Robot Grippers

Robot grip­pers are the phys­i­cal inter­face between a robot arm and the work piece. This end-of-arm tool­ing (EOAT) is one of the most impor­tant parts of the robot. One of the many ben­e­fits of mate­r­i­al han­dling robots is the reduc­tion of part dam­age. A grip­per comes in direct con­tact with your prod­uct, so it’s impor­tant to choose the right type of grip­per for your oper­a­tion to pre­vent break­age, delays, or accidents.

Types of Robot Grippers

There are four types of robot­ic grip­per types: vac­u­um grip­pers, pneu­mat­ic grip­pers, hydraulic grip­pers and ser­vo-elec­tric grip­pers. Man­u­fac­tur­ers choose grip­pers based on which han­dling appli­ca­tion is required and the type of mate­r­i­al in use.

Vac­u­um Grippers

The vac­u­um grip­per has been the stan­dard EOAT in man­u­fac­tur­ing because of its high lev­el of flex­i­bil­i­ty. This type of robot grip­per uses a rub­ber or polyurethane suc­tion cup to pick up items. Some vac­u­um grip­pers use a closed-cell foam rub­ber lay­er, rather than suc­tion cups, to com­plete the application.

Vac­u­um grip­pers are com­mon­ly used for flat objects, such as box­es and wood, and are ben­e­fi­cial if you want to arrange items on pallets.

Pneu­mat­ic Grippers 

The pneu­mat­ic grip­per is pop­u­lar due to its com­pact size and light weight. It can eas­i­ly be incor­po­rat­ed into tight spaces, which can be help­ful in the man­u­fac­tur­ing indus­try. Pneu­mat­ic robot grip­pers can either be opened or closed, earn­ing them the nick­name ​“bang bang” actu­a­tors, because of the noise cre­at­ed when the met­al-on-met­al grip­per operates.

Pneu­mat­ic grip­pers can be used to hold and lift heavy objects.

Hydraulic Grip­pers

The hydraulic grip­per pro­vides the most strength and is often used for appli­ca­tions that require sig­nif­i­cant amounts of force. These robot­ic grip­pers gen­er­ate their strength from pumps that can pro­vide up to 2000psi. Although they are strong, hydraulic grip­pers are messier than oth­er grip­pers due to the oil used in the pumps. They also may need more main­te­nance due the grip­per being dam­aged because of the force used dur­ing the application.

Ser­vo-Elec­tric Grippers

The ser­vo-elec­tric grip­per appears more and more in indus­tri­al set­tings, due to the fact that it is easy to con­trol. Elec­tron­ic motors con­trol the move­ment of the grip­per jaws. These grip­pers are high­ly flex­i­ble and allow for dif­fer­ent mate­r­i­al tol­er­ances when han­dling parts. Ser­vo-elec­tric grip­pers are also cost effec­tive because they are clean and have no air lines.

Ser­vo-elec­tric grip­pers can be used for machine tend­ing and pick and place applications.

Find the Right Grip­per with Robots​.com

Robots​.com is an expe­ri­enced mate­r­i­al han­dling robot inte­gra­tor. We are able to not only help you choose the right type of grip­per, but we can also cus­tomize the size and shape need­ed to fit your spe­cif­ic prod­uct needs. Choos­ing the prop­er grip­per is essen­tial to ensur­ing suc­cess­ful automa­tion appli­ca­tions. For more infor­ma­tion, con­tact Robots​.com today at 877−762−6881 or by fill­ing out our con­tact form.