Advantages of using vacuum suction cups
Suction cups are an important part of a vacuum system, making it easy and efficient to handle various objects. They are a good alternative to more complex and expensive handling methods
Types of suction cups available from SMC
To guarantee secure workpiece handling, it is essential to choose suction cups based on the workpieces to be handled and the specific application requirements.
Our catalogue features a wide range of suction cups with diverse designs, connection options, shapes, materials, and applications.
Our vacuum cups are designed to fulfil all your needs:
- Flat suction cups: Suitable for general suction of flat workpieces.
- Bellows suction cups: Designed to address height discrepancies and facilitate the handling of workpieces with inclined or sloping surfaces.
- Oval suction cups: Ideal for handling workpieces with narrow suction surfaces, long lengths, or requiring precise placement.
- Nozzle suction cups: Ideal for achieving high accuracy when handling small, lightweight objects.
- Sponge suction cups: Optimal for applications involving irregular, uneven surfaces where vacuum leaks are common due to gripping challenges.
- Non-contact vacuum cups: Ideal for the gentle handling of diverse sizes, materials, and shapes. Particularly well-suited for delicate workpieces such as thin, porous, perforated, or pressure-sensitive items.
Safety guidelines for using vacuum pads in industrial settings
A safety factor of 2 is generally recommended for horizontal vacuum handling systems, while a factor of 4 is considered standard for vertical applications. However, these values should be considered general recommendations. Important variables, including potential vacuum leaks and the porosity of the workpieces, are frequently not factored into these guidelines.
Experience is undeniably critical in this situation. At SMC, our extensive knowledge base and decades of experience in vacuum solutions have led us to the conclusion that employing higher safety factors is prudent to ensure the robust and reliable operation of vacuum systems across all industrial sectors.
Therefore, we employ a safety factor of 4 for horizontal applications, while recommending a larger margin of 8 for vertical applications.
Benefit from the recommendations of our specialists to configure a secure and energy-saving vacuum system.
Key factors for choosing vacuum suction cups
Suction cups are critical for maximising the efficiency of the vacuum system.
Choosing the right vacuum pads is important for optimising system performance across various conditions and applications.
The choice of suction pads is determined by several factors, most notably:
- Mass of the workpiece to be handled
- Orientation of the workpiece (horizontal or vertical)
- Geometric shape of the workpiece to be handled
- Material compatibility
- Surface roughness and porosity of the workpiece
- Inertial forces resulting from acceleration and deceleration
Our practical selection guide helps you quickly and easily identify the ideal vacuum cup for your application.
Need help finding the ideal vacuum suction cups for your application?
Contact our vacuum technology experts for assistance in selecting the ideal suction cups for your application.
