Product · Automation
Pick-and-place units and gantry loaders
Not every transfer needs a six-axis robot. When a part moves from A to B on a fixed path, a pick-and-place unit does it faster, cheaper and with far less to go wrong.
At a glance
- Axes
- 2 to 4 axes — pneumatic, servo or a mix
- Payload
- Typically 0.5–50 kg including the gripper
- Cycle time
- Typically 2–15 s per transfer
- Repeatability
- ±0.05–0.5 mm depending on actuation and payload
- Lead time
- Indicative 8–14 weeks
Overview
Pick & Place Units built to your application
A robot is the right answer when the path changes, the part varies, or the geometry is genuinely complex. For a fixed transfer between two known positions — machine to conveyor, conveyor to fixture, bin to nest — a pick-and-place unit costs a fraction, cycles faster and can be maintained by your own team.
We size the unit from the part, the cycle time and the accuracy the next operation actually needs. Over-specifying accuracy is where most of the cost goes, and it is rarely the accuracy that fails — it is the gripper.
Variants
Types of pick & place units we build
2-axis pick and place
Lift and traverse between two fixed positions.
3-axis cartesian unit
Adds a third axis for depth — loading into a nest or a chuck.
Gantry loader
Overhead axis spanning one or more machines, for CNC load and unload.
Swing-arm transfer
Rotary transfer between two positions in minimum floor space.
Escapement and feed unit
Singulating and presenting parts from a feeder or magazine.
Specification
Technical specification
Typical build parameters. Final specifications are fixed with you at design freeze.
| Configuration | Linear 2-axis, 3-axis cartesian, gantry over machine, or swing-arm transfer |
|---|---|
| Actuation | Pneumatic with shock absorbers for fixed positions; servo where positions vary or motion must be controlled |
| Payload | Part plus gripper mass, with inertia checked at speed |
| Gripper | Parallel, angular, magnetic, vacuum or part-specific fingers — designed to the part, not adapted |
| Part sensing | Presence and grip-confirm sensing, so a dropped part stops the cycle |
| Accuracy | Hard stops and shock absorbers for pneumatic; encoder feedback for servo |
| Controls | PLC with the machine, or standalone with handshake I/O to the equipment either side |
| Safety | Guarded envelope with interlocks, or a risk-assessed collaborative arrangement |
| Integration | Handshake with CNC, press, conveyor or fixture; part-present and cycle-complete signals |
| Mounting | Floor, machine-mounted or gantry over the working area |
Scope of supply
What is included
- Concept selection against cycle time and budget, including whether a robot is the better answer
- Design of the unit, gripper and part sensing
- Build, wiring, programming and integration with the equipment either side
- Guarding and safety circuit designed from a risk assessment
- Factory acceptance with your parts and measured cycle time
- Installation, commissioning and operator training
- Program backups, drawings and a spares list
Need this quoted?
Send the part drawing or a photo with your volume and cycle time. An engineer responds within one working day.
Applications
Where it is used
- CNC machine load and unload
- Press-to-press transfer
- Transferring parts between conveyor and fixture
- Loading parts into test and inspection stations
- Placing components into trays, nests or packaging
- Removing finished parts from a machine into a bin or stillage
Industries
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Often bought together
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View productFAQ
Pick & Place Units: common questions
Pick-and-place or a robot?
If the path is fixed and the part is known, a pick-and-place unit is cheaper, faster and simpler to maintain. If the path changes between variants, the geometry is complex, or you expect the application to change, a robot is worth the extra. We will tell you which one your case is — including when it is the robot.
Can it load our existing CNC machines?
Usually yes. It depends on the door interlock, the available handshake signals and whether the machine control can be interfaced. We check that on a site visit before quoting, not after.
What happens if it drops a part?
Grip-confirm and part-present sensing stop the cycle rather than continuing into the next operation. That sensing is the difference between an automation cell that runs unattended and one that needs someone watching it.
Pneumatic or servo?
Pneumatic for fixed positions and lower cost. Servo when positions vary between variants, when the motion profile needs control to protect the part, or when you need position feedback for traceability.
Start a project
Hand over your production challenge.
Tell us what the line has to produce, where, and by when. We will come back with a scoped approach, a realistic timeline and the questions that matter — usually after a site visit or a drawing review.
- +91 85959 55435 · Mon–Sat, 09:00–18:00
- WhatsApp an engineer
- info@mecwerx.com
- Detailed RFQ with drawings (PDF, DWG, STEP)