Have you ever imagined how hard it would be to pick up something without using your hands? Or perform a task with small objects while trying to minimize any potential damage from mishandling them? Grippers are tools used in robotics that serve the purpose of precisely manipulating and grasping objects, whether they are large or small.
Entertaining as this may sound, the art of designing efficient robotic grippers is rather intricate and complex – but now more than ever, many solutions for this problem have surfaced. In this article, we’ll uncover six popular types of robot grippers currently available on the market so that we can understand their different uses and applications better.
Pneumatic Grippers
Pneumatic grippers are incredible tools that can revolutionize almost any industry’s manufacturing and production process. Using air pressure, this versatile technology is perfect for optimizing efficiency and productivity, as it can precisely handle delicate items without causing any damage. Furthermore, pneumatic grippers use a method of clamping onto an object from two sides to ensure greater precision when manipulating different materials.
They are widely used, given their cost-effectiveness, reliability, and ease of maintenance compared to other gripping technologies. These grippers also have feedback sensors that allow them to adjust their grip on the object, making it easier to manipulate items of different shapes and sizes.
Electro-Mechanical Grippers
Electro-mechanical grippers are a type of robotic gripping technology that combines the power of electricity and mechanical force to achieve greater accuracy when handling objects. They feature separate jaws that can open and close, allowing them to grasp onto items quickly and securely easily. Additionally, their advanced design enables them to detect precise pressure levels, which helps them adjust their grip and handle objects more effectively, no matter how fragile or delicate they may be.
What’s more, electro-mechanical grippers are incredibly versatile and can be used in various industrial applications, including pick-and-place operations, product sorting and packaging, palletizing, and assembly tasks. Due to their robust and reliable design, they can withstand high temperatures and be resistant to dust or liquid contamination – making them an excellent choice for automation in hazardous environments.
Vacuum Grippers
Vacuum grippers are an innovative robotic gripping technology that uses suction to hold objects securely. This method is perfect for handling lightweight items such as cartons, bags, or pouches with great accuracy and speed – making them highly efficient in manufacturing or packaging.
This gripping technology stands out because it can adjust the suction force to handle objects of different sizes, shapes, and surfaces. Furthermore, they are also equipped with sensors that can detect when an object is adequately gripped or if it needs more suction force to secure it.
Servo-Electric Grippers
Servo-electric grippers are robotic gripping technology that combines electrical and mechanical components, allowing them to operate in challenging working environments. Equipped with several sensors, these grippers can detect the force applied to an object or product and analyze its shape and size accordingly.
Furthermore, they feature two independent jaw systems, enabling them to grip objects from multiple sides precisely. It makes them perfect for various applications, such as pick-and-place tasks, machine tending, and product sorting. Additionally, since they provide excellent control and accuracy, servo-electric grippers are ideal for handling delicate items such as food or medical products without damaging them.
Hybrid Grippers
Hybrid grippers combine different gripping technologies that can be used to manipulate objects with greater accuracy and speed. This type of gripper usually consists of a pneumatic cylinder combined with an electric motor or even two motors – allowing it to precisely control the force applied to the object to handle delicate items without causing any damage.
Hybrid grippers are an excellent choice for automation in pharmaceuticals, food production, electronics, and automotive manufacturing – given their reliability, accuracy, and adaptability. Furthermore, these grippers can also be programmed according to the needs of each application – enabling them to work with multiple items in the same process without any interference.
Adaptive Grippers
Adaptive grippers are a type of robotic gripping technology that can adjust its grip on an object depending on the shape and size of the item. It is achieved with the help of sensors which detect the force being exerted by the robot as it holds onto an object – allowing it to modify its position or even release pressure to prevent any damage.
Adaptive grippers are perfect for applications requiring high precision and accuracy, such as pick-and-place tasks, machine tending, or product sorting. They are also great for handling fragile electronic components, medical devices, and food products.