Nov 06, 2025
Project Spotlight: Gripping Systems for Textile Production Chains
Gripping Systems for Textile Production Chains
We are excited to present our current research project IGF – Development of Autonomous Gripping Systems for Textile Process Chains. In collaboration with the iC3@Smart Production group at Technische Hochschule Wildau, we are working to revolutionize the handling of flexible, porous materials like textiles, leather, or films.
🔹 Challenge
Handling flexible material stacks—stacking, unstacking, or picking individual layers—is still mostly manual or semi-automated in the textile and apparel industry. Our autonomous gripping system aims to make these processes safe, reliable, and fully automatable.
🔹 Project Context & Relation to Previous Project
Building on the findings from the ZIM cooperation project: Development of technology and equipment for adhesive handling of flexible, porous materials, where ITM and TH Wildau already developed innovative solutions for handling flexible materials, we are now creating an intelligent, modular gripping system. This system will efficiently pick, position, and transport textile surfaces—regardless of the material type.
🔹 Goal & Approach
We aim to develop a dynamic, modular gripper system featuring:
· Optical sensors for precise material recognition
· Actuators and force-transmission systems for exact handling
· Smart grippers that automatically adjust for material type, grip force, and position
A demonstrator will showcase autonomous recognition, optimal grip-force calculation, and precise handling.
🔹 Industrial Benefits
The modular gripper can be used in transport processes between production stations and for positioning technical and apparel textiles, making textile production chains more efficient, safer, and cost-effective.
© Sven Ellger
Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter
NameDipl.-Ing. Jacob Hoßfeld
Automatisierung und 3D-Druck
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Professur für die Entwicklung und Montage von textilen Produkten
Professur für die Entwicklung und Montage von textilen Produkten
ℹ️ If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our colleague Jacob Hoßfeld.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie, the Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF) program, and the Forschungskuratorium Textil e. V. their valuable support and making this project possible.
The IGF research project 01IF23426N of the research association Forschungskuratorium Textil e. V. is funded by the AiF as part of the program for the promotion of “Industrial Collective Research (IGF)” with funds from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection on the basis of a resolution of the German Bundestag.