Important Precautions for Maintenance and Repair of Vacuum Suction Pads

Vacuum suction pads, also known as vacuum lifters, are one of the actuators of vacuum equipment. Generally speaking, using vacuum suction pads to grab products is the cheapest way. Vacuum suction pads come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Rubber suction cups can be operated at high temperatures, while silicone suction cups are very suitable for grabbing products with rough surfaces. Polyurethane suction cups are very durable.

In addition, in actual production, if the suction cups are required to have oil resistance, materials such as polyurethane, nitrile rubber or ethylene-based polymers can be used to manufacture them.

Usually, to avoid scratching the surface of the product, it is best to choose bellows suction cups made of nitrile rubber or silicone rubber. Those made of nitrile rubber have a higher tearing force and are therefore widely used in various vacuum holding devices. So, what should we pay attention to when using vacuum suction pads?

Notes on selecting vacuum suction pads

• The weight of the transferred object determines the size and quantity of the suction cups ;

• The shape and surface condition of the transferred object determine the type of suction cup selected ;

• Working environment (temperature) determines the material of the suction cup to be selected ;

• Connection method - suction cup, joint, buffer connector ;

• The height of the transferred object ;

• Buffer distance.

Maintenance and repair methods for vacuum suction pad

When using vacuum suction pads (without clamps) in EOAT, it is necessary to pay attention that the moving speed of the robot arm cannot be too high, otherwise a cutting force will be generated on the suction cup, making it easy for the product to fall off during rapid rotation.

In some cases, a clamp can be used to ensure the safe transportation of the product. Considering the possibility of the product adhering to the mold, an air clamp can usually be installed to solve this problem. When the surface area of the product is too small or the product is too heavy to use vacuum suction cups, the problem can also be solved by using a clamp.

If the product has strict requirements on appearance, the clamped area cannot be the outer surface. To solve this problem, a sensing circuit can be installed. After confirming that the clamp or suction cup has firmly grasped the product, the sensor will send a signal to the robot arm to proceed with the next operation.

In situations where the movement ability of the robot arm is limited, and manual twisting or lifting is required to demold the product or move the product and EOAT out of the molding area, a special cylinder that can move EOAT alone without relying on the robot arm operation can be added for improvement.

The end tools used for labeling in the mold can complete three actions : 

First, EOAT picks up and inserts the label into a limited space, and then fixes the label in the mold. Compared with the static labeling device, this operation can reduce the size of the device. The final action of EOAT is to take out the plastic bottle with the labeled label from the mold. Usually, when injection molding automotive parts, extra care should be taken for products with A-level surfaces. At this time, a clamp made of acetal can be installed on EOAT to effectively avoid scratching the surface of the product.