machine spindle.


In order to prevent the force build-up on the machine spindle from becoming too high when the machine tool is self-loading, SCHUNK has developed the GSW-B-AGE compensation unit. It compensates tolerances, inaccuracies in all six degrees of freedom, and simplifies automated joining processes, where the workpieces are to be fixed over bolts or pins. Moreover, the workpieces are pressed with a compensation unit against the fixed jaw of a clamping force block, until the clamping process is finished. The compensation unit is equipped with an interface to the gripper on one side, and on the other with a 20-mm shank, which can be clamped in many conventional toolholders. The SCHUNK unit can be used together with centric or parallel grippers.

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In order to interact with their environment and perform the tasks, lightweight robots, like all industrial robots, depend on tools - and in many cases these are vacuum grippers. These form the interface to the workpiece and are therefore a decisive part of the overall system. With their help, the robots can pick up, move, position, process, sort, stack and deposit a wide variety of goods and components. Vacuum gripping systems allow particularly gentle handling of workpieces, a compact and space-saving system design and gripping from above. Precisely because the object does not have to be gripped, the vacuum suction cupenables gapless positioning next to each other.