OnRobot launches advanced magnetic gripper for robots

OnRobot has launched the MG10, which it describes as “a versatile, high-performance, easy-to-use magnetic gripper” for material handling, assembly and machine tending applications in manufacturing, automotive and aerospace environments.

Said to be fully compatible with all major robot brands through OnRobot’s One System Solution, the MG10 offers adjustable force and grip detection features that provide users with greater levels of control.

Standard magnetic grippers only provide simple on/off functionality. To adjust the force applied, users have to add rubber ‘feet’ to create space between the magnet and the part. This is a tedious and imprecise process that doesn’t always guarantee perfect results, especially on applications that involve handling thin metal sheets and small metal parts where magnetic grippers often accidentally pick more than one sheet or part as the force cannot be adjusted.

“Standard magnetic grippers are a real hassle because almost every time your application or workpiece changes, you have to make manual adjustments to compensate for the gripper’s lack of functionality,” said Enrico Krog Iversen, CEO of OnRobot. “OnRobot’s innovative MG10 gripper eliminates all that thanks to its adjustable force features that enable you to deploy precise material handling applications quickly and easily.”

Unlike standard magnetic grippers, the MG10 comes with built-in grip and sensors for part detection. For applications that involve handling sheet metal — such as machine tending tasks that require robots to lift sheet metal from a stack, place it into a press brake/press bending machine and remove it when the machine has completed its work — this functionality ensures smooth, consistent and safe operation.

And if the robot loses power or has to make an e-stop while performing a task, these features ensure that there is no risk of dropping the part being handled.

The MG10 gripper was therefore designed to take over machine tending, assembly and material handling tasks that were once performed by costly and complex pneumatic grippers.

“While pneumatic systems require an external air supply, cabling and ongoing maintenance, the MG10 is ready to go out of the box, resulting in massively reduced deployment costs compared to its pneumatic counterparts,” Iversen said.

The MG10 also provides precise and durable handling of objects with abrasive, uneven or perforated surfaces, making it a perfect fit for a wide variety of applications in the manufacturing, automotive and aerospace sectors. Its multi-magnet set-up is also said to ensure that it can handle a wide range of sizes, weights and parts with odd-shaped geometries.

There are many applications, such as multi-stage bending press tasks and handling parts with many holes, where vacuum and finger-type grippers can struggle. The magnetic gripper has no problem with punched steel parts or a perforated steel sheet.

“As the manufacturing sector moves towards low volume/high mix production, the ability to move quickly from one application set-up to another quickly is more than a ‘nice to have’. It’s essential,” Iversen said.

Industrial robots’ annual installations more than tripled between 2010 and 2019, registering 381,000 units globally. Advances in robot technologies are contributing to the accelerated use of robotics, enabling simpler robot programming and installation, robots mastering difficult tasks and collaborating more with workers.

Asia is the world’s largest industrial robot market. From 2014 to 2019, annual robot installations grew by 13% each year. Top applications include handling and assembling while the top industries include electronics, automotive and metal and machining.

“We are paving the way forward for a new generation of robots through our intelligent, easy-to-use and flexible tools,” said James Taylor, General Manager, APAC at OnRobot. “Collaborative automation is increasingly becoming a critical solution in modern manufacturing and our goal is to ensure companies of all sizes can access it.”