3D-printed tooling has now proven itself on the factory floor, but AM has yet to fully fulfill its transformative potential across manufacturing. Still, we are seeing bits and pieces of that transformation unfold.

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The latest example is a new partnership between trinckle and vacuum gripper producer Schmalz GmbH to 3D print custom robotic grippers on demand. Schmalz, a German company with 1,5000 employees globally, began its reach into the world of vacuum and gripping technology in 1984.

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In its journey to becoming a leader in the sector, the firm adopted 3D printing for use in product development and small series production. The team at Schmalz understood that, as automation increasingly impacts the production environment, new, unique handling applications ultimately require new individual gripping devices. As a result, a one-size-fits-all gripper can’t perfectly grip the vast variety of objects that need to be gripped. Designing a gripper for a […]

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