Just two months after the merger of three robotics companies, OnRobot, Perception Robotics and OptoForce, the danish OnRobot acquired Purple Robotics. The main attractiveness has been the dual vacuum gripper developed by the three founders of Purple Robotics, Lasse Kieffer, Henrik Tillitz Hansen and Peter Nadolny Madsen, all of whom have backgrounds as product developers in Universal Robots. The three developers now bring their competence and valuable expertise in OnRobot, fusing the existing R&D departments and joining the OnRobot organization.
The vacuum gripper has a lifting capacity of 10 kg and is designed for use on a wide range of light-weight robots from all robot manufacturers. The device offers simple and quick commissioning, taking less than 30 minutes to install on a robot and start it up, being able to gently and efficiently handle items of many different dimensions, weights, materials and shapes, simultaneously and solving multiple tasks in one movement. An electric pump integrated in the gripper itself avoid to worry about hoses, compressed air and cables, as with conventional vacuum gripper solutions.
The cobot’s accessory had a very huge success on the market, since already three months after the launch 40 partners in 25 countries have concluded partnerships agreements with Purple Robotics for the patented innovation. With the operation, OnRobot further expands its product range, now featuring a wide assortment of robot equipment including electric grippers, force-moment sensors, gecko grippers and tactile sensors. OnRobot has also recently welcomes another strong international investor to the ownership roster, the American venture fund Summit Partners, and have its eye on a number of other interesting companies around the world for more acquisitions.