Automation & Handling

In which industries can suction cups be used for vacuum applications?

At BIBUS, we use most of our suction cups in the food industry, where we supply well-known customers throughout Switzerland. Piab offers several suction cups specifically for this purpose, which comply with FDA and EU 1935/2004 regulations. Another complex application can be found in packaging. Suction cups have also been developed for this case, which offer a good hold for bags. Suction cups are generally used for packaging. It doesn't matter if they are foiled, cardboard boxes or plastic switches. Due to the growing e-commerce and the required degree of automation and high movement speeds, the trend of suction cups attached to robots is increasing. The same can also be implemented in logistics and warehousing. In general, suction cups are often used in pick-and-place applications, but there are also suction cups specifically developed for other materials such as glass, paper, metal sheets and even wood.

In which industries can suction cups be used for vacuum applications?

There are hardly any qualitatively equivalent alternatives to suction cups, especially when handling food. Foodstuffs come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and consistencies and must therefore be handled flexibly and carefully. Suction cups offer a perfect solution here, as they can also come into direct contact with the food without posing the slightest risk to humans or having a negative impact on the quality of the product. Suction cups also have the great advantage for the manufacturer that they are easy to clean and require only minimal maintenance.

What are the advantages of suction cups?

Suction cups have the greatest advantage where the product or material to be moved must be handled with great care or is difficult to handle. On sensitive surfaces such as glass, marble or lacquered products, suction cups can apply a low and even pressure without damaging them. Even if these surfaces are oily, damp and / or dirty, a secure adhesion can be created with the right suction cup. Furthermore, often corrugated or porous surfaces pose a further challenge. Suction cups with lips made of soft materials can offer a solution here. In principle, the shape of the object does not have to be smooth either; suction cups can also adhere effortlessly to radii.

What are the current developments in suction cups?

The user is helped if he has to move various products / materials, but only has to use one suction cup for this. Just last year, a suction cup series was developed to meet this need. The suction cup should be able to lift bags, for example, but also cardboard packaging at the same time. The modular suction cups, which enable customers to assemble them according to their own wishes, are also being expanded.