New families added to Piab’s friction cup line

Small, oval and extremely nimble friction cups feature in Piab’s latest line extension line-up

Taby, Sweden – Serving an increasing number of specialist applications, Piab is introducing new families to its already broad range of friction cups. In this its latest line extension line-up, the company is adding a number of different cups in a variety of shapes, sizes and configurations, all with the exceptional durability and elastic memory that are the hallmarks of Piab’s friction cups.

Available in four different sizes, the new BXF family comprises a total of 36 cups. Featuring additional bellows, the cups offer an improved level compensation performance. As a result, they are easy to programme for de-stacking applications, where the rack positions of sheets or other objects might vary slightly. Offering extra flexibility, the bellows make the BXF friction cups very forgiving when they pick objects, allowing for the variations often seen in auto-racking applications. The flexible and nimble cups eliminate the need for expensive and cumbersome spring brackets/plungers to be fitted on ejectors or robot end-of-arm tools, resulting in simpler and less expensive installations.

Small oval shaped friction cups are the star performers of two other new families introduced by Piab. Featuring either one bellow or no bellow, the OBF/OCF families’ smallest members measure only 15 x 35 mm and are available in a high and a low configuration. Also available with the dimensions 15 x 65 mm, the cups are specifically designed to enable a safe and secure grip on very small surfaces. This allows the cups to lift and handle objects by their edges where the cups’ unusual shapes maximise the suction area. The OCF family’s flat, bellow-less cups offer less inner movement for applications that require optimal stability. The OCF/OBF families each include 36 new friction cups.

Piab is also increasing the number of available fittings and threads for its line of friction cups. The introduction of new dimensions, among them a ¾ inch thread, enables Piab to meet 99 percent of all customer requirements.