Schmalz Group buys finger gripper business from Soft Robotics Inc.

The Massachusetts-based robotic gripper firm Soft Robotics Inc. today said it will sell its gripper business assets to the Schmalz Group, the German provider of vacuum and handling systems for the manufacturing and automation sectors.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but following the transaction, Soft Robotics plans to rebrand itself as a new company called Oxipital AI, which will provide artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled machine vision technologies for robotic process automation and product inspection in industries such as food processing, agriculture, and consumer goods production.

According to Soft Robotics, selling its gripper hardware business will enable the company to focus its resources and expertise on advancing the commercialization of its visual AI solutions optimized for high-speed product inspection and robotic picking.

From Schmalz’ point of view, acquiring the mGrip product family from Soft Robotics--including all finger gripper configurations, patents, and associated know-how—will enable Schmalz expand its market position in the food product handling sector.

According to Schmalz, the gripping systems are the most solid and versatile option for the precise handling of delicate objects that are difficult to grip, due to their changing shape. They are also characterized by high hygienic suitability, which is crucial for the food industry and allows the direct handling of baked goods, fruit and vegetables, and meat and fish.

"The food industry is a growth market," Kurt Schmalz, managing partner of the Schmalz Group, said in a release. "With our new portfolio of finger grippers, we now offer our customers finger grippers for the automated handling of food products in addition to an extensive portfolio of vacuum grippers."