IMI is a global leader in fluid and motion control dedicated to solving customer challenges in the process automation, industrial automation, climate control, life sciences, and transportation industries with scalable solutions that drive sustainable growth. Its portfolio of pneumatic actuators extends across two separate but unified brands, IMI Bimba and IMI Norgren, and serves both original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and end-users around the world.

Pneumatic actuators, also commonly referred to as pneumatic cylinders or pneumatic drives, convert compressed air into linear and rotary motion and deliver a substantial amount of force and power for their size. Even relatively low-pressure actuators still capable of moving hundreds of pounds. They’re also simpler and typically more durable than electric and hydraulic actuators, with lifecycles extending into the millions of cycles.

IMI Bimba and IMI Norgren offer single- and double-acting pneumatic actuators in a variety of different styles — including roundline, compact, NFPA (National Fluid Power Association), guided thruster, rodless, rotary, non-rotating, repairable, nonrepairable, and ISO — to solve automated motion challenges in industries with considerable differences in operating and regulatory environments and requirements. IMI pneumatic actuators are particularly popular in the agriculture, automotive, food and beverage, material handling, packaging, medical, battery and hydrogen production, industrial process, commercial vehicle, rail transportation, and theme park industries.

Roundline pneumatic actuators, like the IMI Bimba Original Line®, are well suited for light- to medium-duty, lower-force applications and are widely available with options including bumpers, magnets, or adjustable cushioning. The Original Line introduced the first nonrepairable air cylinders to market back in 1957 — enabling quick, easy, and cost-effective pneumatic motion control — and continues to set standards today, offering more sizes and options than comparable solutions with an exceptional service life of 3,000 miles of travel or more.

The IMI Bimba Original Line currently offers more than 150,000 different standard cylinders. The range includes an expansive selection of standard single-acting, reverse single-acting, and double-acting cylinders with 12 bore sizes extending from 5/16” to 3”, as well as a selection of specialty styles (e.g., three-position, non-rotating, Z-line, rod lock, and hole punch cylinders), all of which are available in a wide variety of stroke lengths and mounting styles and lubricated with a permanent semi-synthetic grease that eliminates the need for additional lubrication at any point in the product’s lifecycle.

The line also offers features:

• Type 304 stainless steel bodies made with a double rolled construction and a mirror-finish inside diameter (ID) for superior performance
• High-strength carbon steel or Type 303 stainless steel piston rods equipped with high-strength roll-formed rod threads
• Low breakaway frictional characteristics, including collapsible Buna N “U” cup rod and piston seals and oil-impregnated sintered bronze rod guide bushings
• Durable aluminum alloy pistons
• Secure piston-rod connections that are threaded, sealed, and riveted
• Robust aluminum or stainless steel end caps machined for minimal breakaway during initial pressurization
• A 250psi rating

Additional options for IMI Bimba Original Line pneumatic actuators include magnetic pistons for position detection, bumpers for noise reduction, wipers for contamination, adjustable cushions to reduce energy, extra rod extensions, standard and heavy-duty springs, and high- and low-temperature capabilities and heavy-duty materials for harsh environments.

Both IMI Bimba and IMI Norgren also offer a variety of components crucial to deploying pneumatic actuators in various industries and applications, including air preparation devices that filter, regulate, and lubricate the air, valves that control the directional flow of the air, and corresponding accessories, such as mounting solutions.

About IMI

IMI plc is a FTSE100 global specialist engineering company that designs, manufactures and services highly engineered products to control the precise movement of fluids. Its innovative motion and flow control technologies, built around valves and actuators, enable vital sectors to become safer, more sustainable and more productive. IMI combines world class applications engineering expertise with a continued focus on customer satisfaction, market-led innovation and complexity reduction to solve its customers most acute engineering problems. IMI employs approximately 10,000 people, has manufacturing facilities in 18 countries and operates a global service network. The Company is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

About RS

RS is a high-service global product and service solutions provider for industrial customers, enabling them to operate efficiently and sustainably.

We operate in 36 markets, stock over 830,000 industrial and specialist products, and list an additional five million relevant for our industrial customers, sourced from over 2,500 suppliers. This extensive range supports our customers across the industrial lifecycle of designing, building, and maintaining equipment and operations. We enhance their experience through a tailored service model, leveraging our efficient physical, digital, and process infrastructure sustainably. We combine a technically led and digitally enabled approach with an exceptional team of experts; ultimately, it’s our people that make the difference.

Our purpose, making amazing happen for a better world, reflects our focus on delivering results for people, planet, and profit.

RS Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange with stock ticker RS1 and in the year ended 31 March 2025 reported revenue of £2,904 million.

About RS in the Americas

In the Americas region, RS stocks more than 250,000 industrial and electronic products from more than 700 trusted suppliers. These solutions cover categories extending from automation and control equipment to interconnect, passive, active, and electromechanical components and include more than 80,000 high-quality, competitively priced RS PRO products.

“The VGP30 is engineered to maximize manufacturers’ throughput and flexibility,” says Enrico Krog Iversen, CEO of OnRobot. “With its high payload capacity, intelligent vacuum control, and seamless integration, the VGP30 enables users to automate demanding palletizing tasks with ease, reduce energy costs, and achieve same-day installation”.

Thomas Lorenscheit, CEO of OnRobot partner Lorenscheit Automatisierungstechnik, emphasizes the vacuum gripping of the VGP30: “It’s incredibly strong, – and as easy to use as any other OnRobot gripper,” he says, adding how finding one reliable gripper for palletizing different types of cardboard boxes has always been a challenge. “The VGP30 stands out by delivering consistently high performance, whether we’re handling premium or lower-grade cardboard”.

Key features and benefits of the VGP30:

• High Payload: Capable of handling up to 30 kg (66 lbs.).
• Immediate Deployment: Ready to use out of the box, including all necessary hardware and software for seamless integration with all leading robot brands.
• Intelligent Vacuum Control: Automatically adjusts to any box size or interlayer, optimizing air consumption and reducing energy costs.

• Multichannel Capability: Provides failsafe and flexible operations. The VGP30 has two channels that can be operated together or independently, convenient for handling small boxes.

• Seamless Integration with D:PLOY: The VGP30 seamlessly integrates with OnRobot’s D:PLOY platform, the first automatic software development platform that enables the configuration of complete, off-the-shelf robotic systems for high-mix manufacturing applications.

About OnRobot

Founded in 2018, OnRobot’s mission is to break down automation barriers and bring the benefits of robotic automation to manufacturers of all sizes. The company is the world’s leading provider of hardware and software solutions for collaborative applications. All offerings are based on the same ‘One System, Zero Complexity’ platform, delivering a unified experience across all major robot brands. OnRobot’s products and solutions are provided through more than 700 distribution and system integration partners and used in many different industries.