Flexibility and Some Applications of Grippers

Highly flexible robots need flexible grippers able to grip components of many different forms and shapes. For such applications various grippers have been developed, since no single industrial gripper has sufficient flexibility to simulate the human hand, which can cover a wide variety of assembly tasks. In many cases properly designed objects, added gripping features and well-designed feeding systems lead to simpler grippers. This paper highlights grippers which are used in the 'ACME-FMS' at Wollongong University. Two families are described, viz. concentrical, lever-type sliding grippers driven by pneumatic cylinders, gear-type grippers operated by a DC motor with variable gripping force, as well as an automatic quick-change system to automatically fit several universal grippers one by one. Considering the complexity of grippers and their dependence on particular manufacturing systems, it is concluded that gripper design may best be done by the end-users themselves or by utilising the expertise of appropriate industrial assistance agencies.