Robotic systems include arms and other components capable of moving and manipulating various items in the manufacturing, packaging, and fabrication industries. These automation components can increase production speed and operate in unsafe conditions for human workers. Therefore, end arm tooling components are a diverse automation solution. Industries customize them to achieve many purposes, including niche applications.
In short, there are three main categories: grippers, sensors, and material tooling.
Grippers are one of the more common end arm tooling options. Manufacturers use grippers for specific automation sequences. A lot of industrial automation, especially in the manufacturing sectors, deals with picking, sorting, packaging, and assembly, and the ability of a robot to grasp and hold onto objects is heavily critical.
The wide variety of grippers on the market allows robotic arms to pick up, hold onto, manipulate, and move a huge variety of items. For example, consider the weight, distance moved, and how delicate the items are when choosing a gripper for your application.
The various types of grippers include:
Additionally, many automated robot arms have sensors for functionality and safety purposes. These sensors can detect the presence of items and obstacles to fulfill specific tasks. Also, they can often detect people, shutting down when they contact them. Collision sensors are the primary sensors that are most often used. Suppose the sensor detects a collision. In that case, the arm stops its motion allowing human workers to operate safely alongside their robotic counterparts.
In certain instances, manufacturers can use robotic arms to form, shape, and manipulate materials during automation. These types of tooling options include:
Many robotic arms allow you to change out these tools at will to use the same robotic components across multiple applications.
SMC has end arm tooling and grippers for a wide range of application needs.
Learn more here.
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