Piab
About
About Piab
Piab's gripping systems combine the contact surface, vacuum source and control signals needed to hold and release a workpiece. In the piCOBOT Electric range, an electrically driven pump mounts on the robot and works with interchangeable suction cups, arms and tooling accessories. The electric supply removes the requirement for a compressed-air connection at the gripper.
The controller distinguishes initial pickup from a secured part using configurable vacuum thresholds. It also adjusts flow to maintain a selected vacuum level and reports status to the machine. Brand-specific interfaces and a Standard I/O option support integration with different robots, while tool changers and docking stations allow the gripping arrangement to change with the task.
Supply
Supply chain relationships
- robominds
Outbound - End Effectors - Piab supplied prototype MX suction cups for robominds' retail-returns picking application
Source - MVQuadro
Outbound - End Effectors - Piab says MVQuadro integrated Kenos KFG grippers and Piab suction cups in an automated assembly and packaging line with palletizing by cobot
Source - Umbra Control
Outbound - End Effectors - Piab supplied a Kenos KCS gripper for Umbra Control's sealing-ring handling cell at Meccanotecnica Umbra
Source - Forvet
Outbound - End Effectors - Piab supplied DURAFLEX suction cups and vacuum generators for Forvet's COMBIFLEX, FORBOT and KEY glass systems
Source - Cama Group
Outbound - End Effectors - Piab supplied piGRIP cups and COAX ejectors for Cama Group's cheese-pouch packaging line
Source - Dromont Group
Outbound - End Effectors - Piab says Dromont Group used Kenos KVG120 foam grippers in a high-speed pick-and-place system for paint drum handling
Source - Automation Technology
Outbound - Manipulation - Piab supplied Kenos KVG60 grippers with COAX vacuum generation for Automation Technology's sheet-handling line
Source - Tecno Pack
Outbound - End Effectors - Piab supplied piGRIP cups and piCOMPACT23 SMART vacuum generators for Tecno Pack's biscuit packaging robots
Source - Grombach Maschinenbau
Outbound - End Effectors - Piab supplied KVG grippers for GO GmbH, now Grombach Maschinenbau, in furniture-part palletizing systems
Source - MAXPRO
Outbound - End Effectors - Piab supplied a Kenos KVGL gripper and BX52P cups for MAXPRO's flour-bag palletizing installation
Source - Best Handling Technology
Outbound - End Effectors - Piab says Best Handling Technology used Kenos area grippers, COAX ejectors and DURAFLEX suction cups across 32 handling workstations
Source - Selematic
Outbound - End Effectors - Piab supplied a Kenos KVGL gripper with piGRIP cups for Selematic's pasta
Source - Eklego
Outbound - End Effectors - Piab supplied KVG60, KVG120 and KVGL grippers for Eklego's box packing and palletizing installation
Source - JAM Automation
Outbound - End Effectors - Piab supplied Kenos KVG grippers for JAM Automation's aluminium-profile machine-loading installation
Source - Gruppo Esea
Outbound - End Effectors - Piab says Gruppo Esea used DURAFLEX friction cups in a Cartesian gantry pick-and-place palletizing system for vehicle batteries
Source - Motion Controls Robotics
Outbound - End Effectors - Piab supplied SX12 vacuum ejectors and silicone cups through Neff for Motion Controls Robotics' cold-room palletizer
Source
Timeline
Events
- 2026-04-13 - Product Launch - Piab launches all-electric piCOBOT gripping system for multiple cobot brands
The gripper generates vacuum without compressed air. Piab positions the system for assembly, machine tending, packaging, logistics, warehousing and palletising. Standard I/O and multiple mechanical interfaces support cobots from different manufacturers.
Source - 2024-09-20 - Deployment - MVQuadro completes automated street-lighting production line
Anthropomorphic robots move housings, LEDs, boards and glass through assembly and packaging. Kenos FlexiGrip KFG grippers handle variable electronics without tool changes or production stops. Piab suction cups move housings and glass while a cobot performs final box palletizing.
Source - 2023-04-06 - Capability - MAXPRO improves flour-bag palletizing with vacuum layer gripping
Two packaging lines each handled 70 one-kilogram flour bags per minute before layer pickup. An articulated robot transferred full layers into two carton boxes positioned on pallets. The KVGL gripper used four additional BX52P suction cups to handle interlayers.
Source - 2023-03-28 - Acquisition - Piab Group acquires COVAL
COVAL joined Piab with EUR 23 million in turnover, 135 employees and commercial presence across 60 countries. Piab said COVAL added vacuum cups, pumps and grippers serving packaging, automotive, plastics and aerospace production. The transaction moved the family-owned French vacuum specialist into Piab Group and was funded through internal and external sources.
Source - 2023-03-09 - Capability - Eklego automates mixed-format box packing and palletizing
Four vacuum grippers comprise two KVG60 units, one KVG120 and one KVGL. The line closes and tapes two boxes per minute before transferring them to pallets. Boxes weigh up to 30 kg, and larger formats require a 180-degree rotation during handling.
Source - 2022-04-20 - Acquisition - Piab agrees to acquire Joulin
The 20 April announcement described Joulin’s foam vacuum grippers and material-handling systems as complementary to Piab’s automation portfolio. Piab said Joulin generated approximately €15 million in sales and brought more than 60 years of vacuum-handling experience. The agreement was expected to close by the end of May 2022; this announcement alone is not evidence of same-day completion.
Source - 2022-03-03 - Capability - Tecno Pack details four-robot biscuit-packaging line
A vision system determines the orientation of randomly arriving packs before robot pickup. Each of four flexpicker robots handles 125 packs per minute with interchangeable one- or two-cup grippers. Vacuum pumps sit on the upper structure to reduce wrist mass, while quick-release interfaces support format changes.
Source - 2021-03-22 - Capability - Cama demonstrates high-speed handling of cheese-slice pouches
Two gripper designs handle combinations drawn from ten pouch formats and about fifteen box formats. Each gripping unit combines four suction cups with four vacuum generators. Cama selected food-contact-compliant piGRIP cups and COAX ejectors to grip the pouches without marking them.
Source
Relations
Relationships
- ABB Robotics
Compatible Robotics Integration - Piab products support ABB Robotics robot applications.
- Universal Robots
Plugin Integration - Piab piCOBOT gripper units integrate with Universal Robots through Piab URCap software and robot interfaces.
- Joulin
Parent Company - Piab Group acquired Joulin in May 2022; Joulin continues as a brand for heavy-duty vacuum gripping and handling systems.
Context
Comparable profiles
- VMECA
comparable profile - Industrial Gripper Builder · Vacuum Gripper Supplier
- Schmalz
comparable profile - Industrial Gripper Builder · Vacuum Gripper Supplier
- Drim Robotics
comparable profile - Industrial Gripper Builder · Vacuum Gripper Supplier
- FIPA
comparable profile - Industrial Gripper Builder · Vacuum Gripper Supplier
- COVAL
comparable profile - Industrial Gripper Builder · Vacuum Gripper Supplier
- SCHUNK
comparable profile - Industrial Gripper Builder
- OnRobot
comparable profile - Industrial Gripper Builder
- Robotiq
comparable profile - Industrial Gripper Builder
- qbrobotics
comparable profile - Industrial Gripper Builder
- IMI plc
comparable profile - Vacuum Gripper Supplier
- DESTACO
comparable profile - Industrial Gripper Builder
- CKD Corporation
comparable profile - Industrial Gripper Builder
Shared workflows
- Zimmer Systems
workflow adjacency - End Of Arm Tooling
- ATI Industrial Automation
workflow adjacency - End Of Arm Tooling
- Robot System Products
workflow adjacency - End Of Arm Tooling
- Universal Robots
workflow adjacency - End Of Arm Tooling
Context tags
- End-effector supplier - Peer Group - Piab supplies vacuum grippers, suction cups and end-of-arm tooling.
- Industrial gripper builder - Peer Group - Complete piCOBOT robot/cobot gripping solutions establish industrial gripper supply, alongside vacuum components. Official evidence: https://www.piab.com/
- End-of-arm tooling - Workflow - Robot-mounted vacuum gripping and end-of-arm handling are an explicitly documented workflow. Complete piCOBOT robot/cobot gripping solutions establish industrial gripper supply…
- Vacuum Gripper Supplier - Peer Group - Complete piCOBOT robot/cobot gripping solutions establish industrial gripper supply, alongside vacuum components. Official evidence: https://www.piab.com/
- Adaptive grasping - Capability - Piab soft and vacuum gripping products support adaptive pick-and-place workflows.
- Manufacturing automation supply stack - Stack Layer - Piab supplies automation components around production and logistics cells.