Grippers for End‑Effectors of Hot‑Forming Manipulators High‑Temperature Material‑Picking and Clamping Solution

In hot‑forming stamping, sheet blanks are heated up to 800‑900 °C and stamped while hot. High‑temperature material picking represents a major challenge: red‑hot sheets discharged from furnaces are handled by end‑effectors of hot‑forming manipulators. Grippers are the standard structure for such end‑effectors and are indispensable for high‑temperature picking operations.

Grippers are mandatory for end‑effectors. Vacuum suction cups made of rubber or plastic will melt upon contact with 800‑900 °C hot sheets, hence suction is not feasible for hot‑forming feeding. Instead, grippers clamp sheets mechanically, which differs greatly from material‑picking methods for cold stamping.

Grippers rely on high‑temperature‑resistant alloy materials specially developed for thermal working conditions. Such alloys resist deformation, softening and failure under prolonged contact with hot sheets at 800‑900 °C. Material performance is the foundation for high‑temperature resistance, rather than structural design alone.

Clamping reliability is critical for gripper design. Red‑hot sheets become soft under heat. Excessive clamping force causes sheet deformation while insufficient force leads to slipping. Clamping positions, contact areas and gripping force shall be customized according to sheet dimensions and profiles to achieve firm holding without damaging or displacing workpieces. Fast picking at furnace outlets reduces heat loss of sheets in ambient air.

Apart from end‑effectors, hot‑forming manipulators must adapt to high‑temperature surroundings. Thermal insulation protection is required for drive systems to prevent damage to motors and sensors from radiant heat. Control systems shall sustain stable operation for electronic components under high‑temperature conditions, and auxiliary cooling is adopted for certain sections to avoid overheating‑triggered shutdown during continuous production.

Maintenance should not be neglected. Grippers suffer faster wear under high‑temperature conditions compared with cold‑stamping scenarios. Regular inspection and timely replacement of worn or deformed gripper components are required, together with sufficient spare‑parts inventory and easy‑access replacement structures to secure continuous stable operation of hot‑forming lines.

To sum up, high‑temperature‑resistant alloy grippers serve as standard end‑effector hardware for hot‑forming manipulators. Supported by high‑temperature‑proof material properties, rational clamping design and complete thermal insulation protection, manipulators can reliably complete picking and feeding tasks for 800‑900 °C blanks. This is a key link and foundation for automated hot‑forming production lines.

Guangdong Ruihui Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. has more than 20‑year experience in stamping automation and is a national Specialized, Refined, Differential and Innovative “Little Giant” enterprise. Headquartered in Dongguan, it has over 400 employees including more than 80 R&D engineers. Ruihui has developed high‑temperature‑resistant loading‑unloading manipulators for hot‑forming stamping. Their end‑effectors adopt high‑temperature‑resistant alloy grippers that maintain structural integrity under long‑term thermal exposure. Gripping force is tuned for sheet characteristics to realize secure clamping without workpiece damage. Thermal‑insulated drive systems enable long‑term stable manipulator operation in high‑temperature environments. Ruihui has delivered multiple automated hot‑forming stamping lines for automotive‑component manufacturers. Nearly 5,000 sets of Ruihui‑manufactured equipment are running at home and overseas, serving well‑known OEMs and Tier‑one suppliers such as BYD, Geely, Volkswagen, Tesla, BMW, Mercedes‑Benz, Honda and Jaguar Land Rover, with solid practical experience in hot‑forming applications.