Festo relies on quality for the new parallel gripper and uses spindles from Switzerland
During the planning of Festo's new gripper, Eichenberger asserts itself against local Chinese manufacturers through outstanding quality (5000% more mileage in the service life test), production from a single source, years of expertise and early and close cooperation throughout the development process.
"The threaded spindles from Switzerland convinced Festo and helped the company to develop a competitive, high-performance electric parallel gripper in a very short time." (Dr. Ralf Hartramph, Head of Development at Festo TEC* Shanghai).
With the discontinuation of a product family and its required compatibility with a former gripper, Festo urgently needed a replacement and developed a parallel gripper in Festo TEC Shanghai in a very short time, which also impresses with low manufacturing costs.
For the most part, the HEPP gripper was developed locally in China, and the components were procured and manufactured there. The screw drives are an exception. These are subject to high quality standards that none of the local manufacturers were able to meet, with the exception of the Swiss company Eichenberger Gewinde.
"The counter-rotating spindles in Festo's HEPP gripper are subjected to high feed forces. As a result of the first service life test, we were surprised at how significant the differences between Eichenberger and all other spindle suppliers were: the Eichenberger spindles showed almost 5000% more running performance. This convinced us and at the same time greatly enhances our product. " (Dr. Ralf Hartramph, Head of Development at Festo TEC Shanghai)
Another success in the rapid implementation of the project was the close cooperation between the development teams right from the start: Eichenberger and Festo jointly developed the customer-specific counter-rotating ball screws in Shanghai, so that the first sample screws were ready for the service life test within a few weeks. This accelerated the development process enormously.
Furthermore, the cross-functional and cross-location teams and the specially developed mechatronics have created a competitive product that can also withstand high demands. This makes the HEPP gripper the first fully self-developed electric parallel gripper from Festo, with the aim of being more cost-effective and compact than its predecessor models. Festo has more than succeeded in this and we are pleased that our threaded spindles are part of this great product, which is used in the automotive industry and electrical automation, among others.
Eichenberger is your specialist for screw drives. Secure your competitive edge through outstanding quality and efficiency. Together with our customers, we develop individual screw drives that not only exceed your expectations, but also surprise you with cost savings. Thanks to our many years of experience and high quality standards, companies around the world place their trust in us.
> What our customers say
Are you still at the beginning and don't know exactly what you need? We will develop your individual solution together with you and manufacture it to measure. Contact us, we will be happy to advise you.
> Contact us
* TEC= Technical Development Center
