Vacuum generator platform enhanced

Improved and intelligent blowoff functions, a split unit design, and a self-adhesion control feature are some of the newly added extras on offer in Piab’s premium piCOMPACT®23 vacuum generator platform. The system also includes IO-Link communication.

The compact, all-in-one ejector platform is stackable; up to four units can share the same manifold and pneumatic connections, such as a common feed pressure and exhaust. The option to use a split unit design and separate the ejector from the control unit offers added flexibility, particularly where space is limited or for minimizing the weight carried by robot arms.

The integrated and patented valve of the company’s proprietary Blow-off+ feature helps to ensure more efficient and energy-saving blowoff, enabling faster production cycles. It also can be used to float suction cups while positioning them, for instance, as ergonomic lifting aids or simply to clean cups in dusty environments.

A patented intelligent blowoff (IBO) feature automatically switches off the blowoff when the vacuum is gone. This feature also is compatible with the bi-stable (latching) on/off valves that can be used in systems prone to emergency stops or those handling expensive objects.

The patented Self-Adhesion Control (SAC) recognizes and eliminates any vacuum created in suction cups when the ejector is not engaged.