New electric parallel gripper from Festo
Modern manufacturing requires handling solutions capable of managing product diversity, shorter product life cycles and growing levels of product customisation. The HEPP electric gripper from Festo addresses this need for greater flexibility in the gripping of multiple workpieces with adaptable stroke lengths and gripping forces.
Its compact design and ability to handle complex movements precisely make the HEPP particularly suited to applications in the electronics and small parts industry, laboratory automation and special machine building.
The powerful and versatile HEPP is available in three different sizes with a gripping force of up to 400N and a stroke up to 56mm. The motor, encoder and controller are integrated into a single component, making the HEPP a very compact solution by removing the need for an external controller in the panel. This is even more critical for EOAT (End of Arm Tooling) on cartesian and 6 axis robots, as only the power supply and communication cable need to be routed through the energy chain.
The HEPP can be adjusted for a wide range of workpieces, both in terms of size and type of material as well as gripping force, to ensure the workpiece is handled correctly. To achieve high gripping forces within a compact unit, Festo has used a precise counter-rotating spindle that can manage the high stress from the feeder forces. This spindle also maintains process positioning reliability of less than 0.02 mm during endurance testing.
The HEPP is also a great solution for handling a workpiece in an e-stop condition due to the integrated holding brake on the motor. If the power supply fails, the tried-and-tested integrated holding brake will hold the gripper fingers in position to prevent the workpiece from being dropped and damaged.
Connectivity meets simplicity
The HEPP electric gripper makes connectivity simple. Users can choose between EtherCAT, PROFINET, EtherNet/IP and Modbus protocols to integrate the HEPP seamlessly into the system environment of their PLC. Necessary function blocks are also provided – at no extra cost – for integration in Festo, Siemens, Beckhoff, Rockwell and Omron environments.
Setting up the HEPP is equally simple: just input the parameters for position, stroke, speed, acceleration or gripping force. With this information and the dynamic electric motor, it is easy to adjust HEPP to specific applications. The motion response and how workpieces are handled can also be defined as required, including for complex production processes.
Integrating the HEPP follows exactly the same process as Festo’s industry leading CMMT range of Servo Controllers, ensuring that a standardised approach to programming of a complete automation solution can be achieved, which optimises programming and commissioning time.
About Festo
Festo is a leading international supplier of automation technology with a turnover in 2023 of around €3.65 billion. Festo employs over 20,600 people worldwide and is a proven innovator and problem solver in pneumatic and electrical automation, where it is the performance leader. Festo offers around 33,000 pneumatic and electric products in hundreds of thousands of variants for factory and process automation technology, many of which can be tailored to specific customer needs. Sustainability, reducing its CO2 footprint, digital learning, innovation, performance and speed are the key drivers for the company's future. Festo GB operates as a carbon neutral organisation and uses the PAS 2060 standard externally audited by NQA to validate this claim to customers, employees and other stakeholders.
Festo Industrial Automation's innovative strength is demonstrated through the launch of around 100 new products every year. The company invests over 7% of its turnover in R&D, resulting in over 2,600 patents held worldwide. For more information about the company's products and UK / Irish services, please visit: www.festo.com/gb and www.festo.com/ie
Festo and Industry 4.0 - Festo has engaged with the Industry 4.0 initiative from its inception: as a user, manufacturer and trainer. As a member of the steering group, the company has taken an active role in defining the core standards such as the RAMI model and the Administration Shell. Festo Didactic has installed Industry 4.0 Cyber-Physical Factory training hardware systems in many leading universities and training centres. It also provides Industry 4.0 training courses for change managers and practical workshops for employees. Industry 4.0 technologies such as OPC-UA communications are embedded in the latest generation products. For more information, go to www.festo.com/digitalisation
Festo Didactic training delivers training for industry – by industry. Combining Festo's industrial heritage with its future-focused manufacturing and engineering expertise to deliver courses for greater productivity and competitiveness. Offering a wide range of open courses, structured development programmes and tailor-made, customer-specific projects on technology and Industry 4.0 and the industry-leading online training suite, Festo LX. Festo also provides state-of-the-art training equipment solutions for industrial companies and educational institutions around the world. Festo Didactic has around 56,000 education customers worldwide. More information on Festo training and consulting services can be found at: www.festo.com/didactic
Festo Bionic Learning Network encapsulates the innovative nature of Festo, raising awareness and attracting talent to the company. Exploring the links between nature and technology opens new areas of innovation and demonstrates complex ideas in a stimulating and enjoyable way. Festo works with an alliance of internal R&D, external educational establishments and specialist companies to advance bionic solutions for automation applications of the future. The objective is to benefit from bionics as a source of inspiration and to realise these in industrial automation. For more information about Festo's Bionic Learning Network, please visit: www.festo.com/bionics
