When a collaborative robot misses a pickup, the consequences go well beyond a single dropped carton. Production stops, operators need to intervene, and valuable time is lost while everything is reset.
That was exactly the challenge facing one food manufacturer. While the robot itself was operating as intended, inconsistent vacuum performance meant cartons weren’t being picked reliably enough for production. With limited technical support available, they needed a solution they could depend on.
A Conversation That Opened the Door
The opportunity began with a routine conversation between the customer and one of our team. During the discussion, they mentioned they were experiencing inconsistent picks with the vacuum tooling on their collaborative palletising system and weren’t getting the support they needed to resolve it.
Rather than guessing at a solution, an on-site visit was organised to see the application in action.
The application itself was straightforward. A collaborative robot transferred individual cartons from an infeed conveyor onto pallets positioned on either side of the cell at around ten picks per minute. The existing control valves and blow-off function were already working well, so the goal was to improve vacuum performance while integrating seamlessly with the existing controls - without requiring changes to the robot’s programming.
Understanding the Real Cost of Failure
Rather than jumping straight to recommending new components, the team focused on understanding what happened every time a carton wasn’t picked successfully.
If a carton was dropped, production stopped while operators entered the robot cell to resolve the issue. Besides the lost production time, there was also the potential for damaged cartons and product loss.
The real objective wasn’t simply generating more vacuum - it was eliminating those interruptions altogether.
Testing Before Recommending
Pneutech’s Applications Specialists, Andrew and Chris, attended site with a range of VMECA vacuum grippers, suction cups and accessories to test directly on the customer’s cartons.
Different cup diameters, lip designs, materials and bellows configurations were trialled, with vacuum levels measured for each combination.
The testing quickly revealed why the original tooling had struggled. Slight variations in carton surfaces - including tape joins, perforations and uneven areas - meant the existing cups weren’t consistently maintaining a reliable seal.
After comparing multiple configurations, the team identified the optimum combination: VMECA MC20C vacuum grippers paired with U45-S suction cups.
Engineering the Complete Solution
Selecting the right suction cup was only part of the project.
Once the best-performing combination had been identified, the team calculated exactly how many vacuum cups were required to safely handle every carton size, weight and style used throughout the customer’s production.
A suitable safety factor was incorporated into the design, ensuring reliable handling across the full product range rather than simply achieving acceptable performance under ideal conditions.
The completed solution also incorporated VMECA’s aluminium extrusion mounting rail system, allowing the vacuum circuit to be assembled neatly and efficiently while integrating with the customer’s existing pipework and control valves.
Importantly, the finished assembly matched the dimensions of the original tooling, meaning there was no need to modify the robot program.
The Results
The upgraded vacuum tooling delivered exactly what the customer was looking for:
- Zero dropped cartons during operation.
- Consistent picking across multiple carton sizes and styles.
- No programming changes required.
- Seamless integration with the existing pneumatic controls.
- A single vacuum head capable of handling a variety of products without tool changes.
Just as importantly, the customer gained something they hadn’t received with the original equipment - local engineering support from a team able to test, optimise and respond quickly whenever required.
Engineering That Goes Beyond the Product
This project highlights the value of taking the time to understand an application before recommending a solution.
Real-world manufacturing environments rarely present perfect conditions. Varying carton surfaces, changing product requirements and production demands all influence how a vacuum handling system performs. Solving those challenges takes practical testing, application knowledge and engineering experience.
By combining on-site testing with proven VMECA vacuum technology and practical engineering expertise, Pneutech delivered a solution that eliminated dropped cartons, improved production reliability and gave the customer confidence that every pick would perform exactly as expected.