HavisTang showcases GripFarm gripper fabrication platform at SIMTOS 2022

HavisTang, a South Korean additive manufacturing engineering and EOAT (end-of-arm tooling) company, demonstrated its GripFarm platform at SIMTOS 2022, held at KINTEX in Ilsan from May 23-27, 2022. The company presented 3D-printed customized collaborative robot grippers, integrating design freedom and customized manufacturing capabilities inherent to AM. GripFarm allows users to input workpiece dimensions and weight to generate lightweight, rigid vacuum grippers with embedded channels, offered through a service-based platform at competitive pricing. The exhibition marked the return of SIMTOS after a four-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 1,000 companies from 30 countries occupying 4,800 booths.

This development sits within the industrial tooling segment, where AM adoption for jigs, fixtures, and grippers has become economically significant but remains media-invisible. HavisTang's GripFarm addresses a specific value-chain gap: the need for rapid, customized EOAT production that bypasses traditional machining lead times. The platform competes indirectly with polymer-based AM service bureaus and traditional EOAT manufacturers, but its differentiation lies in combining structural optimization with a user-friendly service model. In the broader AM landscape, this represents a service-led approach rather than a hardware sale, aligning with the industry's shift toward production services over machine sales. The Korean manufacturing ecosystem, heavily reliant on automation and robotics, provides a natural demand vertical for such customized gripper solutions.

From a practical standpoint, HavisTang must now demonstrate that GripFarm can deliver consistent part quality and turnaround times that match or exceed conventional EOAT fabrication. The platform's success hinges on its ability to convert exhibition interest into repeat orders from Korean manufacturers, particularly in automotive and electronics assembly lines. Buyers evaluating GripFarm should verify the mechanical performance of printed grippers under cyclic loading and compare total cost of ownership against machined aluminum alternatives.