3D-printed gripper fingers for safe handling of perfume bottles

As an expert in customised automation technology, Stausberg & Vosding GmbH develops efficient handling and production systems for a wide range of industries.

When developing a pick-and-place system for handling perfume bottles, the variety of bottle shapes presented the designers with major challenges that could not be solved with conventional grippers made of aluminium and POM:

• Wears out too quickly after 20,000 cycles
• High costs (up to €250 per piece)
• Glass breakage

Thanks to the igus 3D printing service, Stausberg & Vosding GmbH was able to obtain grippers made of the high-performance plastic iglidur i3 quickly and flexibly. The advantages of the material and the SLS printing process set new standards:

• Six times longer service life (up to 130,000 cycles): less downtime, lower maintenance costs
• > 90% cost reduction per gripper: €13 per piece
• Flexibility: Rapid adaptation to new bottle versions thanks to the design freedom of additive manufacturing
• Quality: No glass breakage thanks to optimised geometry and material properties
• Speed: New versions are easily available within 1 to 3 days delivery time