When it is necessary to stack such different articles as cleaners, inkjet printers or potato chips on pallets, the SCHUNK LEG variable multi-axis gripper speeds up the task. With fixed central jaws, individually configurable fingers of carbon fiber reinforced plastic and a pneumatic ejector, it is designed to handle several products at once, to boost your palletizing capacity. The modular lightweight design of the LEG makes it one of the most versatile standard gripper solutions for palletizing applications. While the robot approaches its target position, the gripper is already regulating its new position. This allows it to palletize between 15 and 60 units per minute with gripping accuracy < 0.1 mm. 

Versatile and energy-efficient

The servo-electric drive concept ensures that the gripper operates with unique flexibility during the palletizing process. If required, the gripper fingers can also be controlled separately, so that items can be placed separately. The gauge for boreholes between the fingers can also be defined individually. Even when it picks up several items simultaneously, its travel time remains unchanged. Due to its lightweight design, the gripper weighs only 60 kg as a three-axis system without jaws. That saves energy in each single cycle and also means that the gripper has potential for palletizing of heavy items. Depending on the item and its weight, the solution can achieve minimal gap widths between 3 mm and 10 mm. The gaps can be further reduced by combining the fingers with a vacuum effect. For flexible items or sensitive products with smooth surfaces, it is possible to use thin fingers, which grip gently yet securely, both mechanically from the side and by means of vacuum. Optionally, the system can also handle pallets or intermediate layers.

The LEG is compatible with commonly available robot controllers, so that it can be integrated in robots as a seventh axis. Since the robot and gripper are controlled by a single controller or a single pad, the integration of new products or packaging units in the robot software is fast and easy, allowing new gripping concepts and methods. This saves time and money when product assortments are changed and also provides for a high degree of flexibility. Depending on the size, the LEG multi-axis gripper can handle up to 100 kg in force-fit gripping and up to 150 kg in form-fit gripping.