OnRobot Launches Advanced Magnetic Gripper for Cobot Applications
March 11, 2021
OnRobot has launched the MG10, an advanced magnetic gripper designed for material handling, assembly and machine tending applications in the manufacturing, automotive, and aerospace sectors. Fully compatible with all major robot brands, the all-electric gripper includes programmable force features and comes with a built-in grip and part detection sensors.
The company said standard magnetic grippers only provide simple on/off functionality, requiring users to apply rubber “feet” to create space between the magnet and the part. This process doesn’t always guarantee perfect results, especially with applications that involve handling thin metal sheets and small metal parts, where a magnetic gripper can accidentally pick up more than one sheet or part.
“Standard magnetic grippers are a real hassle because almost every time your application or workpiece changes, you have to make manual adjustments to compensate for the gripper’s lack of functionality,” said Enrico Korg Iversen, CEO of OnRobot. “OnRobot’s innovative MG10 gripper eliminates all that, thanks to its adjustable force features that enable you to deploy precise material handling applications quickly and easily.”
For applications that involve handling sheet metal – such as machine tending tasks that require robots to lift sheet metal from a stack, place it into a press brake/press bending machine, and remove it when the machine has completed its work – the built-in grip and sensors ensure smooth, consistent and safe motion, OnRobot said. If the robot loses power or has to make an emergency stop while performing a task, these features ensure there is no risk of dropping the part being handled.
The company said the MG10 gripper is ready to take over machine tending, assembly, and material handling tasks that were once performed by more expensive and complex pneumatic grippers. “While pneumatic systems require an external air supply, cabling, and ongoing maintenance, the MG10 is ready to go out of the box, resulting in massively reduced deployment costs compared to its pneumatic counterparts,” said Iversen.
In addition to being able to handle parts like sheet metal, the MG10 can also handle objects with abrasive, uneven or perforated surfaces, OnRobot said. The multi-magnet setup also ensures that the gripper can handle several sizes, weights and parts with odd-shaped geometries. For example, multi-stage bending press tasks and parts with many holes, where vacuum and finger-type grippers can’t provide the intelligence and power to succeed, would be achievable with the MG10, the company said.
‘As the manufacturing sector moves towards low volume/high mix production, the ability to move quickly from one application setup to another quickly is more than a ‘nice to have.’ It’s essential,” said Iversen. “The MG10 is the only magnetic gripper on the market that’s sufficiently versatile, intelligent and so easy to use that it can be quickly redeployed on tasks from machine tending and palletizing to de-stacking of metal sheets – and all in one no-fuss, no-nonsense, plug and play package.”
More details on the gripper are available through OnRobot’s website. Customers can request a quote here, or download a datasheet.
