What OnRobot Builds
OnRobot builds tools that mount on the end of a robot arm. It does not sell the arm itself. A buyer pairs an OnRobot gripper with a robot from another manufacturer and keeps that robot's controller, programming, and service network. The product documented in detail is the 2FGP20 Fork, a standardized, all-electric gripper for palletizing packaging that vacuum cups and side grippers cannot hold. OnRobot's examples are open cartons, display boxes, and shrink-wrapped trays with no flat, airtight top for suction. The 2FGP20 Fork slides forks under a box and holds it from above with an adjustable clamp. Supporting the box from its base lets a robot move a carton with no lid or with soft walls, which a suction cup cannot seal on. OnRobot sells into projects through system integrators and manufacturers, and its announcement cites feedback from integration partners. Chief executive Enrico Krog Iversen pitched the gripper as a ready-to-deploy replacement for the custom pneumatic tooling these boxes have often required. The cost argument has two parts: a catalog part in place of a one-off engineering job, and no compressed air supply to install. OnRobot has not published how it charges for the 2FGP20 Fork, whether by direct sale, through distributors, or bundled into an integrator's quote.
OnRobot Products and Models
These are the OnRobot models a buyer is most likely to be evaluating, and what each one actually does.
- 2FGP20 Fork (electric fork palletizing gripper) — The 2FGP20 Fork is OnRobot's standardized, all-electric fork gripper for palletizing open boxes, display boxes, and other low-rigidity packaging. OnRobot rates it for box payloads up to 16 kilograms (35.2 pounds) and slip sheets up to 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds). Forks lift each box from underneath, so a carton with no lid or soft walls is carried by its base. An adjustable top clamp applies 10 to 40 newtons of holding force, which keeps the box seated on the forks while the arm moves. OnRobot describes the gripper as globally available.
- 2FGP20 Fork configurations (variants of the same model) — OnRobot offers the 2FGP20 Fork in four standard fork configurations for different box sizes and palletizing setups. A standard configuration replaces custom machined forks. OnRobot's announcement does not list the dimensions of each configuration. Request the drawings and match them against the smallest and largest boxes on the line before ordering. These are fork options within the single 2FGP20 Fork model.
OnRobot Pricing and Availability
OnRobot has not published a price for the 2FGP20 Fork. Its announcement gives no list price, lease or rental option, or lead time. OnRobot describes the gripper as globally available and calls it the first globally available, out-of-the-box tool for this type of packaging, which is OnRobot's own claim. The gripper is one line in the cost of a palletizing cell. The robot arm, the adapter that mounts the gripper to that arm, safety guarding or area scanners, the pallet station, and integrator programming hours all add to the total. OnRobot's total cost of ownership argument rests on two points. The gripper runs on electricity alone, so a site skips the compressor, air piping, and filters that pneumatic tooling needs, along with their upkeep. As a standard part, it also replaces the design and machining time that custom fork tooling takes. For a usable number, ask OnRobot or its local integration partner for a written quote listing the gripper, the fork configuration, the robot-specific adapter, any software license, and delivery time to the site. Ask whether spare forks and clamp parts are stocked in the region. Product contacts and regional partners are listed at onrobot.com.
Who OnRobot Products Are For
The 2FGP20 Fork suits production lines that end in open cartons, retail display boxes, or shrink-wrapped trays weighing 16 kilograms or less. OnRobot says many of these jobs have stayed manual because standard grippers could not hold the packaging reliably. A plant still stacking these boxes by hand is the clearest fit. It also suits integrators who build several similar palletizing cells and want a repeatable tool rather than designing custom forks for each job. Sites with no compressed air at the end of the line avoid running new air lines to the cell. Some buyers should look elsewhere. Boxes heavier than 16 kilograms per pick exceed the published payload, so a heavy-duty palletizing robot with custom tooling is the route there. Sealed, rigid cases with flat tops are standard vacuum gripper work. Forks add fork-entry and withdrawal moves on those boxes without solving a handling problem. Buyers who need a published fixed price before talking to an integrator will not find one for the 2FGP20 Fork, and should request a quote early in the project.
- Robot compatibility: OnRobot lists ABB, Doosan, Fanuc, JAKA, Omron TM, Techman, Universal Robots and Kawasaki, with integration through its D:PLOY software, and says other brands connect through digital signals. Confirm the exact arm model, controller software version, and mounting adapter with OnRobot before ordering.
- Payload budget: the 16-kilogram (35.2-pound) figure is the box payload. The robot arm must carry the gripper's own weight plus the box at full reach. OnRobot has not published the gripper's weight in its announcement, so get it before sizing the arm.
- Fork entry and exit: forks must slide under each box at the pick point and pull out after placing. Check that the infeed conveyor leaves room for the forks, and that tight pallet patterns still leave a path for the forks to withdraw without dragging the last box.
- Clamp force against packaging: the top clamp applies 10 to 40 newtons. Run trials with the weakest display box and the most crushable tray on the line, at slow and fast robot speeds, to find a setting that holds the box without denting it.
- Cycle time: OnRobot has not published picks per minute. Ask for a measured cycle time on the actual box, pallet height, and stacking pattern, because fork entry and withdrawal add motion that a top-down vacuum pick does not need.
- Safety assessment: fitting a gripper to a collaborative robot does not make the cell safe by default. The full cell needs a risk assessment under International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard ISO 10218 and, for shared workspaces, ISO/TS 15066, a Technical Specification covering collaborative operation.
- Service and spares: the announcement does not state warranty terms or spare-parts policy. Ask OnRobot and the integrator who supports the gripper locally, how fast replacement forks or clamp parts ship, and what operator training is included at handover.
OnRobot Alternatives
Robots and vendors a buyer typically cross-shops against OnRobot.
- Robotiq — Robotiq, a Canadian maker of grippers for collaborative robots, makes grippers and vacuum tooling for collaborative robots. Vacuum picking from the top suits closed, sealed cases. Compare it with the 2FGP20 Fork when a line mixes sealed cases and open trays, and ask Robotiq which of those boxes its tooling can pick.
- Schmalz — Schmalz, based in Germany, specializes in vacuum technology. Vacuum tooling picks from the top and needs a surface it can seal on, so it suits sealed, flat-topped cases. On open or display boxes, Schmalz vacuum tools face the same limitation OnRobot designed the 2FGP20 Fork around.
- Piab — Piab, a Swedish company, makes vacuum grippers, suction cups, and vacuum pumps for robot handling. Its products fit end-of-line case handling where boxes have an airtight top. A plant with mostly sealed cartons and a few open-tray products could run Piab vacuum tooling on the sealed lines and fork tooling only where packaging requires it.
- Schunk — Schunk, a German gripping-systems manufacturer, sells a broad catalog of mechanical and electric grippers and works with integrators on engineered tooling. It is worth a call when a palletizing job falls outside a standard fork tool, such as boxes heavier than 16 kilograms or unusual shapes, and the project can absorb custom engineering time.
Recent news
A dated log of developments, each tied to its primary source.
- 2026-10-12 — OnRobot launched the 2FGP20 Fork, an all-electric fork palletizing gripper for open, display, and other low-rigidity boxes that lifts payloads up to 16 kg (35.2 lbs) from underneath with an adjustable top clamp (10–40 N), and is offered in four standard fork configurations; OnRobot lists ABB, Doosan, Fanuc, JAKA, Omron TM, Techman, Universal Robots and Kawasaki as supported. OnRobot pitches it as an off-the-shelf alternative to custom pneumatic tooling that needs no compressed air, and calls it the first globally available out-of-the-box tool for this type of packaging. Robotics Tomorrow
Bottom Line
The 2FGP20 Fork is a standardized, all-electric fork gripper for one specific job: palletizing open, display, and soft-sided boxes up to 16 kilograms that vacuum tools cannot seal on. Its published specs cover payload, a 10 to 40 newton top clamp, and four fork configurations. Price, gripper weight, cycle time, and a robot compatibility list are not published. Shortlist the OnRobot 2FGP20 Fork if open boxes are keeping a palletizing line manual, then request an itemized quote and a trial on real packaging.
Compare the 2FGP20 Fork with palletizing robots and other end-of-arm tools in The Bot Scout's industrial robotics coverage.
FAQs
What is the OnRobot 2FGP20 Fork?
The OnRobot 2FGP20 Fork is an all-electric palletizing gripper that lifts boxes from underneath on forks and holds them from above with an adjustable clamp. OnRobot designed it for open boxes, display boxes, shrink-wrapped trays, and other low-rigidity packaging that vacuum cups cannot seal on. It mounts on industrial and collaborative robot arms from other manufacturers, and OnRobot offers it in four standard fork configurations for different box sizes.
How much weight can the 2FGP20 Fork lift?
The 2FGP20 Fork handles box payloads up to 16 kilograms (35.2 pounds), according to OnRobot. That figure covers the box alone. The robot arm must also carry the gripper's own weight, which OnRobot did not state in its announcement. Confirm the gripper weight, then check the arm's rated payload at the reach the pallet requires. Boxes heavier than 16 kilograms need different tooling or a heavy-duty palletizing robot.
Does the 2FGP20 Fork need compressed air?
No. The 2FGP20 Fork runs entirely on electricity, so it needs no compressor, air lines, or air filtration at the robot cell. OnRobot says this lowers installation complexity, energy use, and maintenance compared with the custom pneumatic tooling often built for open boxes. The saving is largest at a site that would otherwise run new air lines to the end of the line, and smaller where compressed air is already nearby.
How much does the OnRobot 2FGP20 Fork cost?
OnRobot has not published a price for the 2FGP20 Fork. The cost of a working cell also depends on the robot arm, the mounting adapter, safety equipment, the pallet station, and integrator programming time. Ask OnRobot or a local integration partner for an itemized quote that separates the gripper, the chosen fork configuration, the robot adapter, any software, and lead time, so the gripper's share of the project is clear.
Which robot brands does the 2FGP20 Fork work with?
OnRobot names ABB, Doosan, Fanuc, JAKA, Omron TM, Techman, Universal Robots and Kawasaki as supported, with integration through its D:PLOY software, and says other brands connect through digital signals. Before ordering, confirm the exact arm model and controller software version with OnRobot, and ask which adapter plate that robot needs. Support at brand level does not guarantee every model or controller generation within that brand.
When should I choose a fork gripper over a vacuum gripper for palletizing?
Choose a fork gripper when boxes have no flat, airtight top for suction, such as open cartons, display boxes, or shrink-wrapped trays. Vacuum grippers are the standard choice for sealed, rigid cases because they pick from the top and need no clearance under the box. Lines with mixed packaging should trial both tool types on their real boxes and compare cycle time and box damage before deciding.