Automate Your Application with Industrial Robots
March 16, 2022
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
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:
- Mechanical: use mechanical fingers and pincers to grasp and manipulate objects. The force with which they grab can be adjusted.
- Vacuum: use an external air supply or electrical systems that power the grippers to pick up items using suction cups. These can handle objects that require a soft touch and are common in high-speed pick-and-place applications.
- Adhesive: stick to items to pick them up and move them. It can handle extraordinarily lightweight items like pieces of fabric.
- Magnetic: able to pick up and move metallic and other magnetic items. The electromagnets are powered by electricity and can be turned on and off at will.
Sensors
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.
Material Manipulation Tools
In certain instances, manufacturers can use robotic arms to form, shape, and manipulate materials during automation. These types of tooling options include:
- Drilling and tapping holes into materials
- Welding materials together
- Trimming and grinding
- Cutting
- Smoothing
- Injection molding
Many robotic arms allow you to change out these tools at will to use the same robotic components across multiple applications.
SMC End Arm Tooling
SMC has end arm tooling and grippers for a wide range of application needs.
SMC's gripper series include:
- Pneumatic rotary grippers, two, three, and four-finger similar styles are ideal for gripping and centering.
- A wide-opening parallel model pneumatic gripper designed to accommodate many different-sized parts.
- A heavy-duty style, suitable for a wide range of applications.
- An angular model with speed adjustment built in.
- A toggle to give reliable gripping support.
- A low-contamination type, equipped with a protective boot.
- Electric gripper models.
Learn more here.
Ready to get started? Contact a Motion Automation Intelligence sales rep today.
