One key advantage lies in the variety of materials: from HighTemp HT to food-grade silicone and natural rubber all the way to Perbunan (NBR) and Vulkollan, there is a suitable solution for every application. This allows Sommer-Technik to meet a wide range of requirements — from high temperatures to sensitive or textured surfaces.

The system also offers utmost flexibility in terms of structural forms: in addition to conventional suction cups, oval versions and bellows designs with 1.5 or 2.5 folds are also available. This allows the handling to be optimally adapted to the geometry, surface and dynamics of the workpiece.

It is complemented by versatile adapter solutions: models with internal or external threads and variants with an integrated vacuum generator enable a flexible, space-saving integration into existing systems. Especially the version with a vacuum generator provides a decentralized vacuum generation directly at the suction cup — a benefit with fast cycle times and high process reliability requirements.

A typical example is the SGN30 suction cup. It is available in oil-resistant Perbunan (NBR, black) and in food-grade silicone, which can withstand temperatures up to 200 °C and is particularly suitable for sensitive or temperature-critical applications (art no. SGS30). When combined with the SAD18 adapter (without vacuum sensor) or the SVD18 (with integrated vacuum sensor), the result is a high-performance, yet easy-to-install solution: the suction cup is simply snapped onto the adapter and securely fastened. This well-designed construction reduces both the installation effort and the maintenance times while ensuring a durable, robust connection.

Sommer-Technik

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The BLFF cups have been developed to solve a classic trade-off in vacuum handling: stability versus flexibility. Their design combines a rigid bellow structure with a soft, over-molded lip, allowing the cup to grip both heavy and delicate objects while remaining extremely stable under acceleration. When fully compressed under vacuum, the cups behave like a compact “hockey puck,” resisting elongation and minimizing sway of the load, which supports higher accelerations and throughput compared to typical multi-bellow cups.

The BLFF 42 and BLFF 55 are designed for demanding mixed-item applications such as logistics centers, warehouses and parcel sorting hubs, where object sizes, shapes and materials vary from pick to pick. The cups are particularly well suited for systems that operate at higher vacuum levels and flows, enabling robust handling in fast, automated environments.

The first introduced sizes are 42 mm and 55 mm, which expand slightly when actuated to approximately 45 mm and 56 mm in diameter, respectively, ensuring a secure grip envelope on the product surface. Both sizes are available in three material hardness levels – soft, medium and hard – allowing users to tailor cup behavior to object type, acceleration profile and vacuum system characteristics. Color coding makes it easy to distinguish hardness levels and mix stiffnesses across larger grippers or zones to fine-tune performance.

BLFF cups are molded in a TPE material that is both extremely durable and fully recyclable, supporting Piab’s sustainability ambitions and customers’ environmental targets. Despite a thin, compliant lip, internal wear testing has demonstrated very high resistance to abrasion, with failure modes more likely to be long-term compression set than physical wear-through, contributing to long service life and reduced maintenance.

The BLFF 42 and 55 cups support a wide range of fitting sizes to match different machine interfaces, including quarter-inch, three-eighths and half-inch options for the 55 mm version, in both male and female configurations. A modular feature unit can be configured with a 40-micron high-flow filter and/or a sense valve, helping protect vacuum systems from contamination and enabling intelligent detection in suitable applications.

Piab

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Designed for food, consumer goods, and light manufacturing applications, the piSOFTGRIP 40-3 enables automation of products that are traditionally difficult to handle with rigid grippers, such as fresh produce, protein, baked goods, confectionery, and fragile components. Built in one piece with soft silicone and actuated by vacuum, the gripper mimics the gentle but secure grasp of a human hand.

With its three-finger design and increased gripping envelope, the piSOFTGRIP 40-3 can safely and reliably pick a broader range of products, including larger diameters, irregular geometries, and deformable items. The soft, food-grade silicone material distributes pressure evenly around the product surface, minimizing the risk of bruising, marking, or damage.

It is developed to meet stringent requirements in primary and secondary food handling and other hygiene-sensitive environments. Its design features include:

• Soft, FDA/EC-compliant food-grade silicone for direct food contact
• A one-piece construction with smooth, easy-to-clean surfaces
• Compatibility with common wash-down and cleaning regimes depending on installation

These make the gripper an attractive solution for tasks such as picking fruit and vegetables, bakery items, ready meals, confectionery, and packaged foods, as well as hygienic handling in cosmetics and pharmaceutical environments.

To streamline deployment, the piSOFTGRIP 40-3 is engineered for easy integration with a wide range of industrial robots, collaborative robots (cobots), and dedicated pick-and-place systems. Key benefits include:

• Simple control via vacuum – no complex valves or extra actuators
• Compatibility with Piab’s comprehensive vacuum ecosystem, including pumps, ejectors, and accessories
• Lightweight construction that supports use on smaller, low-payload robots
• Configurable mounting options for rapid adaptation to existing tooling and end-of-arm setups

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