New gripper has six fingers

Citation

(2000), "New gripper has six fingers", Industrial Robot, Vol. 27 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2000.04927dad.003

New gripper has six fingers

New gripper has six fingers

Keyword: Grippers

New from Leader Grippers, Chertsey, is an ingenious six finger model designed to handle O-rings, seals or similar components on pick-and-place machines, robots and other automated assembly equipment (see Plate 3).

Manufactured by German workholding specialist, Sommer Automatic, the product features two independently driven pistons.

When pressure is applied to the first, it pushes six spring-loaded pickup fingers outward to expand the O-ring. Precise adjustment of the stroke is made via an external graduated scale ring.

Plate 3 New gripper has six fingers

Compressed air is then supplied to the second piston, causing ejector jaws to push the O-ring onto the shaft of the part being assembled. Removing air pressure allows both pistons to retract under pre-tensioned springs and the process can begin again.

The pickup fingers and ejector jaws can be machined and/or rotated 180° . O-rings of 4mm up to 60mm can be opened, depending on the size of pickup fingers selected.

Integral proximity switches can provide lateral monitoring of jaw opening and closing. These are located to the side of the gripper via sensor mounts and are actuated by pins situated under the jaws.

The model is constructed from durable anodised aluminium, while the working parts are manufactured in hard chromium plated bronze. It weighs just over 1/2kg.