In the wave of industrial automation, efficient and stable loading and unloading solutions are a crucial component for enhancing production line performance. Recently, addressing a specific customer’s pain point in roller rough-turning—where workpiece specifications vary widely and the suction surface features uneven, striped patterns—Qianhao Automation leveraged its deep industry experience and innovative technological capabilities to provide a professional electro-permanent magnet fixture solution, successfully helping the customer achieve an automated upgrade.

Customer Operating Conditions and Challenges

The customer’s production line needs to handle roller workpieces of various specifications with a wide range of dimensions, specifically including more than ten different sizes—from φ15 × length 22–50 to φ70 × length 70–150—and the maximum weight of a single workpiece can reach 5 kilograms. Traditional gripping methods often encounter issues such as unstable grasping, poor adaptability, and low efficiency when dealing with these rollers that have striped adsorption surfaces and uneven textures, seriously impacting the continuity and stability of production quality.

Qianhao Solution: QEPA-C40 Electromagnetic Permanent Magnet

For the aforementioned complex operating conditions, Qianhao Automation precisely recommended and implemented the QEPA-C40 robotic manipulator electro-permanent magnetic chuck. This automated electro-permanent magnet is specifically designed for end-of-arm tooling on robotic manipulators and boasts the following outstanding advantages:

Strong suction, stable and reliable: The rated suction force reaches up to 20 kg, far exceeding the requirement for 5-kg workpieces. Even when gripping uneven surfaces with stripes, it ensures a firm hold, completely eliminating the risk of workpieces falling off during transport.

Lightweight design, flexible and efficient: Weighing only 0.7 kg, this significantly reduces the load on the robot arm’s end effector, thereby enhancing the robot’s operating speed, flexibility, and precision, and extending the equipment’s service life.

High adaptability: A single set of fixtures can accommodate roller workpieces with diameters ranging from φ15 to φ70, eliminating the need for frequent fixture changes and significantly boosting equipment utilization and production efficiency—making it particularly well-suited for flexible manufacturing demands involving multiple product varieties and small batch sizes.

Safe and energy-efficient: Utilizing electro-permanent magnet technology, the system instantly charges to generate a powerful magnetic force during operation. Once the workpiece is gripped, no continuous power supply is required to maintain the holding state—energy is consumed only during magnetization and demagnetization. This design ensures safety and energy efficiency while eliminating heat generation issues.

Easy to integrate: The operating voltage is DC 105V, and the operating current is DC 7A. It features a PLC interface, making it easy to integrate with various industrial robots and automation systems for rapid deployment.

The application has achieved remarkable results.

By introducing the Qianhao QEPA-C40 robotic electric permanent magnet fixture, the customer has successfully achieved automated loading and unloading in the rough-turning process for rollers. This solution not only completely resolves the challenges in gripping caused by variations in workpiece surface conditions and specifications, ensuring a smooth and safe production process, but also—thanks to its high reliability and adaptability—reduces the need for manual intervention and lowers fixture management costs, thereby delivering significant improvements in production efficiency and a substantial return on investment for the customer.

On Qianhao Automation’s Electropermanet Technology

Qianhao Automation has always been dedicated to the R&D and application of automated electro-permanent magnet technology. Its product portfolio includes various types of robotic electro-permanent magnetic chucks and automated welding fixtures, widely used in fields such as loading and unloading on machine tools, stamping and handling, loading and unloading of brake discs, sorting and palletizing on automated production lines, and automated welding fixtures. The company is committed to providing global manufacturing customers with efficient, safe, and intelligent electro-permanent magnet automation solutions.

If you’re also looking for a reliable and efficient end-effector gripping solution—whether dealing with complex workpiece surfaces or varying product specifications—Qianhao Automation’s team of electro-permanent magnet technology experts is ready to provide you with professional consultation and customized solutions.

Let Qianhao Electric’s permanent magnet motors become the most reliable “intelligent hand” for your automation production line!