Reliable Vacuum CNC Gripping for Automated Machine Tending Vacuum Grippers for CNC

Pneumatic Vacuum Grippers for CNC Machine Tending

The GimVac™ is a pneumatic vacuum gripper built to mount in a CNC spindle. A built-in Venturi generator turns compressed air into suction, creating up to 12 PSI of vacuum at the cup. That turns your CNC machine into a complete vacuum gripping system that picks, places, and loads parts on its own.

A vacuum gripper holds a part by suction instead of mechanical jaws. That makes it the right pick for flat stock, thin sheet, or any part with no edge for a jaw to grip.

Automate Your CNC Tending
  • Venturi-powered vacuum gripping, no external pump needed
  • Built for CNC automation and unattended machining
  • Designed, assembled, and supported in the USA

GimVac™ Vacuum Grippers

Gimbel Automation offers two ways to add vacuum gripping to your CNC setup. Both use the same Venturi vacuum technology. The difference is how each one gets its air.

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GimVac3 vacuum spindle gripper for flat CNC parts GimVac3 vacuum gripper for flat CNC parts
GimVac3™ Gripper - Universal CNC Vacuum Spindle Gripper (Air)
From $1,379.00 $1,449.00
FloLink™ GimVac3™ Gripper - CNC Vacuum Spindle Gripper FloLink™ GimVac3™ Gripper - CNC Vacuum Spindle Gripper
FloLink™ GimVac3™ Gripper - CNC Vacuum Spindle Gripper
$2,189.00

Compare GimVac™ Vacuum Grippers to Mechanical Grippers

Model Price Pick Weight Actuation Best For
GimVac3™ Gripper (Air) From $1,379 Up to 25 lbs Venturi vacuum, powered by through-spindle air Flat parts or parts with no gripping edge, on machines with through-spindle air
FloLink™ GimVac3™ Gripper $2,189 Same Venturi vacuum head as GimVac3™ Venturi vacuum, delivered through the FloLink™ external air system Machines without through-spindle air or coolant
GimGripper4™
(mechanical, for reference) 		From $1,379 Up to 10 lbs standard, up to 40 lbs High Force Mechanical gripper fingers Parts with a solid edge, boss, or diameter to clamp

How a CNC Vacuum Gripper Works

The GimVac3™ mounts in your spindle like any other tool. A built-in Venturi generator converts compressed air into vacuum, pulling up to 12 PSI of suction at the cup. Your machine turns the vacuum on the same way it turns on coolant or an air blast, with a simple M-code. No external vacuum pump or compressor required.

The FloLink™ GimVac3™ works the same way, but pulls its air through the external FloLink™ block instead of through-spindle air. That makes it a fit for machines that don't have TSA or TSC.

GimVac3 vacuum gripper for flat CNC parts

Vacuum Gripper vs. Mechanical Gripper: Which Do You Need?

Not every part is a good fit for jaws. A vacuum gripper grips by suction, so it can hold parts a mechanical gripper cannot.

Choose a vacuum gripper (GimVac3™) when your part is:

  1. Flat or lightly contoured, with a clean surface for the suction cup to seal against
  2. Thin or delicate, where jaw pressure could mark or deform it
  3. Missing a step, boss, or edge for fingers to clamp

Choose a mechanical gripper (GimGripper4™) when your part has:

  1. A solid outer diameter or edge for jaws to grip
  2. Enough rigidity to handle clamping force
  3. A shape better suited to fingers than a flat suction seal

Small Vacuum Gripper for Small-Batch and High-Volume Production

The GimVac3™ ships with four suction cups in different sizes, so you can match the cup to your smallest parts. Because the vacuum head fits in a single tool slot, it works as a small vacuum gripper for shops running small-batch or high-mix jobs, without giving up a second tool position in the carousel.

The FloLink™ GimVac3™ works the same way, but pulls its air through the external FloLink™ block instead of through-spindle air. That makes it a fit for machines that don't have TSA or TSC.

Vacuum Grippers for CNC

Compatibility with your CNC setup

Our vacuum grippers and suction grippers are built to drop into an existing CNC setup, not replace it.

  1. Fits a 1/8" NPT port, so any standard suction cup works, including cups from other suppliers
  2. Runs on your machine's through-spindle air blast, no separate vacuum pump needed (GimVac3™ Air)
  3. Pairs with the MCodeAir™ Solenoid Kit for M-code controlled pneumatic switching
  4. Works on Haas, Brother, FANUC, Doosan/DN, Hurco, and DMG Mori machining centers
  5. Ships as a complete kit, ready to mount and program with our Program Generator