Glass handling operations in construction, manufacturing, and industrial sectors require reliable lifting systems to ensure safe transportation while minimizing the risk of damage and improving operator safety. Vacuum lifters have emerged as an effective solution for handling large and fragile glass panels by generating secure holding forces through suction pads. The structural integrity and dynamic performance of critical components, particularly the suction pad and lifter arm, play a vital role in determining the overall reliability, stability, and service life of the lifting system. This study presents a finite element-based performance evaluation of the suction pad and lifter arm of a glass vacuum lifter through static structural and modal analyses using ANSYS Workbench. Three-dimensional models of critical components were developed and analyzed under representative operating conditions. For the suction pad, two elastomeric materials – Rubber and Silicone – were investigated to assess their mechanical response under vacuum loading. For the lifter arm, EN8 medium carbon steel and Stainless Steel (SS) were evaluated to compare their load-bearing capacity and dynamic behavior. Static structural analysis was performed to determine total deformation, equivalent (von Mises) stress, equivalent strain, and factor of safety, while modal analysis was carried out to identify the natural frequencies and corresponding mode shapes of the components. The simulation results provide a detailed comparison of the structural and vibrational performance of the selected material combinations under identical loading conditions. Comparative assessment highlights the influence of material selection on deformation characteristics, stress distribution, stiffness, and vibration response, thereby facilitating the identification of the most suitable materials for improved structural performance and operational reliability. The outcomes of this study offer valuable insights for the design optimization of glass vacuum lifters, leading to enhanced safety, durability, and operational efficiency. Furthermore, the proposed finite element methodology can be effectively extended to the design and performance evaluation of other vacuum-assisted material handling systems employed in industrial applications.

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1. Seretse OM. Material impact on performance of suction cups: A finite element analysis. J Ind Intell. 2023;1(3):165–183.
2. Son Y, Kim Y, Seo D, Jang H, Kim S. Numerical analysis on temperature-dependent sealing performance of various rubber materials in a vacuum suction pad. Appl Ocean Res. 2025;165.
3. Hudoklin J, Seo S, Kang M, Seong H, Luong AT, Moon H. Vacuum suction cup modeling for evaluation of sealing and real-time simulation. IEEE Robot Autom Lett. 2022;7(2):3616–3623.
4. Wang Z, et al. Self-closing and self-healing multi-material suction cups for energy-efficient vacuum grippers. Adv Intell Syst. 2023;5.
5. Witte HA, Wilson MJ. Design considerations for vacuum lifting systems used in glass handling applications. Int J Mech Eng. 2020;12(4):245–252.
6. Kim JH, Lee SW. Performance evaluation of vacuum gripping systems for industrial material handling. J Manuf Syst. 2021;58:126–136.
7. Murthy R, Sharma PK. Design optimization of vacuum grippers for automated glass handling. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2021;46:8120–8126.
8. Gopal APS, Rajesh KR. Finite element investigation of vacuum cup performance under different loading conditions. Procedia Manufacturing. 2021;54:321–328.
9. Xiao J, Vatcha R. Optimal grasp of vacuum grippers with multiple suction cups. Mech Mach Theory. 42(1):18–33.
10. Tiwari A, Persson BNJ. Physics of suction cups. Soft Matter. 15:9482–9499.
11. Kumar M, Singh R. Mechanical characterization of EN8 steel under static and dynamic loading conditions. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2020;27:2156–2162.
12. Verma S, Sharma P. Finite element analysis of EN8 steel components used in industrial applications. Int J Eng Res Technol. 2021;10(5):112–118.
13. Gupta AK, Bhatia R. Structural performance evaluation of EN8 steel components under mechanical loading. Eng Failure Anal. 2021;130:105–118.
14. Kiran BR, Rao MC. Stress analysis of EN8 steel machine components using finite element method. Int J Mech Eng Robot Res. 2022;11(3):245–252.
15. Rao SP, Kumar KR. Modal analysis of EN8 steel structural members. J Mech Sci Technol. 2023;37(2):1012–1021.
16. Das SK, Das PK. Mechanical and structural performance of SS304 under static loading. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2022;62:4120–4127.
17. Kumar R, Sharma N. Modal characteristics of stainless steel structures. J Vibration Eng. 2022;15(2):145–154.
18. Gupta A, et al. Finite element investigation of stainless steel structural components. Eng Struct. 2023;275:115–126.
19. Gent AN. Engineering with rubber: How to design rubber components. 4th ed. Hanser Publishers; 2021.
20. Busfield J, Muhr A. Mechanical behavior of elastomeric materials under static and dynamic loading. Rubber Chem Technol. 2021;94(2):245–260.
21. Stoček R, Holeček P. Finite element modeling of rubber components for industrial applications. Materials. 2022;15(11).
22. Mohan S, Kumar V. Structural analysis of rubber-based vacuum suction components. J Appl Polymer Sci. 2022;139(18).
23. Mark JE. Silicones and silicone-modified materials. ACS Publications; 2020.
24. Morgan AB. Silicone materials for industrial engineering applications. Springer; 2021.
25. Reddy KS, Kumar PR. Mechanical performance evaluation of silicone rubber components. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2021;47:5205–5212.
26. Ali MH, Rahman S. Finite element analysis of silicone-based industrial products. Int J Adv Manuf Technol. 2022;118:455–467.
27. Chen Y, et al. Dynamic characteristics of silicone elastomers under vibration loading. Polymer Testing. 2023;114.
28. Ewins DJ. Modal testing: Theory, practice and application. 3rd ed. Research Studies Press; 2020.
29. Rao SS. Mechanical vibrations. 7th ed. Pearson Education; 2022.
30. Moaveni S. Finite element analysis: Theory and application with ANSYS. 5th ed. Pearson; 2021.

Glass handling operations in construction, manufacturing, and industrial sectors require reliable lifting systems to ensure safe transportation while minimizing the risk of damage and improving operator safety. Vacuum lifters have emerged as an effective solution for handling large and fragile glass panels by generating secure holding forces through suction pads. The structural integrity and dynamic performance of critical components, particularly the suction pad and lifter arm, play a vital role in determining the overall reliability, stability, and service life of the lifting system. This study presents a finite element-based performance evaluation of the suction pad and lifter arm of a glass vacuum lifter through static structural and modal analyses using ANSYS Workbench. Three-dimensional models of critical components were developed and analyzed under representative operating conditions. For the suction pad, two elastomeric materials – Rubber and Silicone – were investigated to assess their mechanical response under vacuum loading. For the lifter arm, EN8 medium carbon steel and Stainless Steel (SS) were evaluated to compare their load-bearing capacity and dynamic behavior. Static structural analysis was performed to determine total deformation, equivalent (von Mises) stress, equivalent strain, and factor of safety, while modal analysis was carried out to identify the natural frequencies and corresponding mode shapes of the components. The simulation results provide a detailed comparison of the structural and vibrational performance of the selected material combinations under identical loading conditions. Comparative assessment highlights the influence of material selection on deformation characteristics, stress distribution, stiffness, and vibration response, thereby facilitating the identification of the most suitable materials for improved structural performance and operational reliability. The outcomes of this study offer valuable insights for the design optimization of glass vacuum lifters, leading to enhanced safety, durability, and operational efficiency. Furthermore, the proposed finite element methodology can be effectively extended to the design and performance evaluation of other vacuum-assisted material handling systems employed in industrial applications.

🔒 This is a subscription article

Full text is available to subscribers and institutional members. Please choose an option below to access it.

1. Seretse OM. Material impact on performance of suction cups: A finite element analysis. J Ind Intell. 2023;1(3):165–183.
2. Son Y, Kim Y, Seo D, Jang H, Kim S. Numerical analysis on temperature-dependent sealing performance of various rubber materials in a vacuum suction pad. Appl Ocean Res. 2025;165.
3. Hudoklin J, Seo S, Kang M, Seong H, Luong AT, Moon H. Vacuum suction cup modeling for evaluation of sealing and real-time simulation. IEEE Robot Autom Lett. 2022;7(2):3616–3623.
4. Wang Z, et al. Self-closing and self-healing multi-material suction cups for energy-efficient vacuum grippers. Adv Intell Syst. 2023;5.
5. Witte HA, Wilson MJ. Design considerations for vacuum lifting systems used in glass handling applications. Int J Mech Eng. 2020;12(4):245–252.
6. Kim JH, Lee SW. Performance evaluation of vacuum gripping systems for industrial material handling. J Manuf Syst. 2021;58:126–136.
7. Murthy R, Sharma PK. Design optimization of vacuum grippers for automated glass handling. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2021;46:8120–8126.
8. Gopal APS, Rajesh KR. Finite element investigation of vacuum cup performance under different loading conditions. Procedia Manufacturing. 2021;54:321–328.
9. Xiao J, Vatcha R. Optimal grasp of vacuum grippers with multiple suction cups. Mech Mach Theory. 42(1):18–33.
10. Tiwari A, Persson BNJ. Physics of suction cups. Soft Matter. 15:9482–9499.
11. Kumar M, Singh R. Mechanical characterization of EN8 steel under static and dynamic loading conditions. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2020;27:2156–2162.
12. Verma S, Sharma P. Finite element analysis of EN8 steel components used in industrial applications. Int J Eng Res Technol. 2021;10(5):112–118.
13. Gupta AK, Bhatia R. Structural performance evaluation of EN8 steel components under mechanical loading. Eng Failure Anal. 2021;130:105–118.
14. Kiran BR, Rao MC. Stress analysis of EN8 steel machine components using finite element method. Int J Mech Eng Robot Res. 2022;11(3):245–252.
15. Rao SP, Kumar KR. Modal analysis of EN8 steel structural members. J Mech Sci Technol. 2023;37(2):1012–1021.
16. Das SK, Das PK. Mechanical and structural performance of SS304 under static loading. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2022;62:4120–4127.
17. Kumar R, Sharma N. Modal characteristics of stainless steel structures. J Vibration Eng. 2022;15(2):145–154.
18. Gupta A, et al. Finite element investigation of stainless steel structural components. Eng Struct. 2023;275:115–126.
19. Gent AN. Engineering with rubber: How to design rubber components. 4th ed. Hanser Publishers; 2021.
20. Busfield J, Muhr A. Mechanical behavior of elastomeric materials under static and dynamic loading. Rubber Chem Technol. 2021;94(2):245–260.
21. Stoček R, Holeček P. Finite element modeling of rubber components for industrial applications. Materials. 2022;15(11).
22. Mohan S, Kumar V. Structural analysis of rubber-based vacuum suction components. J Appl Polymer Sci. 2022;139(18).
23. Mark JE. Silicones and silicone-modified materials. ACS Publications; 2020.
24. Morgan AB. Silicone materials for industrial engineering applications. Springer; 2021.
25. Reddy KS, Kumar PR. Mechanical performance evaluation of silicone rubber components. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2021;47:5205–5212.
26. Ali MH, Rahman S. Finite element analysis of silicone-based industrial products. Int J Adv Manuf Technol. 2022;118:455–467.
27. Chen Y, et al. Dynamic characteristics of silicone elastomers under vibration loading. Polymer Testing. 2023;114.
28. Ewins DJ. Modal testing: Theory, practice and application. 3rd ed. Research Studies Press; 2020.
29. Rao SS. Mechanical vibrations. 7th ed. Pearson Education; 2022.
30. Moaveni S. Finite element analysis: Theory and application with ANSYS. 5th ed. Pearson; 2021.