The large range of vacuum technology variants enables optimized use in handling and automation technology in many applications and sectors. It is an indispensable component in industrial processes in production and production engineering and is used in the automotive or electronics industry as well as in medical technology, the food industry and the packaging industry.
In addition to industrial use, vacuum technologies are also an integral part of research in chemistry, biology and physics. Its advantages lie in its gentle handling and compact, space- and weight-saving design, which is why it is mainly used in precisely defined processes in industry. In these cases, it enables fast cycle times while also enjoying low maintenance costs.
Festo vacuum technologies include Vacuum generatorsas well as suction cupsand vacuum grippersas well as the relevant accessories.
Festo vacuum generators – various vacuum generators – work according to the Venturi principle, i.e. they are purely pneumatically-operated vacuum ejectors. With the help of these vacuum ejectors, either high volumetric flow rates or a high vacuum can be generated. They are characterized by their compact design and low weight, choice of mounting position and low maintenance requirements. They are used in a wide variety of industries, but especially in handling and automation technology.
Suction cups and suction grippers are the link between the vacuum generator and the workpiece to be transported and are therefore also an important part of the vacuum system. They are a simple, inexpensive and reliable solution for handling workpieces and are available at Festo not only in a variety of materials (nitrile rubber, polyurethane, silicone, natural rubber), but also in different shapes (universal, flat, bellows, special suction grippers).
In addition to vacuum components such as vacuum generators and suction cups, you can of course also get suitable accessories from Festo. These include a variety of assembly and connection elements as well as compensating elements, vacuum displays, vacuum filters, vacuum security valves and vacuum-specific accessories.
Vacuum technologies are generally assigned to the generic term gripper technology. In custom handling systems, there are a large number of applications in which mechanical gripper technology is used and where it certainly proves advantageous. However, there are also many applications where this technology reaches its limits. Vacuum handling is used often enough and opens up completely new educational concepts and possibilities for the industry.
Handling is a sub-function of the material flow and is divided into the areas of storing, changing quantities, moving, securing and checking. The prerequisite for this is the presence of certain geometric bodies (individual parts or modules). Equipment for custom handling systems includes components and systems for feeding technology, insertion devices, manipulators and robots. The way parts are handled today largely determines productivity in automated manufacturing and assembly processes.
Vacuum technologies are now an important part of custom handling systems and have become indispensable in many industries and areas of application in which they are used. The technology has proven itself many times over in the handling of a wide variety of materials and parts, thereby creating completely new perspectives and possible solutions for custom handling systems.
The following keywords are intended to clarify the importance and range of tasks that vacuum technologies assume in custom handling systems:
All of these tasks are multiplied to an almost infinite number of possible applications in industry. Industrial areas of application for vacuum technology include, for example:
Vacuum technologies have the following advantages in custom handling systems:
The use of vacuum technologies or another technology depends on many factors. Some of the more important factors are described below.
A wide variety of vacuum components makes it possible to select components with the desired product properties, such as heat resistance, speed, suction strength, etc, taking into account the above factors. Festo offers a software tool to assist in precisely selecting or identifying vacuum components for the relevant applications.