Suction Cups for Handling Oily Sheet Metal

Piab USA, Inc. (Hingham, MA) meets emerging market demands by offering the best and safest possible solution for any type of sheet metal handling through the expansion of their family of DURAFLEX® friction cups. Safer handling of oily sheets creates the opportunity to increase the number of strokes per minute in stamping, cutting, bending, and punching machines, making for more cost-effective and productive press shops. This new friction cup range keeps every sheet safe with six new cups that keep a tight hold on extra thin and shaped sheet metal at higher stroke rates

The new range comprises three BFFT (Bellows Flat Friction Thin) cups, a design specifically developed to provide ultimate grip on extremely thin sheets without the risk of denting the delicate surface. Sheet thicknesses down to 0.6 mm to 0.8 mm can be safely handled by the new friction cups. Complementing these BFFT cups are three DCF (Deep Concave Friction) cups that are designed to meet the requirements of the next production step within the automotive industry (for example), where flat metal sheets are turned into curved body parts. The three new DCF cups provide maximum hold on parts with a concave or convex surface.

“These new cups are broadening the performance range of our friction cup family that already offers many important advantages. They are extremely durable and will keep their excellent grip performance throughout their entire life, whereas competing cups often deteriorate quickly,” explains Joseph Karbassi, the vice president of the Piab automation division.

Combining the properties of polyurethane with those of rubber, these friction cups display exceptional elastic memory and press oil resistance that enables them to keep their shape and remain in good working order. Competing cups are prone to losing their memory, i.e., their shape with increasing age and usage. These cups also offer a multitude of accessories, including many different fittings that meet various standards, advanced plastic fittings of reduced weight, mounting brackets, and quick release T-adapters.

Established in 1951, Piab designs innovative vacuum solutions that improve the energy-efficiency, productivity, and working environments of vacuum users around the world. As a reliable partner to many of the world’s largest manufacturers, they develops and manufacture a complete line of vacuum pumps, vacuum accessories, vacuum conveyors and suction cups for automated material handling and factory automation processes. As a worldwide organization with subsidiaries and distributors in almost 70 countries, they are headquartered in Sweden.

Piab USA, Inc., 65 Sharp Street Hingham, MA 02043, 800-321-7422, Fax: 781-337-6864, mike.tuohey@piab.com, www.piab.com.