EOS additive manufacturing robotic grippers dmls direct metal laser sintering

1. Customer Case Study Industry
Facts
Challenge
Build a lightweight grip system
with integrated functionality
capable of moving the required
loads over a minimum of
5 million operating cycles.
Solution
Simplified design and smallseries production of stable
grippers on a functional base
plate utilizing a FORMIGA P 100.
Results
•
Light: 86% weight reduction
to just 220 g
•
Economical: production costs
reduced by 50%
•
Fast: manufacturing time
shortened from twelve to
three days
•
Optimized: functional integra­
tion, reduced assembly costs,
and number of individual
components down from 21
to just two
Innovative grip system: thanks to the optimized design, the four grippers are attached
to a support frame with integrated pneumatic ducts. Despite being significantly lighter,
the system excels in demanding, continuous use (Source: Kuhn-Stoff).
Tangible Success with Additive Manufacturing

2. Bronchial Gripper with functional base plate made lightweight
and durable with EOS technology
The hand is one of the defining stepping stones of human evolution: with its thumb opposing the
Short profile
other fingers, the human hand is an ideal tool for gripping, exploring, and working. As such, it is
Kuhn-Stoff GmbH Co KG is
the key to cultural activity and technical progress. Industry often exploits this ingenious principle:
one of the first companies to
one of the processes for which machines are used is the automated gripping of almost any desired
utilize e-Manufacturing from
part for transporting to the next operational step.
EOS for specialist engineering.
Since 2005 it has convinced
Such gripping machines are masterpieces of engineering. Kuhn-Stoff GmbH Co KG has dedicated
its customers of the benefits
itself to specialized engineering through the application of EOS Additive Manufacturing technology.
of polyamide parts produced
The process entails the formation of machine parts, layer by layer, from plastic powder that is melted
by Additive Manufacturing.
with a laser beam. In this way, Kuhn-Stoff has developed and produced an extremely lightweight,
Kuhn-Stoff delivers to many
strong, and durable bronchial gripper for Wittmann Robot Systeme GmbH, in Nuremberg, Germany.
leading companies and is
Four of these grippers sit on a support frame with integrated pneumatic ducts.
focussed on fully exploiting
this technology’s advantages.
Challenge
should be lighter than its
systems such as this must work
With 7 production facilities
The customer is a manufacturer
predecessor, while still being
quickly in order to move as
and 20 branches, the Wittmann
of robots and automation systems.
capable of moving the required
many machine parts as possible
Group is represented in all
Kuhn-Stoff was asked to re-design
loads. The complexity of the
within a given unit of time. The
of the world’s major plastics
a mechanical gripper that raises,
design should be simplified and
fact that mass is inert means that
markets. Its goal is to provide
transports, and then sets down
the part must be able to satisfy
force must be applied to set it
decisive advantages for
machine parts from a production
efficiency criteria.
in motion – the heavier a load is,
plastics processing through
machine via a pneumatic mecha-
the seamless integration of
nism. The following requirements
The significance of the weight
greater the forces necessary for
processing machines, automa-
were established: the gripper
comes down to physics: grip
both acceleration and decel­
-
and the faster it moves, the
tion and peripheral devices.
er­ tion. Quite apart from the
a
viewpoint of energy efficiency,
Further information
this fact also has particularly
www.kuhn-stoff.de
negative consequences on the
www.wittmann-group.com
durability of the system: the
greater the forces in play, the
higher the wear on the machine.
The previous version of the gripper
was made from aluminum, rubber
tubes, and multiple connecting
elements, and was ex­ ensive to
p
produce. The layer manufacturing
Integrated functions: when compressed air flows into a flexible membrane the
claws of the gripper will open; likewise the system closes when the compressed
air is turned off (Source: Kuhn-Stoff).
experts from Kuhn-Stoff set
themselves the goal of significantly simplifying the design.

3. The new structure of the machine
Thanks to EOS technology the
gripper system or the injection-
effect on our automation
part should contribute to a portion
pneumatic ducts and connectors
moulding tool. In some cases,
solutions,” summarizes Michael
of the weight reduction. Another
were fully integrated in the base
the lighter weight also enables
Tolz, Head of Technology and
portion should be arrived at
plate.
the use of a smaller robot type
Branch Manager at Wittmann
through structural optimization of
leading to significant cost
Robot Systeme GmbH. Occasion-
the remaining parts – one of the
“As usual, production using the
reductions. In addition Wittmann
ally revolution can have its
central advantages of Additive
EOS system was smooth and
have been able to increase the
advantages over evolution.
Manufacturing. As work began it
problem-free. The end result,
number of working cycles due
soon became clear that the new
once again, impressed all those
to the low height of the gripper
gripper could be produced as a
involved. In a single process
which reduces the necessary
single piece, without the need
step we were able to create a
opening width of the injection-
for post-production finishing or
functionally integrated part that
moulding machine‘s clamping
“We have been using EOS
further assembly.
exceeded all of the requirements
platen. The bottom line is a
technology for more than eight
of the client. In short: Additive
reduction in operating costs.
years and have had exclusively
Solution
Manufacturing is now an every-
Manufacturing costs have been
positive results. When applied
The team from Kuhn-Stoff began
day reality, but the results are
reduced by 50% compared with
correctly, the design flexibility
by examining the functionality
still extraordinary,” says Hannes
the conventionally manufactured
offers significant benefits that
and working requirements of the
Kuhn, CEO at Kuhn-Stoff GmbH.
predecessor. This is due to weight
can give our customers almost
gripper: when compressed air
savings as well as the reduction
unrivaled advantages in the
flows into a flexible membrane,
Results
of the number of components
marketplace.“
the claws of the gripper will
In terms of the major goal of
from 21 to two. Equally important
open; likewise the system closes
weight reduction, Kuhn-Stoff
is the short production time:
Hannes Kuhn, CEO at
when the compressed air is
achieved an 86% drop to just
the grip system, which previously
Kuhn-Stoff GmbH Co KG
turned off. In addition to the
220 g. Despite its light weight,
took Kuhn-Stoff twelve days to
plastic’s flexibility, the part
the gripper is still able to carry
manufacture, now requires just
“We have been deploying parts
should be able to swivel through
the necessary loads, even in
three.
constructed using Additive
90° to carry out the necessary
demanding, continual usage:
motion sequence. Taking these
after 5 million cycles the team
“We are extremely happy with the
sectors of automation for
requirements into consideration,
halted the stress-testing, having
new grip system. It has proved
years. The bronchial gripper
it was possible to reduce the
reached the designated service
itself to be just as effective in
meets all of our requirements –
necessary number of parts to just
life. Over this period, not a single
heavy-duty, continual use as the
surpasses them in fact. The part
two components.
defect or failure occurred. The
previous unit, yet is cheaper
is very reliable in terms of its
reason for this is the strength of
and lighter and can be produced
everyday performance.”
With the completion of the
the construction, which was
more quickly. I have never seen
design process, Kuhn-Stoff began
achieved despite the air ducts
as significant an advance in grip
Michael Tolz, Head of
work on the production of the
integrated in the base plate.
manufacturing as that which
Technology, Germany,
new grip system using a FORMIGA
In addition, the flexible design
Additive Manufacturing has
and Branch Manager at
P 100. In just a few hours the two
ensures that, should small
brought to the production of our
Wittmann Robot Systeme
components of the grip system
collisions occur, these do not
bronchial gripper. The production
GmbH, in Nuremberg
were produced from polyamide.
result in any damage to the
method has had a very positive
Manufacturing across various

4. EOS GmbH
Electro Optical Systems
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Think the impossible. You can get it.
Status 8/2013. Technical data subject to change without notice. EOS is certified according to ISO 9001.