End Effectors

What are end effectors?

What are end effectors?
 Types of Robotic Grippers:
 1. Impactive – jaws or claws which physically grasp by
direct impact upon the object.
 2. Ingressive – pins, needles or hackles which physically
penetrate the surface of the object (used in textile, carbon
and glass fiber handling).
 3. Astrictive – suction forces (includes magnetic) applied to
the objects surface.
 4. Contigutive – requiring direct contact for adhesion to
take place (such as glue, surface tension or freezing)
 End effectors as a gripper

 MECHANICAL GRIPPERS
 HOOKS AND SCOOPS
 VACUUM GRIPPERS
 EXPENDABLE BLADDER TYPE GRIPPERS
 ADHESIVE GRIPPERS
 MAGNETIC GRIPPERS
 MECHANICAL GRIPPERS
A mechanical gripper is used as an end effector in a
robot for grasping the objects with its mechanically
operated fingers
 HOOKS AND SCOOPS
Hooks and scoops are the simplest type of end
effectors that can be classified as grippers.
Hooks are used to load and unload parts hanging
from the overhead conveyors. Scoops are used
for handling materials in liquid or powder form.
 VACUUM GRIPPERS
Vacuum cups, or suction cups, are often used as grippers in
manual or automated handling applications. They can secure
and help move a wide range of products everything from
bottles and bags to bricks and wooden boards, and sheet
metal, pipes and glass windows.
 EXPENDABLE BLADDER TYPE
GRIPPERS
A bladder type gripper is a specialized robotic end effector
that can be used to grasp, pick up, and move rod-shaped or
cylindrical objects.
 ADHESIVE GRIPPERS
An adhesion gripper is a robot end effector that
grasps objects by literally sticking to them. This
gripper is usually used for handling fabrics and
other lightweight materials.
 MAGNETIC GRIPPERS
Magnetic grippers are end effectors that uses magnetism as a
means of picking up magnetic materials.
 End effectors as tools
 Force-Torque Sensors
 Material Removal Tools
 Welding Torches
 Collision Sensors
 Tool Changers
 Painting
 Force-Torque Sensors
 Force-torque sensors (FT sensors) are pucks installed
between the robot flange and the tool that interacts
with the part. They measure the force and torque
that the robot applies to the part through the tool.
They are called 6 axis force-torque sensors because
they measure 3 force components (x-y-z) and 3
torques around those axes. FT sensors are used when
the force that the robot applies need to be
controlled.
 Material Removal Tools
 This category includes cutting, drilling and deburring
tools installed as robot tools.
 Welding Torches
 Welding is a very popular robotic application. Welding
torches have thus become very efficient end effectors
that can be controlled in a sophisticated way
for optimized welding. Some torches also come with
wire feeder for an even better control of the process.
 Collision Sensors
 Collision sensors are used to prevent damaging the
robot tooling and the parts being processed. They can
disengage or send a signal to the robot to stop at any
moment when a collision is detected.
 Tool Changers
 Tool changers are used when many different end
effectors need to be used in sequence by one robot.
They are used to standardized the interface between
the robot flange and the base of the tool. They can be
manual or automatic.
 Painting
 Painting is a hard task because the application has to
be smooth and regular. Since contamination is a
major issue, painting cells are often in a closed and
controlled environment. Therefore, painting robots
are good asset for producing quality work and
reducing contamination risks. Moreover, volatile paint
is a health issue for human painters.
 In each case, the robot must not only control the relative
position of the tool with respect to the work as a function of
time, it must also control the operation of the tool. For this
purpose. the robot must be able to transmit control signals
to the tool for starting, stopping, and otherwise regulating
its actions.

 In some applications, multiple tools must be used by the

robot during the work cycle, For example. several sizes of
routing or drilling bits must be applied to the work part.
Thus, a means of rapidly changing the tools must be
provided. The end effector in this case takes the form of a
fast-change tool holder for quickly fastening and
unfastening the various tools used during the work cycle.
How To Choose The Right Robotic
Gripper For Your Application
 Based on the process:
 Cycle time: The speed needed for clamping and/or opening or
closing the gripper will determine cycle time. The cycle time will also
determine acceleration and resulting G force from the gripper, a heavier
gripper will put more G stress on the robot and cause wear on its
parts. You must remember that robot specifications for maximum
acceleration are calculated by the sum of the gripper weight and the
part, so more gripper weight means less weight from the part you
handle

 Precision need: Some assembly work will require great precision, a

mechanical gripper, active by servo-electrical motors, would be ideal.
Part sorting processes will require gripper adaptability to ensure parts
can be sorted, especially those ranging in size or that are positioned
differently from each other.
Environmental need: Not all gripper types can be used in
every process. In the food and pharmaceutical industries for
example, hydraulic active grippers are forbidden since there
is a risk of oil spilling and contamination. In many clean room
industries vacuum and pneumatic grippers are also not
recommended since they can create flow of particles in the
air. Grippers used in less clean environments like foundries,
machining and welding are exposed to dirt and particles so
they must be protected. Corrosive or toxic environments in
nuclear or chemical industries also create special
considerations for protecting the gripper to ensure its
stability and safety of use.
 Based on the parts:
 Size: Except for vacuum grippers, all other grippers need to grip
parts with a parallel or angular closing. This means the bigger
the part, the more reach gripper fingers will require. In all cases,
the gripper must have enough reach to handle parts but not in
excess since longer fingers create more torque on the tool and
the robot.
 Shape: The shape of an object will determine which kind of
grasp can be done. Flat surfaces can be handled by vacuum or
magnet types of grippers while other shapes will be handled by
jaw, claws or multiple fingers. When using encompassing or
fingertip grasps, calculating finger reach must be taken into
account.
 Weight: To ensure grasping holds, a gripper must have enough
force to meet the weight of the part and time the acceleration it
can withstand during the process. A designer cannot simply use
maximum clamping force since damage to the part or the
gripper may occur.
Robotic End Effectors - Payload vs.
Grip Force
 Payload
This parameter is the maximum mass that can be attached or
supported by the wrist of the robot arm A payload is usually
expressed as a weight unit ( [kg] or [lbs]). This parameter will
include the mass of the end-effector and its bracket and will also
include the mass of the object that must be moved by the
robotic arm. Robotic welding applications should also consider
the payload as a parameter for robot selection. For example, an
arc welding torch is lighter than a spot welding gun, which will
result in a different payload total. Therefore, the robot selection
might be different for these two applications. Generally, the
payload is given by the robot manufacturer. Make sure you
consider every single part that can be attached to the wrist of
the robot arm in your calculations. It is also a good idea to add a
supplementary security factor to ensure that the total mass that
must be moved is slightly lighter than the maximum payload.
Notice that an end effector can also have a recommended
payload, which should guide you in selecting this tool.
 Grip Force
 Gripping force is the maximum effort applicable by the
end-effector. As robot grippers are not all alike, different
terms exist. Grip force is normally used for claw-grippers,
representing the force that the “fingers’’ can apply on a
part. In other cases, magnetic or suction force can be used
for applications requiring pneumatic or magnetic end-
effectors. This parameter is normally expressed as a force
unit (Newtons [N] or pound force [lbf]). The grip force is
usually given by the robot gripper manufacturer. At this
point, the difference between payload and grip force
should be noted. In fact, a robot arm cannot have a
gripping force, it is the robot gripper itself that is applying
a force on the object to retain it from slipping, especially
during movement.
 How to Calculate the Minimal
Gripping Force
 The calculation of the minimal gripping force that the
robot gripper must apply will include the mass of the
part that must be moved, the friction coefficient
between the finger material and the part material and
the gravitational acceleration constant. Here is a
short presentation of the calculation that can be
made to approximate the gripping force needed for
an application. Notice that the gripping force is the
sum of all the fingers’ force.
 F: Gripping force [N]
u: Coefficient of static friction
m: Mass of the part [kg]
g: Gravitational acceleration [9.81 m/s^2]
a: Acceleration (if it is significant)

 To make sure the part doesn’t slip during static prehension, the
gripping force should be higher than the weight of the part
itself.

F > m(g+a)/u *(safety factor)

 Since each application has its own friction coefficient, the safety
factor should be enhanced respectively for a low friction or high
friction use. The safety factor should likewise be enhanced if the
robot has a strong acceleration/deceleration or the possibility of
impact during movement.
 members

 Dale conrad javier

 Carl justine hammond
 Andrei catapang
 Lanz stevenson cruzat
 Rhica magboo
 Vhan Eleda
 Ivan Kristian Baldon
 Ma. Lyza Del Mundo