SMC announces master distributor partnership with Soft Robotics

SMC Corporation of America, a subsidiary of SMC Corporation (Tokyo, Japan), a leading global pneumatics and industrial automation components manufacturer located in Noblesville, Indiana, has become a master distributor of Soft Robotics Inc. (Bedford, MA) for strategic global markets.

This strategic partnership will empower SMC Corporation’s global sales team to bring Soft Robotics’ groundbreaking robotic technology to its customers around the world.

“Signing a master distributor agreement with Soft Robotics Inc. is the natural next step for SMC as our complementary products are essential for future-proofing production lines in all industries, especially food & beverage, packaging, logistics and e-commerce,” says Yoshiki Takada, Executive Vice President, SMC Corporation.

Soft Robotics’ novel soft grippers and control systems make possible high speed, reliable picking of delicate and highly variable items commonly found in food processing, consumer goods production, and logistics applications.

“Soft Robotics is delighted to partner with SMC to expand our global reach and bring our unique robotic automation solutions to machine builders at scale. Together we will unlock the full potential of industrial automation for all industries at a time when labor is becoming more scarce, global food producers are under intense pressure to improve product safety, and the world battles the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Jeff Beck, Executive Chairman.

“Although this newly announced global partnership is a powerful next step, our two companies began collaborating years ago when the engineers at SRI designed the first of many production ready Soft Robotics Control Units. This proprietary system, currently deployed in hundreds of global installations, incorporates several SMC components including solenoid valves and an ITV series electro-pneumatic regulator to deliver high-performance operation, world-class reliability, and extremely long cycle life to meet the demands of the industry,” says Mark Chiappetta, Chief Operating Officer.