Bellows cups with supports for gripping flow packs
Posted by Jonathan Plumb on
Optimising High-Speed Packaging: Why Vuototecnica Bellows Cups with Supports Are the Ultimate Choice for Gripping Flow Packs
In high-speed secondary packaging operations, handling flow packs and products wrapped in flexible plastic film is notoriously difficult. Wrinkles, surface irregularities, and uneven thickness—such as the rear junction flap on a bag of pasta—frequently cause vacuum loss, dropped items, and costly assembly line downtime.
To overcome these challenges, Vuototecnica offers high-performance bellows suction cups with anodised aluminium supports, specifically engineered to deliver stable, energy-efficient pick-and-place execution on automatic packaging machinery. [1, 2]
The Mechanics of Secure Flow Pack Gripping
Standard flat suction cups fail on flexible packaging because plastic films warp and ripple under vacuum pressure. Vuototecnica’s specialized Bellows Vacuum Cups handle these dynamics seamlessly: [1, 2]
- Thin and Ultra-Flexible Lip: The edge of the cup is engineered to be exceptionally soft. It instantly conforms to folds, ridges, and surface wrinkles without distorting or pinching the plastic film. [1, 2]
- Height & Flatness Compensation: The bellows structure collapses rapidly upon contact. This design compensates for variable stack heights, physical misalignments, or slightly inclined surfaces on high-frequency delta and articulated robots. [1, 2, 3]
- Rapid Lifting Action: When vacuum pressure is applied, the bellows contract immediately, separating the top item from the load beneath to prevent packages from sticking together. [1]
Increased Lifting Force with Expanded Sizes
To support heavier items and faster acceleration rates, the product line includes expanded gripping diameter sizes of 40mm and 50mm (joining standard models like the 01 30 45 S and 08 30 45 S). These options allow manufacturers to scale up their total lifting force while preserving the flexible sealing properties needed for thin plastic substrates. [1, 2, 3]
Rigid Structural Supports: Adhesive-Free Integration
A vacuum cup is only as reliable as its connection to the robotics system. Vuototecnica pairs these bellows cups with specialized anodised aluminium supports. [1]
| Feature | Technical Specification & Benefit |
|---|---|
| Material | Lightweight, corrosion-resistant anodised aluminium. |
| Mounting Style | Threaded male or female 1/4” Gas configurations for universal automation tool compatibility. |
| Assembly Method | Adhesive-free cold fitting. Cups are pressed onto the support manually, dramatically simplifying maintenance and part replacement. |
| Flow Management | Optimized central internal diameter ensures a consistent volumetric vacuum flow rate directly to the cup lip. |
Real-World Benefits: Sustainability and Energy Savings
Investing in advanced vacuum technology directly optimizes manufacturing overheads. In field tests with automated cracker packaging lines, replacing conventional components with the Vuototecnica 01 30 45 S bellows cup yielded immediate performance upgrades: [1, 2]
- Lower Volumetric Suction Flow: Because the specialized lip creates a flawless mechanical seal over plastic film ripples, the system requires less total air volume from the vacuum generator to maintain hold. [1, 2]
- Direct Energy Savings: Running lines with minimized vacuum leakage allows production plants to reduce compressed air consumption, scaling down energy bills and carbon footprints. [1, 2]
- Food-Safe Compounds: The cups are available in FDA-compliant silicone and specialized food-grade rubber compounds, enabling direct, uncompromised product handling of baked goods, confectionery, and fresh produce. [1, 2, 3]
For more information and the very best vacuum solutions, please contact 01908 227892
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- Tags: vacuum cups, vacuum gripper, Vacuum Packaging, vacuum pick and place, Vuototecnica, vuototenica vacuums