Suction cups lift almost anything. Oct. 6, 2011. Suction pads come in a vast range of sizes, ... minimize air consumption, and not mar or damage the workpiece. And, of course, ...

Just lift one side of the rubber cup and let air into the space underneath. When the pressure is equalized, the suction cup comes right off. But what happens if you remove the atmosphere?

If I use a suction cup, I can remove air above some metal block to lift it. However, if I remove the air underneath the block also then there will be nothing pushing the block up and it will fall.