Rapid end-of-arm-tooling manufacturing of vacuum grippers

摘要

A new approach for the rapid manufacturing of end-of-arm robot tooling (EOAT) based on Venturi vacuum grippers is presented in this paper. It consists in designing and printing a monolithic tool that integrates the functionality of the components of a classic tool, into a single printable part, including vacuum ejectors, pneumatic connectors, air channels, and flexible suction cups. In particular, we study the performance of the new tooling in comparison with a traditional 3D printed one that integrates standard components on a 3D printed support. The performance of the tool using 3D printed suction cups against using commercial silicone cups is also compared regarding the resulting weight holding capability. We show that the new device can grab up to 6 N. Moreover, the main advantages of this approach include zero inventory and no need for assembly, among others. The resulting grippers can be customised for a particular application to produce devices using additive manufacturing, with minimum size, weight and no waste of materials.