Special Dual Head Gantry for Stacks Pick and Place
Shery George | 13 April 2026
Challenges often follow innovation and that’s how it began for us. One of our customers, a manufacturer specializing in electrical steel laminations and motor core production, faced a significant challenge.
What followed next? A journey of problem-solving, creativity and rapid execution which finally resulted in a Special Dual Head Gantry for Stacks Pick and Place that made a huge difference in their production process.
Understanding the Challenge
One of our customers, a manufacturer specializing in electrical steel laminations and motor core production, was operating a stamping machine that produced a new piece every 1.5 seconds, followed by inspection.
This level of productivity introduced a great deal of operational challenges. The machine operated under extremely high pressure and very high speed. So, it generated intense noise levels on the production floor.
To improve working conditions without compromising productivity, the customer decided to automate the pick-and-place process. They approached our team at igus. They wanted us to design a solution that could keep up with the demanding cycle time while maintaining precision and reliability.
Initial Concept: Two Line Gantry Systems
At the start of the project, we explored the idea of implementing two line gantry systems to meet the required cycle time. This seemed like a logical solution for handling the rapid production rate.
But there was a catch. The requirement from the customer’s end was both gantries needed to place the picked stamping at the exact same point.
This requirement created a major challenge for us. Coordinating two independent gantries to place components at the same location could lead to placement conflicts, inefficiencies, and synchronization issues.
Clearly, a more innovative solution was needed.
Engineering a Smarter Solution
We decided not to rely on a conventional setup. Our engineering team developed a smarter and more efficient design, a dual-head line gantry system built on the ZLW-20200-OD version.
This design allowed a single gantry structure to operate with two heads enabling simultaneous handling at the same time made precise placement at the same point.
By designing the system this way, we were able to:
- Eliminate placement conflicts
- Maintain the required fast cycle time
- Improve operational efficiency
- Simplify the overall system architecture
When we presented the design, the customer was impressed and quickly approved the design.
Fast Delivery and Flawless Integration
We received the order at the end of October. And by December, we had already customized and delivered the system to our customer.
The solution included:
- Stepper Motors
- D1 Drivers
- Power cables
- Encoder cables
- Sensor cables
- INI kit
- E-Chain system
All components were carefully selected and we made sure that they will give reliable performance and seamless compatibility within the system.
Quick Implementation on the Production Floor
Once the system was delivered, the customer integrated it into their setup using:
- Profinet communication protocol
- Siemens PLC
Thanks to the well-structured design and ready-to-use compatibility, the entire integration and trial process was completed in less than a week. An additional advantage was the availability of compatible sample programs with the D1 drive, which made the integration process even easier and more efficient.
Delivering Real Results
Today, the dual-head gantry system is fully operational on the customer’s production line and it is delivering smooth and reliable performance every day.
The solution has provided several clear benefits:
- Reduced Development Time
- Faster Delivery
- Easier, Seamless Integration
- Customized Solution for Efficiency
- Smooth and Reliable Production
Ready to Automate Your Production Line?
If you are facing similar challenges and want to explore long-term cost-effective automation solutions, our team at igus is ready to help.
For any queries, contact our team now.