Choose The Best Pneumatic Lifting Equipment For You
In pursuit of staff health and working efficiency in production line, warehousing or manufacturing sites, the access to a proper pneumatic lifting equipment is important. While in choosing the right lifting equipment, a complex selection and offering from various companies are big challenges. The right vacuum lifter system solution will save a quite spending in time and budget.
What is pneumatic lifting equipment?
In the field of vacuum lifting solution, pneumatic suction cups are also known as vacuum suction cups or suckers. They are industrial components attached to various workpieces for a safe and secure way to hold and move products. Thanks to a variety of materials of suction cups, vacuum lifting system for heavy or light handling is applied worldwide in all kinds of industries.
Key parts in an exemplary vacuum lifter are vacuum generator, control valve, vacuum reservoir, vacuum filter, vacuum gauge, vacuum distributor and vacuum suction cups. A vacuum lifter uses the force produced by vacuum technology to pick and place various types of workpieces, such as glass panes, metal sheet, engineered quartz slab, etc.
How does pneumatic suction cup system work?
The applied vacuum technology uses vacuum generator to create vacuum. The vacuum is further distributed to the suction gripper end-point via a connecting hose and vacuum tube. With the vacuum holding force created by pressure difference, the pneumatic suction cup system can hold and transport workpieces to desired position at ease.
There are a variety of vacuum suction cup in different appearance, forms, shapes, dimensions and materials made for different scenario. All types of vacuum pads are engineered to fit in the vacuum lifting system to make sure it delivers the best performance and durability during its lifespan. The material of the suction cup are also one of the most important factor to meet all kinds of environment.
Select the right pneumatic lifting system.
An overwhelm analysis on the best fit lifting system before making an investment decisions of great importance. There are some critical factors that leads to the right pneumatic suction cups and lifters you need.
Important factors to consider are:
The nature of workpieces:
To choose the right solution, one of the most important steps is to make sure what are the system handling or lifting. Different pneumatic handling tools and components are required in specific loading application, such as handling glass sheet, stones, wood flooring, engineered quartz, paper, boxes, etc. In addition, the dimensions, the weight and surface structures are also important criteria to consider.
- Size, shape and weight of the workpieces. It is important to consider that the loads do not exceed the capacity of the vacuum lifter. Besides that, a safety factor for ensuring accident failure is supposed to be considered. When the workpieces come with uneven surface or curved shape.
- Surface material of the products (e.g. plastic, wood, metal, textile.) The smoothness and porosity of the surface will affect selection of grippers and degree of vacuum to be engineered for the entire system.
- Workpiece material sensitivity to the environment. Especially for pharmaceutical or food processing industries, there are strict regulation on hygiene requirements. As a result, stainless steel, food-grade silicone goods are chosen for easy cleaning.
Selection of a vacuum generator system:
Vacuum pumps and vacuum blowers are common ways to generate vacuum. Depending on the desired degree of vacuum, a vacuum pump is designed for reaching higher vacuum but relatively lower air flow, and vacuum blower is engineered for lower vacuum but higher air flow. In addition to the two types of vacuum generators, vacuum ejector is one of the most common way to create vacuum by compressed air.
Many people choose ejector solution for their workshop because they already have a compressor. However, it is still important to analyze the handling patterns and picking processes first before selecting the right vacuum generator.
When to choose a vacuum pump?
When you are lifting a workpiece that has smooth and air-tight surface, vacuum pump is the right one for reaching relatively high final vacuum (max. up to 99.9%). With the advantage of high degree vacuum, you could deliver higher lifting capacity with the same size of pneumatic suction cup. However, due to the small airflow capacity, a vacuum reservoir is integrated for more stable and flexible lifting application.
When to choose a vacuum blower?
For handling porous workpieces, air leakage is the key issue to fix. Take wood panel or fiberboards as an example. The fiber inside the workpieces are porous. Vacuum usually escape from the porous surface. As to maintain stable supply of vacuum, a vacuum blower is often selected for pneumatic lifting equipment thanks to its high volume of air supply.
When to choose an ejector?
Ejector is a vacuum generator works on the Venturi principle. It has advantages of high durability, low cost, and easy expansion. Ejector is often used in the packaging industry because of the small consumption of air-flow and high agility of use. When you already has a compressor system in workshop, it is recommended for applying ejector solution if the workpieces are small and lightweight.
Summary
It is essential for a detailed planning to get the best return of investment in pneumatic lifting equipment. In parallel, it will in a certain degree improve staff health, safety and working efficiency and measurable productivity for the short and long term.
To get started, please feel free to contact EUROTECH for any support on best sizing and designing of a fit lifting devices for you and your business. Accompanied with industrial experts in various segments, we can provide material handling devices to a wide range of industries.