Engineering Process Simply Automated
80 % faster thanks to digital design of your gripping solution.
Digital Engineering Service
The selection, design and engineering of gripping solutions is often a lengthy and complex process that ties up valuable resources. Increase the efficiency of your engineering process by up to 80 % with the Digital Engineering Service from Schmalz.
Digital design of tailored gripping solutions
With our Digital Engineering Service, you can work faster and more reliably than with any manual analysis and remain cost-efficient, as the designed gripping solution focuses on your required core functionalities.
Design your tailored gripping solutions for sheet metal handling digitally and automatically – in a way that was simply not possible with conventional methods before due to the enormous volume of data and time required.
The result: You receive a digital design of your gripping solution that is optimally suited to automate your diverse handling processes.
Your benefits at a glance
Faster
1 day instead of 1 week engineering time
Reduce your design time with automated digital design instead of manual analysis. Engineer your gripping solutions in record time.
More reliable
Digital precision instead of manual estimates
Benefit from a design that takes geometries, thousands of gripping points, centers of gravity and holding forces into account.
More efficient
Tailored solutions without over-engineering
Have cost-efficient gripping solutions designed that are optimally adapted to your workpieces and requirements through ideal alignment and customization.
Your result
Automated design for automated handling
Without any gripper changes and with significantly reduced set-up costs, the result of the digital design provides you with an application-specific and scalable solution for handling a wide range of components.
Schmalz's Digital Engineering Service sets new standards for automated engineering processes – faster, more reliable, and more cost-efficient than ever before. This empowers companies to significantly speed up their processes and actively shape the future with efficient, sustainable and intelligent gripping solutions.∼ Dr. Johannes Schmalz, Managing Shareholder
How the Digital Engineering Service works
Upload the CAD data (STEP, DXF and all common 3D formats) of any number of different parts or enter simple parameters such as maximum and minimum values for length, width, height and weight.
In an iterative process, a model is designed and analyzed. Thousands of gripping points per uploaded part and the holding forces are taken into account and evaluated based on the center of gravity.
With just a few clicks, you will receive a reliable design of a solution that is tailored to your workpieces. Conveniently download the result or request your designed gripping solution directly.
Exemplary customer analysis
Increased efficiency through digital design
Automated handling of 30 different workpieces in a 2D laser cutting application? That was the requirement of one of our customers.
We took on this challenge and enabled handling sheet metal with just one gripper in order to keep set-up times to a minimum. Our Digital Engineering Service carried out over 3 million gripping processes to develop an optimum gripping solution.
The benefits of the digital design at a glance:
- 4 days less engineering time
- 2560 € cost savings
These values are based on average values from previous customer analyses and show the potential of our digital solution for your processes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the step-by-step process for the digital design of a gripping solution?
What is the step-by-step process for the digital design of a gripping solution?
Schmalz's digital gripper design process consists of four automated steps:
- Data Upload: You upload the CAD model of your workpiece to the gantry.
- Parameterization: You define the basic constraints (e.g., robot type, installation space).
- Automated Generation: The algorithm determines the optimal gripper configuration and positions the components.
- Result download: You receive the final design data and documentation for your project.
What CAD data is required, and can I also upload assemblies?
What CAD data is required, and can I also upload assemblies?
No, assemblies cannot be processed. Schmalz’s Digital Engineering Service requires only complete 3D single components as workpiece files.
CAD data requirements:
- File formats: STEP, Parasolid (.x_t), .sldprt, .prt, .catpart, .ipt, .par, DXF.
- File size: Maximum 500 MB per upload.
- Recommended quantity: Upload multiple workpiece files (ideally: 200–500 files). This allows the tool to automatically determine a gripper that covers as many actual components as possible.
How safe and confidential are the CAD data I upload?
How safe and confidential are the CAD data I upload?
Your CAD data is fully protected at Schmalz and remains your property. The data is treated as strictly confidential and will not be disclosed to third parties. It is used exclusively for your individual gripper design and for the internal optimization of Schmalz’s calculation tools in accordance with Section 7 of Schmalz’s Terms and Conditions.
For which components, materials, and industries is digital design suitable?
For which components, materials, and industries is digital design suitable?
Schmalz's digital design solution is designed exclusively for the automated handling of flat 2D metal sheet components.
- Target industries: sheet metal fabrication, the automotive industry, and mechanical engineering.
- Not supported: Three-dimensional (3D) geometries and other materials (e.g., wood, plastics, or cardboard).
How reliable is the automatically generated result?
How reliable is the automatically generated result?
The design result is a preliminary static analysis intended for technical guidance; it is not a gripping system ready for immediate use. Since specific process and dynamic conditions (e.g., exact robot types, cycle times, or interfaces) are not taken into account, the determined gripper layout serves as a solid digital foundation for subsequent detailed planning with the experts at Schmalz.
What documents and project data will I receive as a result?
What documents and project data will I receive as a result?
As a result of Schmalz’s digital gripper design, you will receive a technical data package for preliminary planning. This includes:
- Grip Analysis Report (technical evaluation)
- Visual gripping videos (handling simulation)
- 3D CAD model of the gripper layout (arrangement of the gripping modules)
Can I adapt the design if the workpiece changes later on?
Can I adapt the design if the workpiece changes later on?
No, a completed design cannot be edited retroactively. If the geometry of your workpiece changes, simply start a new analysis using the updated 3D CAD model. Schmalz will then recalculate the gripper layout from scratch.
Does the calculation take into account not only the robot's static acceleration forces but also its dynamic acceleration forces?
Does the calculation take into account not only the robot's static acceleration forces but also its dynamic acceleration forces?
No, dynamic acceleration forces are not taken into account in the automated basic analysis, as they depend on the specific process.
The Schmalz tool calculates gripper-based manipulability primarily using static calculations with a safety factor of 2 (SF = 2). For applications involving extremely high accelerations, the layout can subsequently be dynamically verified through a targeted special analysis conducted by Schmalz experts.