HYGIENIC ELASTOMER GRIPPER - Fraunhofer · ELASTOMER GRIPPER For handling sensitive products by robot Motivation The automated handling of sensitive products like non-packed food

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Fraunhofer IVV Branch Lab

for Processing Machinery and

Packaging Technology Dresden

Heidelberger Str. 20

01189 Dresden

Contact person

Thomas Weyrauch

Telefon +49 351 43614-61

thomas.weyrauch

@ivv-dresden.fraunhofer.de

www.ivv.fraunhofer.de

F r a u n h o F e r I n s T I T u T e F o r P r o c e s s e n g I n e e r I n g a n D Pa c k a g I n g I V V

HYGIENIC ELASTOMER GRIPPERFor handling sensitive products by robot

Motivation

The automated handling of sensitive

products like non-packed food products

requires a technical solution, which meets

the requirements of both the product itself

and the applicable hygienic standards.

The innovative elastomer gripping technology

offers considerable advantages compared to

traditional, inflexible technologies.

elastomer gripping technology

So-called „flexible fingers“ made of a soft,

flexible material, are the basis of elastomer

grippers.

The flexability of those fingers results from an

inflexible or less flexible side of the material,

which makes sure the fingers bend around

this side when the pressure increased on

the inside. A decrease in pressure makes the

fingers return to their original position.

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elastomer grab techology:

Your advantages at a glance

• Minimising of hygienic risk factors

• Flexible and delicate gripping

• Safe and non-destructive handling

of sensitive foods

• High adaptibility

to a large product range

• High degree of format flexibility

• High productivity rate

Your benefit

Aside from an increase in product safety,

cost reduction through flexible automated

solutions by using individually applicable

industrial robots is of particular interest to

companies which implement such kinds of

solutions into their production process.

Automated processing makes a valuable

contribution to food safety as it increases

reproductivity and excludes the human risk-

and contamination factor from the processing

chain.

The handling of hygienically sensitive

products and raw materials, such as raw meat

or pastry, plays an important part. Typical pro-

blems, such as rolling meat in breadcrumbs,

the packing of poultry parts (breasts and

thighs), the relocation of raw pastry, or the

handling of chocolates with different kinds of

toppings or decors are especially in focus.

Due to its high shape flexibility, the elastomer

gripper technology is equally suitable for the

automated handling process of other highly

sensitive or damageable products.

hygienic-designed link of flexible fingers

(patent pending)

From idea to prototype

In order to ensure a broad acceptance of

the gripper principle in the field of food

processing, it was necessary to combine the

material scientific approach regarding the

elastomers used with the consistent imple-

mentation of a so-called „hygienic design“.

As part of the IGF-project No AiF-FV 404 ZBG

scientists of the Fraunhofer IVV Dresden,

the German Institute for Food Technology

(DIL) and the German Institute for Rubber

Technology have developed the scientific

and technological requirements for the

application of elastomer grippers for the safe

and careful handling of unpacked foods by

robots.

The developed basic principle has been

further developed by the Fraunhofer Institute

IVV Dresden with regard to the applicable

hygienic requirements.

hygienic Design

This innovative elastomer grab meets the

latest hygienic standards and ensures safe

and gentle handling of sensitive products,

thanks to

• Completely enclosed design

• Minimising the „human risk factor“

• Easy cleaning thanks to a clever design

• Cleaning and desinfection without

dismounting the grab

• Safe division between product area

and inner workings of the grabber