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Spider Grippers
The Spider Gripper (SPI) is a lightweight, multi point vacuum gripper built for speed. Instead of a large volume plenum, the SPI places individual vacuum inlets exactly where the product needs support, arranged on slim arms around a balanced frame. Less mass moves on every cycle, which means faster accelerations, less payload consumed on the robot, and higher pick rates on both cobots and industrial arms. It is the tool we reach for in high speed pick and place, palletizing, and tool changing cells that run several product sizes. Where a product needs support across its entire face, the Area Surface Gripper (ASG) is the better answer, and the two are compared further down this page.
Every Spider Gripper is produced with industrial SLS 3D printing in PA nylon, which makes the tool up to 30 percent lighter than a comparable aluminum gripper while keeping stiffness where the load paths need it. On a palletizing robot that weight saving converts directly into faster cycle times, or a smaller robot for the same job. All our vacuum grippers integrate with the same quick change tool system, so a configured SPI can be swapped in seconds between batches.
FAST Engineered for high speed pick and place, with less moving mass on every cycle and quicker accelerations.
TWO ZONES One or two independently controlled vacuum zones, so a single tool picks two products or two formats without a tool change.
LIGHTWEIGHT 0.39 to 1.10 kg depending on configuration, up to 30 percent lighter than a comparable aluminum gripper.
Spider Gripper overview: arm layout, zones and cup options.
Palletizing at speed on an ABB cell.
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SPIDER GRIPPERS
Four to eight arms are positioned in a balanced geometry around the tool body, so every suction point carries an even share of the load through the whole cycle. Each arm terminates in a 40, 60 or 80 mm suction cup matched to your product, and a 6 mm check valve at each inlet keeps an uncovered cup from draining the grip from the others. Because the body prints as a single nylon structure, there are no bolted joints to loosen and no sharp edges, which also makes the SPI a straightforward choice for collaborative cells.
Preconfigured Spider Grippers ship in proven layouts for the most common picking applications, with inlet pitch from 70 x 190 mm up to 240 x 340 mm centre to centre. Size and inlet pattern, one or two vacuum zones, and suction cup selection are the three choices that configure the tool to your product.
BROWSE PRECONFIGURED SPIDER GRIPPERS
AREA SURFACE GRIPPERS When the product needs support across its whole face rather than at discrete points, the Area Surface Gripper (ASG) takes over. A large volume plenum with foam or a dense cup array suits glass, thin panels, shrink wrapped multipacks and anything fragile enough to mark under point loading. As a rule of thumb: palletizing with offset loads over 5 kg, tools wider than 390 mm, or arrays over eight cups point to the ASG. Eight cups or fewer, lighter product, and cost per tool point to the Spider Gripper.
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COMPARE THE AREA SURFACE GRIPPER RANGE
Configured in Three Choices
Preconfigured Spider Grippers ship in proven layouts for the most common picking applications, and every parameter can still be tuned to your product mix.
1. Size and inlet pattern
Frame size and the arrangement of vacuum inlets, matched to your product footprint, from single item picks to multi unit patterns.
2. One or two vacuum zones
Run the tool as a single zone, or split it in two so one gripper picks two products, or two sizes, without a tool change.
3. Suction cup selection
40, 60 or 80 mm cups chosen for cartons, bags, trays and smooth or textured surfaces at your line speed.
Need something outside the standard layouts? The same SLS process that builds the preconfigured tools produces fully custom Spider Gripper geometries, so unusual pick patterns are engineered rather than compromised.
Spider Gripper Specifications
| Suction inlets | 4 to 8 per tool, depending on frame size |
| Vacuum zones | 1 or 2, independently controlled or combined |
| Inlet pitch options | 70 x 190 mm up to 240 x 340 mm centre to centre |
| Tool weight | 0.39 to 1.10 kg depending on configuration |
| Suction cups | 40, 60 or 80 mm diameter, 1.5 bellows |
| Flow control | 6 mm check valve at each inlet |
| Tool integration | IVTC, MTC and custom tooling interfaces |
| Materials | PA nylon body with stainless steel hardware |
Area Surface Gripper vs Spider Gripper
Both are vacuum grippers built for different handling jobs. Use this comparison to match the right tool to your product weight, footprint and cup layout.
| Application Benefits |  ASG |  SPI |
|---|---|---|
| Palletizing | ||
| Offset load over 5 kg | ||
| Gripper over 390 mm | ||
| Lighter and more cost effective | ||
| Uses foam or suction cups | ||
| Suction cup array over 8 | ||
| 8 suction cups or fewer |
Full detail on the plenum style tool is on the Area Surface Gripper page, and the wider range is on our EOAT grippers hub.
Spider Gripper Questions
What is a Spider Gripper (SPI)?
A lightweight, multi point vacuum gripper that positions individual vacuum inlets on slim arms exactly where the product needs support, rather than pulling across a full plenum. It is built for speed in robotic picking and palletizing.
When should I choose the SPI instead of the ASG?
Choose the SPI when cycle speed, tool weight and cost per tool matter most and the product can be held at discrete points. Choose the ASG when the product needs support across its whole face, such as glass, thin panels or fragile multipacks.
Can one Spider Gripper pick different product sizes?
Yes. A two zone configuration activates only the inlets a given product needs, so one tool covers two products or two formats. For wider ranges, the low cost per tool makes a quick change strategy with one configured SPI per product family practical.
Is the Spider Gripper suitable for palletizing?
Yes. Its light weight lets the robot accelerate harder during layer building, and the multi point hold keeps boxes, bags and trays stable through fast moves.
Which suction cups does it use?
40, 60 or 80 mm diameter cups in a 1.5 bellows profile, selected for the surface and weight of your product. Cup choice, pitch and zone strategy are all set during configuration.
Which robots is it compatible with?
Collaborative and industrial robots from all major brands. A printed robot flange matches the tool to your flange pattern, and it connects to the same quick change tooling used across our gripper range.