SAS Automation custom, robotic bag gripper tool

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The custom, robotic bag gripper tool from SAS Automation can lift heavy bags off a roller conveyor while avoiding interference with the conveyor rollers.

A specialised end of arm tool (EOAT) is often used to palletise woven plastic or paper bags containing many products including grain, chemicals, dog food, minerals and plastic resins. Because vacuum tools may not secure the bags due to air leakage, a ‘clam shell’ bag gripper with pivoting stainless steel fingers is used instead. The bags are presented to the robot on a roller conveyor allowing the custom-spaced fingers to lift upwards between the rollers and secure the bag against the spring plate. When in position, the fingers open and the bag is placed onto the pallet in the required pattern. Most palletising cells will require in-feed conveyors, a pallet feed system, safety guarding and a robot properly sized for reach and payload.

The bag gripper tool is made of heavy-duty stainless steel fingers capable of handling bag weights of 11 to 27 kg. It requires only one pivot point with one cylinder to rotate the fingers to grab the bags, reaching in between the rollers to secure the bag underneath and providing optimal support.

This SAS tool solves the difficulty of securing bags that significantly deform due to heavy contents such as salt, food products or even dry concrete mixtures.

The tool performs well and is easily integrated with any robot.