Innovative vacuum unit for ViscoTec
Joint development of a vacuum unit by Piab and syskomp gehmeyr GmbH with a specially designed Venturi nozzle for ViscoTec's vipro-FEED M plus.
About the customer
ViscoTec – Perfectly dosed! ViscoTec Pumpen- u. Dosiertechnik GmbH is a leading system manufacturer for fluid technology.
From extraction and product preparation through to the dosing of medium- to high-viscosity media. The product portfolio covers dosing and filling applications in the automotive, e-mobility, electronics manufacturing, food processing, aerospace, medical technology and pharmaceutical sectors, among many other industries.
The technological market leader is headquartered in Töging a. Inn (Bavaria, near Munich). In addition to an international dealer network, ViscoTec has subsidiaries in the USA, China, Singapore, India, France, Hong Kong and Denmark and employs around 360 people worldwide. In 2023, ViscoTec recorded worldwide sales of 70 million euros.
Objectives and project requirements
The objective was to develop an efficient and cost-effective solution for evacuating the air cushion and the separating plates when emptying containers, for the automatically retracting follower plate of the vipro-FEED M plus.
The retraction and venting as well as the detection of the media level were to be fully automated.
The product development
Efficient vacuum unit for the vipro-FEED M plus: cooperation with Piab and syskomp gehmeyr optimises air consumption and performance
In cooperation with Piab and syskomp gehmeyr, a vacuum unit with a Venturi nozzle was developed as part of the vipro-FEED M plus to ensure the venting of the container and to minimise air consumption.
The project aims to optimise the Piab standard product Vaccu Plus MiniSlim by using a Viton seal kit instead of the usual NBR material. To make this change, a special product was developed and the production of the components was taken over by syskomp gehmeyr. Particularly noteworthy is the model's ability to generate a very deep vacuum, which makes it an extremely powerful component for the vipro-FEED M plus.
Benefits of the application
As the vacuum is only required when the follower plate retracts into the container, a vacuum unit with a Venturi nozzle was chosen. This results in a cost-effective solution that scores with minimal air consumption and enables simple and cost-effective venting.
Compared with a vacuum pump, the vacuum unit with Venturi nozzle offers lower procurement costs and less wear.
The vipro-FEED M plus in operation
The vipro-FEED M plus enables fully automated emptying, is used successfully in various industrial sectors and impresses with its efficiency and user-friendliness. The automatic retraction and venting function as well as the separating plate degassing ensure precise emptying and improve process reliability. A large viewing window allows the emptying process to be observed.
The versatile configuration options and the pressure relief mode for pressure-sensitive media help to protect the material. The system's small footprint optimises production space and reduces the total cost of ownership. This allows systems to be planned clearly and production space to be used efficiently.
What ViscoTec says
“For me, the cooperation with Piab Vakuum GmbH and syskomp gehmeyr GmbH is the best example of how innovation and efficiency can go hand in hand. In developing the new fully automated vipro-FEED series, one of the bigger challenges for our development team was replacing the mechanical vacuum pump with ejector technology that consumes only minimal compressed air. Piab and syskomp gehmeyr supplied us with a tailor-made solution in the form of vacuum ejectors with COAX® technology.
This means we can do without complex mechanical pumps. And our customers benefit from improved process reliability and a higher degree of automation – all with moderate compressed air consumption.”
Dr.-Ing. Florian Garnich, Director Research & Development ViscoTec
About our partner
At the Piab Group, we have been improving our customers' productivity, sustainability and safety by advancing industrial automation since 1951. We believe in an automated world in which no resources are wasted and no people are injured.
With annual sales of approx. SEK 3 billion, more than 1,200 employees and a global presence in more than 100 countries, we help our customers improve their operations every day. Since 2018, the Piab Group has been owned by Patricia Industries, part of Investor AB.
