The challenge
Vacuum grippers work well on flat, rigid, consistent surfaces. Parts that come directly out of a mould rarely qualify. Draft angles, curvature, parting lines, and variable geometry all conspire against a rigid cup that expects a flat face to seal against.
Our customer needed to handle parts with irregular surfaces where a conventional gripper either failed to seal, slipped under load, or marked the part. The requirement was a tool that could adapt to uneven contours while keeping a secure grip and reliable transfer.
Our solution
We developed a vacuum gripper designed specifically for handling parts with irregular surfaces. Flexible sealing elements let the tool adapt to uneven contours while maintaining secure gripping and reliable material transfer.
Legs that conform instead of resist
Leveraging design for additive manufacturing, the gripper legs can be tailored to fit each application. That means the geometry follows the part rather than the part having to present a flat face to the tool. For large bins weighing up to 15 kg, and for parts coming directly out of a mould, this is what turns an unreliable pick into a repeatable one.
A tool this light changes what the robot can do
At 0.5 kg across three components, the tool consumes almost none of the arm rated payload. In moulding cells where cycle time is everything and the robot has to enter and exit the machine quickly, a light end effector is not a nice to have.
Customization that conventional manufacturing cannot reach
This level of customization is not achievable with conventional manufacturing at a sensible cost. Printing the tool makes bespoke contact geometry a design decision rather than a tooling investment, which is what ensures consistent and reliable performance across variable geometries.
Full specifications
| Material | Nylon PA12 |
|---|---|
| Machine | EOS P110 |
| Layer thickness | 100 microns |
| Build time | 12 hours |
| Post processing | Black dye vapour polishing |
| Number of components in the assembly | 3 |
| Tool weight | 0.5 kg |
| Gripping method | Vacuum with flexible sealing elements |
Results
Flexible sealing elements adapt to curvature and draft angles that defeat a rigid cup.
At 0.5 kg the tool leaves effectively the whole rated payload available for the part.
Performance holds across parts that differ from one another, without slip or damage.
Frequently asked questions
Why do standard vacuum cups fail on moulded parts?
Because they need a flat, rigid area to seal against. Moulded parts often present draft angles, curvature, textured faces, and parting lines instead. When the cup cannot form a complete seal, vacuum leaks and holding force collapses, usually at the worst moment in the move.
What makes this gripper adapt to irregular surfaces?
Flexible sealing elements at the contact points, combined with legs whose geometry is designed around the specific part. The sealing element accommodates local variation while the leg positions each contact where the part can actually support load.
Can the leg geometry be changed for a different part?
Yes, and that is the point of printing it. Tailoring the legs to a new application is a design revision and a new build, with no hard tooling to pay for.
How heavy a part can it handle?
The tool is used on applications including large bins weighing up to 15 kg. Holding force depends on the sealing area achieved on the specific surface, so we size it against the actual part rather than a catalogue figure.
Have a similar application?
Send us the part, the payload, and the cycle time. Our engineering team will scope the tool with you and tell you honestly whether additive manufacturing is the right answer for it.