Gripper Design

End Effectors

• Bridge between the Robot & Environment

• Also known as Grippers
• What is ideal Gripper?
• Like a Human Hand with fingers having 22 DOF??

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End Effectors

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Definition of End-Effecters

•A device that enables the general

purpose robot to grip materials,
parts and tools to perform specific
task

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 Types of Grippers

• Mechanical Gripper
• Hooking or Lifting Gripper
• Scooping or Ladling Gripper
• Vacuum cups
• Magnetic Gripper
• Adhesive Grippers
• Electrostatic Gripper

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Classification of Gripper

• Based on Use
• Part handling
• M/C Loading Unloading
• Pick & Place
• Tools handling
• Welding Gun
• Spray Painting Gun
• Special Grippers
• RCC

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Classification of Gripper

• Based on Grasping Modality

• Mechanical Fingers
• Special Tools
• Universal Fingers
• Based on Numbers of Fingers
• Two Fingered
• Most Popular
• Three Fingered
• Five Fingered

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Classification of Gripper

• Based on Numbers of
Grippers on Wrist
• Single Gripper
• Multi Gripper
• Based on Mode of
Gripping
• External
• Internal

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Classification of Gripper

• Based on DOF
• 1 DOF
• 2 DOF
• More than 2 DOF
• Special
• Electromagnetic
• Vacuum

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 Drives for Gripper

•Electric
• DC Servo Motor
• Stepper Motor
•Pneumatic
• Less Expensive
• Low Degree of Stiffness
•Hydraulic
• Generally Electro hydraulic
• Three Actuators
• Piston Cylinder
• Swing Motor
• Hydraulic Motor

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 Mechanical Grippers

• Types
• Linkages
• Gear and Rack
• Cam
• Screw
• Cable & Pulley
• Classification based on Type of Finger Movement
• Pivoting or Swinging movement
• Linear or Translational Movement

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Mechanical Grippers

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Mechanical Grippers

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Mechanical Grippers

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Mechanical Grippers

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Magnetic Gripper

• Used for Ferrous

materials
• Advantages
• Variations in part size can
be tolerated
• Pick up time are fast
• Ability to handle metal
parts with holes
• Only one surface is
required for holding

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Magnetic Gripper

• The attractive force P

 IN 
2

25 Ac Ra  Rm 

• Where
• IN = Number of amp – turns of coil
• Ac=Area of Contact
• Ra ,Rm= Reluctances of magnetic
paths through air & metal
respectively

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Vacuum Gripper

• Lift Capacity of
Suction cup depends
on the effective area
of the cup and the
negative air pressure
between the cup &
Object

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 Vacuum Gripper

• Where c

F  KPA  KA P  P
c a res

• F =Force of lift capacity
• P = Negative Pressure
• Ac = Total effective area of
suction cup
• K = Coefficient
• Pa= Atmospheric Pressure
• Pres= Residual Pressure

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Gripper Force Analysis

mg sin 
Fg 
n
• Where
• m = mass
• g = gravity acceleration
• µ = Coefficient of friction
• θ = angle subtended with
horizontal (Orientation)
• n = number of pairs of contact
surfaces

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Gripper Force Analysis

• Considering Factor of fos mg sin 

Fg 
Safety “fos” n

fos m g  a  sin 
• Considering Acceleration Fg 
n
• Where
• Kg= g factor fos mg sin   a
Fg  1  
n  g
fos W sin 
Fg  1  k g 
n

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 Gripper Force Analysis

• From the geometry of linkages find Actuating force Fa required

to develop Fg
• Based on Actuating Drive find Power Required to develop Fa

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Example 1

• A 5 kg rectangular block is
gripped in the middle and lifted
vertically at a velocity of 1 m/s.
If it accelerate to this velocity at
27.5 m s and the coefficient of
2

friction between the gripping

pad and the block is 0.48,
calculate the minimum force
that would prevent slippage

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Solution

• Considering free body

diagram

2Fg  mg  ma
ma  g 
 Fg 
2
527.5  9.8

2  0.48
 194.1 

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Example 2

• A simple pivot gripper is

used to hold boxes as
illustrated in the figure.
The gripping force
required is 20 kgf. The
gripper is to be actuated
by a piston device. Find
out actuating force
required.

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Solution

• As shown in figure taking moment of forces on the

arm

Fg L g  Fa La
Fg L g 20  20
 Fa    80 kgf
La 5

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Example 3

• The figure shows the

linkage mechanism and
dimensions of a gripper
used to handle a work-part
for machining operation.
Suppose it has been
determined that the
gripper force is to be 25
units. What is required is to
compute the actuating
force to deliver this force of
25 units.

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Solution

25(4 cos15)  F sin 45(1.5 cos15) 

F cos 45(1.5 sin 15)
 96.6  F (1.0246  0.2745)  1.2991F
 F  74.4 Units

Fa  2  74.4  cos 45

Fa  105.2 Units

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Example 4

• The mechanical gripper as shown in figure uses friction

to grasp a part weighing 10 units. The coefficient of
friction between the fingers an the part is 0.25 and the
anticipated g factor is 2.0. The gripper is to be operated
by a piston whose diameter is 2.5 units. The ram
diameter is 0.375 units. Use factor of safety as 1.5.
• Determine required gripping force to retain the part
• Determine the actuation force that must be applied to achieve
this gripping force for this mechanical design.
• Determine the air pressure needed to operate the piston so as
to apply the required actuation force.

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Solution???

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