Bernoulli grippers from FIPA for damage-free handling of delicate products

The new grippers have been developed on the basis of what is known as the Bernoulli principle. Compressed air flows through a very fine nozzle on the underside of the vacuum cup, which is then greatly accelerated by a specially designed outlet geometry. The rapid airflow produces underpressure and thus exerts a lifting force on the workpiece. Each Bernoulli vacuum cup can grip approximately 1,200 g of mass The air jet released acts like an air cushion on which the workpiece floats below the gripper, allowing the workpiece to hover under the Bernoulli grippers without any deformation. Thanks to the Bernoulli principle, damage-free, almost contactless handling of delicate products is possible.

Moreover, according to  Rainer Mehrer, CEO of FIPA: "The new Bernoulli grippers are made from PEEK, a material suitable for use with foodstuffs, and meet the stringent requirements of hygienic design." They are therefore particularly well suited for applications with direct food contact. Due to the combination of high chemical resistance and hygienic design, the new Bernoulli vacuum cups from FIPA can easily be integrated into industrial cleaning processes.

The high volume flow at low underpressure also makes the new Bernoulli grippers ideal for handling or separating porous products. Size or weight of the workpiece presents no problem: the Bernoulli vacuum cups are easily integrated and several can be combined for handling larger or heavier workpieces.

The vacuum cups feature a compact design with integrated vacuum generation from compressed air without an ejector. Compared to the conventional aluminum version, the new Bernoulli suction cups are up to 75% lighter and offer three times more suction power. This makes it possible to utilize gripper systems in an energy-saving lightweight design for highly dynamic handling requirements.