In some manufacturing processes, sheet metal panels emerge from the production line at temperatures of up to 400 degrees Celsius. And, for many manufacturers, safely handling these panels is a game of ‘hot potato’!
Fortunately, these ‘hot potatoes’ can be lifted and moved around easily and reliably, thanks to high quality suction cups from Simmatic, which are specifically designed to withstand high temperatures. These novel suction cups can handle blanks as well as formed sheet metal parts – even convex surfaces.
With metal panels, such as those used in the manufacture of vehicle bodies, the weight and therefore the thickness of the metal must, in almost all cases, be kept to a minimum. This means that the panels distort easily, especially when hot. As well as dealing with high temperatures, the Simmatic solution eliminates the risk of distortion, allowing the panels to be handled easily, reliably and with total confidence.
The vacuum cups are silicone and PWIS-free. They are manufactured from advanced fluorocarbon-based materials which means that can resist temperatures up to 400 degrees Celsius for short periods. In addition, they leave no residue and produce virtually no marking of the panels, which means that subsequent finishing processes, such as painting, are entirely problem free.
