Suction cup with metal insert
At GUME, we manufacture bespoke custom vacuum suction cups with metal inserts. As a manufacturer of vacuum suction cups with a production site near Munich, we develop the tool, manufacture metal inserts and vulcanise both in a single process step to create a material bond, resulting in your ready-to-install suction cup with a metal insert.
- Customised production
- Batch sizes 1 to 1 million units.
- Express production from 2 weeks
- 100% Reliability & proactivity
Vacuum suction pad with metal support made to measure
Unlike a purely elastomeric suction cup, a suction gripper with a metal insert combines the adaptability of the rubber lip with the rigidity, dimensional stability and load-bearing capacity of a metallic support element. The metal insert – whether in the form of a metal plate, metal spring, support ring or connecting nipple – is integrated directly in the Vulcanisation process integrated into the rubber body. This creates a cohesive bond Rubber-metal connection, which is more robust and dense than any subsequently glued solution.
We manufacture every vacuum suction pad with a metal insert according to your drawing: lip geometry, Shore Hardness The elastomer, material and shape of the metal insert as well as the connection interface are tailored to your specific application.
A metal plate vulcanised into the suction pad body creates a flat, rigid contact surface for the gripper connection. Hole patterns, threaded inserts and centring features can be incorporated directly into the metal plate. Suction pads with a metal plate are the right choice when the pad needs to be bolted down reproducibly, adjusted or integrated into a multiple gripper.
Suction pad with metal plate
A vulcanised metal spring extends the axial stroke of the suction pad beyond the elastomer's stroke reserve while defining a reproducible spring characteristic. Suction grippers with a metal spring are therefore particularly suitable for automated applications with high reproducibility requirements and a large height compensation.
Suction cup with metal spring
A vulcanised metal support ring stabilises the suction pad in the lip area or at the transition to the connection. Suction pads with a metal support prevent the rubber body from buckling under high loads, lateral accelerations or a large stroke and are the typical design for heavy-duty applications.
Suction pad with metal bracket
With the metal-reinforced bellows suction cup, a metallic support ring is vulcanised between the convolutions or at the base of the bellows. This makes it possible to combine the typical advantages of the bellows – height compensation and an integrated lifting function – with the lateral rigidity of a rigid suction cup. We recommend this design for a high number of convolutions in conjunction with heavy workpieces or those subject to lateral acceleration.
Reinforced bellows suction pad
Benefits of a reinforced
vacuum suction gripper
A reinforced vacuum suction pad with a metallic insert is always the right choice when a purely elastomeric suction pad reaches its performance limits, such as with heavy workpiece weights or rapid robot movements with high transverse loads.
- Higher load capacity: the metal insert absorbs tensile and shear forces without the rubber body deforming uncontrollably under load.
- Defined interface for gripper connection: bolt patterns, threads and centring features are located in the metal plate rather than the elastomer, which increases repeat accuracy during tool changes and prevents settling of the screw connection under load
- Reproducible spring characteristic curve: A vulcanised-in metal spring keeps the lifting and return behaviour nearly constant over several million load cycles, whereas a purely elastomeric lift drifts with temperature and ageing.
- Lower risk of buckling: Suction pads with metal reinforcement maintain their shape even under lateral acceleration, oblique approach angles and long strokes
- Extended service life: The load paths are routed through the metal, the elastomer primarily assumes the sealing function and is therefore exposed to significantly lower stress peaks
Rubber and metal vacuum suction pad -
individually made by GUME
- In-house toolmaking: From drawing to finished product
- Express production possible: first samples already available in 2–3 weeks
- Flexible sizes and quantities
- Custom production from single items to large-scale series
The right material for your metal insert
We manufacture your suction cup with metal insert from a wide variety of materials to optimally tailor weight, corrosion resistance, media compatibility, machinability and resulting costs to your application. As a manufacturer of rubber-metal composite parts with over 35 years of experience, both the production of your metal insert and the manufacture of your rubber moulded part takes place in-house with us.
| Material | Weight | Strength | Corrosion resistance | Machinability | Vulcanisability | Costs |
| Aluminium | ||||||
| Stainless steel | ||||||
| Steel | ||||||
| brass | ||||||
| Copper | ||||||
| Titanium |
The manufacture of a suction gripper with a metal insert
in 4 manufacturing steps
At GUME, all manufacturing steps take place under one roof – from tool making and the preparation of the metal insert to the vulcanised and tested vacuum suction pad with metal insert. This eliminates the need for coordination loops between multiple suppliers and gives you a ready-to-install component from a single source.
01 / 04
Design & Engineering Specification
We manufacture your vacuum suction cup with a metal insert according to your engineering drawing. Based on your drawing, we check the feasibility, dimensions, tolerances, wall thicknesses, and the connection of the metal insert, and coordinate the manufacturing parameters and quantity planning with you. This enables us to avoid costly corrections in later production steps.
02 / 04
Toolmaking and metal part manufacturing
In parallel with the manufacture of the vulcanisation mould, we produce the metal insert or source it from our network – whether metal plate, metal spring, support ring or connecting nipple. The metal surface is mechanically roughened, degreased and coated with an adhesion-promoting primer so that the subsequent rubber-metal bond is reproducibly leak-tight and resilient.
03 / 04
Vulcanisation & Joining
The prepared metal insert is placed into the vulcanisation mould. Under pressure and temperature, the unvulcanised rubber flows around the metal, cures there and forms a bonded connection with the pre-treated metal surface. This creates a continuously sealed and durable assembly.
04 / 04
Inspection & Delivery
Each batch of suction pads with a metal insert undergoes quality control and, upon request, a leak test under defined negative pressure and a pull-out test of the metal insert. Only then is your component delivered ready for installation.
You have questions about
vacuum suction pads with a metal insert?
We have answers!
What is a suction cup with a metal insert?
A suction pad with a metal insert is a vacuum suction pad in which a metallic element – such as a metal plate, a metal spring, a support ring or a connection nipple – is integrally bonded into the rubber body during the vulcanisation process. The metal insert performs mechanical functions such as load-bearing, gripper connection, spring action or stiffening, while the elastomer exclusively fulfils the sealing and adaptation functions.
When is a reinforced vacuum suction gripper worthwhile compared to a purely elastomeric suction pad?
A reinforced vacuum suction pad is the right choice as soon as the load capacity of pure elastomer reaches its limits: with high workpiece weights, rapid robot movements with high lateral accelerations, requirements for a reproducible gripper interface, or very high cycle rates. Even if dimensional accuracy, a defined spring characteristic curve, or the prevention of buckling under load are required, a suction gripper with metal reinforcement is the appropriate design principle.
Which metals can be vulcanised into rubber?
Fundamentally all common engineering metals: steel (galvanised or black-oxidised), stainless steel, aluminium, brass and spring steel. The decisive factor is the surface pre-treatment in the form of degreasing, roughening and the application of a suitable bonding agent, so that a durable, integral bond is created between the metal insert and the elastomer.
What is the bond strength between the metal insert and the rubber?
With a correctly pre-treated metal surface and a suitably selected bonding agent, the bond strength is so high that in the pull-out test the elastomer typically tears cohesively (within the rubber) before the bond to the metal insert fails. Upon request, we document the adhesion in a pull-out or peel test according to your specification.
Can the metal insert also serve as a connection interface?
Yes. Frequently, the metal insert itself serves as the connection interface – for example, as a connecting nipple with an external thread, as a threaded insert with an internal thread, or as a flange plate with a hole pattern. This eliminates the need for a separate adapter interface, and the vacuum channel runs tightly through the metal insert.
What is the delivery time for a vacuum suction cup with a metal insert?
Our typical delivery time is 6–8 weeks including tooling, preparation of the metal insert, vulcanisation and testing. For urgent requirements, we deliver sample parts in 2–3 weeks via our express production and then commence series production. For recurring requirements, call-off contracts are possible – following series approval, we plan production and material procurement in advance, thereby significantly shortening call-off delivery times.
Are suction cups with a metal insert also suitable for ESD-sensitive areas and outdoor use?
Yes. For electronics manufacturing, we combine anti-static or electrically conductive rubber compounds with a metal insert, which also serves as a defined discharge path to the gripper's earthing concept. For outdoor use, we select ozone- and UV-stable elastomers (typically EPDM) in combination with corrosion-resistant metal inserts made from stainless steel or anodised aluminium.
What is the minimum wall thickness of the rubber above the metal insert that is realisable in terms of manufacturing?
As a reliable guide, a minimum elastomer wall thickness above the metal insert of 0.8–1.0 mm is considered standard. With thinner wall thicknesses, complete, bubble-free moulding in the vulcanisation tool can no longer be ensured with reproducible reliability, as the raw rubber no longer reliably fills the cross-section under pressure. In special geometries and with adapted compounds, 0.5 mm is also achievable. Should this be required, we will examine it on a case-by-case basis using your drawing and, if necessary, design an alternative tool geometry.
Can an existing suction cup be replicated via reverse engineering?
Yes. Based on an existing suction pad, we can create a reverse engineering concept – including geometry measurement, determination of the elastomer material, and identification of the metal insert. The result is a production-ready drawing which we can use to build the tool and the mass-produced part. As part of the reverse engineering process, we can also optimise critical points of the original design upon request – such as minimum wall thicknesses, undercuts, or the connection of the metal insert. Please check third-party intellectual property rights before placing your order.
How does the bond behave during thermal cycling when metal and rubber have different coefficients of thermal expansion?
The coefficients of thermal expansion of elastomers are typically about an order of magnitude higher than those of engineering metals (rubber approx. 150–250·10⁻⁶ 1/K, steel approx. 12·10⁻⁶ 1/K, aluminium approx. 23·10⁻⁶ 1/K). Consequently, temperature changes generate shear stresses in the bonding zone between the elastomer and the metal insert. Design-wise, we address this in three ways: firstly, by using a sufficiently thick elastomer layer that elastically absorbs the differential expansion; secondly, by designing the connection of the metal insert to avoid stress concentrations at sharp edges (generous radii, gradual cross-sectional transitions); and thirdly, by selecting an elastomer whose glass transition temperature and low-temperature flexibility match the application range.
