Industrial equipment supplier Piab has combined its vacuum technology to create an automatic glass sheet handling solution, which has then been installed at a building sector multinational firm’s facility.
Using Piab’s Duraflex high-friction suction cups, VGS 5010 vacuum generators and piSAVE devices, Forvet has created end-of-arm tools that allow handling sheets of different sizes in its Combiflex cutting-edge glass processing system.
Forvet’s Combiflex system combines six machines in one, simultaneously grinding, milling, drilling, washing and drying the finished product.
Piab products are used for automatic loading and unloading of the sheets to completion of the operations performed by the system. In the frame of the sheet loader, Duraflex suction cups pick up the glass in a vertical position from a machine rack and place it in a horizontal position on the line workbench.
Additionally, the same suction cups positioned on the automatic unloading frames pick up the glass in a horizontal position from the line bench and place it in a vertical position on the machine rack.
Sheets between 3 – 19mm thickness are handled, which can have a heavy weight load depending on the size of the glass sheets. The glass is loaded fully automatically, avoiding risks connected with manual operations.
According to the company, manual loading and unloading of glass of significant size and weight would not be possible for a single operator without the use of specific equipment, which could lead to limitations and extended loading/unloading times, as well as the risk of product breakage
With Piab’s components, Forvet said it has been able to increase productivity, thanks to the gripping reliability of the solutions supplied. It has also improved the ergonomics of the machines and allows the end customer to benefit from energy savings.
Francesca Gariglio, marketing manager and sales coordinator at Forvet, said: “Our machines work in wet environments and handle sheets of glass which are fragile elements. We have to be sure that the grip is optimal and reliable. We cannot afford any malfunctions when picking up the glass, and even more so when unloading it after processing has been carried out. Therefore, we have chosen a reliable partner like Piab.”
