The new robotic grippers help to grasp a wide range of items from stacking to handling tiny, delicate electronic components
Intro: Grippers are special devices designed to help robots handle objects in the real world. They are also known as ‘end-effectors’ or ‘manipulators’. Grippers are combined with a collaborative robot arm. The new Robotic gripper help to grasp a wide range of items from stacking large boxes to handling tiny, delicate electronic components.
Robot Grippers are of many different types that are available to use with UR cobots. Grippers are designed with two and three fingers, some are shaped like claws, some are mechanical gripper type, grippers with large suction cups, and even some grippers look like air-filled bags. With so many different types of grippers in robotics and so much overlapping terminology, choosing a gripper for the cobot will seem like a daunting task. Grippers can be divided into 5 main types, with each type being distinguished by the methods used to power and or control the gripper itself. They are:
- Vacuum grippers
- Pneumatic grippers
- Hydraulic grippers
- Electric grippers
The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) has announced that it has developed a gripper capable of all movements and it mimics how elephant picks up small objects by pinching them with the tip of their trunk or grip large objects by sucking in air deeply through their trunks. The researchers developed an elephant trunk-mimetic gripper that can grip an object with a pinch-suction fusion mechanism using its soft structure, stretchable thin wall, and wires, which allows the gripper to change its shape. This new technology is capable of gripping and assembling objects in a stable manner and can effectively transport various sizes of objects without the use of complicated mechanical devices or sensors.
The first of the lot is Vacuum Grippers use atmospheric pressure and vacuum to lift, hold and move objects. The vacuum is generated by a compressed air-driven pump. The vacuum flow must be uninterrupted to ensure that the cobot can safely hold on to the object it has picked up. This vacuum gripper can lift heavy objects because this compressed air-type gripper produces ten times more power than its electromechanical counterparts. Eg: DCL Logistics, a company based in the US, fitted a UR10e cobot with a Piab pic robot vacuum gripper to handle the picking and packing of items into boxes in the company’s fulfillment center. Another eg is the VG10 vacuum gripper. It is flexible and adjustable and no external air supply is required which reduces maintenance costs and speeds deployment. Its dual gripping functionality enables a shorter cycle time. the advantage is the ability to handle many different types of items and low prices compared to other grippers. The electricity costs to power compressed air or vacuum pumps and sensitivity to dusty conditions is a disadvantage. Another robotic gripper found in 2-finger and 3-finger configurations is a Pneumatic gripper which uses air and pistons to operate its jaws. The highlighting feature is its low cost, large grip force range, ability to operate in tight spaces, and fast response times. They handle single-part types and also provide limited force and position control and require compressed air to function. Eg: A small machine shop based in Washington, USA, chose Ph.D. PneuConnect pneumatic gripper to automate a tricky, three-operation machine tending task inside a CNC machine. This gripper is combined with UR5e cobot. Powered by Hydraulic fluids, Hydraulic grippers id ideal for heavy-duty applications since it provides more gripping power than their pneumatic counterparts. The hydraulic gripper has excellent gripping power. With the same power comes some disadvantages because it includes some added complexity of handling oil, a pump, and a reservoir. It has higher maintenance than other grippers. Electric grippers are used for machine tending and pick & place. They have the same level of gripping power as hydraulic grippers. These grippers are suitable for applications that require high speed and light or moderate gripping. They usually come in two-jaw and three-jaw configurations. The defining features of electric grippers are they always come with microprocessors that enable varying gripping force and speed. But electric grippers tend to provide less gripping force than pneumatic grippers. Eg: STAMIT, a machine tooling company based in the Czech Republic used a 2-finger electric gripper from Robotiq and a UR10 cobot to take care of the CNC machine tending tasks in its high-mix production environment.
Whereas, there are many other end effectors. A smart camera attached to the end of a robot arm could be used to help with inspection tasks. A welding tool ends effector attached to a robot which is used to safely automate welding tasks. Other end-effectors are used for dispensing like the AIM FD400 which is designed to provide accurate delivery of medium-viscosity fluids within a production setup.
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