The Festo HPSX gripper is available in completely different finger configurations and is out there full or as parts. Supply: Festo
Smooth or compliant grippers enable robots to govern a variety of objects. Festo Corp. this week launched the HPSX gripper, which it described as a “hygienic mushy gripper engineered to deal with delicate, irregularly formed, and hygienically delicate merchandise.”
“The design of this pneumatic gripper is a major development over conventional, inflexible gripping options and addresses long-standing challenges in automating duties within the meals, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries, the place product injury is a priority,” stated the Esslingen, Germany-based firm.
The Festo HPSX is superior to suction grippers as a result of it may well deal with objects of various dimension, form, and orientation, stated Michael Guelker, product supervisor for pneumatic actuators at Festo. Suction grippers want flat surfaces to be picked up, he instructed The Robotic Report.
“HPSX can also be simpler to scrub,” Guelker stated. “Think about attempting to scrub suction cups, the air strains, and many others., when dealing with uncooked rooster breasts with direct vacuum grippers.”
“HPSX can also be mushy/versatile in order that it doesn’t injury or mark the objects,” he added. “Suction grippers usually tend to depart marks on the article.”
Festo designs HPSX for delicate, quick choosing
The Festo HPSX has fingers produced from mushy silicone-based materials, making them appropriate for shifting gadgets which are simply broken. The corporate stated it rigorously selected the fabric’s consistency to be mushy sufficient to forestall injury however agency sufficient to understand objects and transfer with ample acceleration.
The Festo HPSX presents an ISO50-standard robotic interface. Supply: Festo
Festo stated its analysis and growth group centered on refining the gripper’s form, dimensions, and inside geometry to maximise gripping power and decrease air quantity for sooner choosing. The HPSX can face up to acceleration as much as 15 Gs whereas holding as much as 1.1 lb. (0.5 kg).
The HPSX is out there in three sizes — 1.6, 2.8, and 4 in. (40, 70, and 100 mm) — and in two-, three-, and four-finger designs.
9 completely different varieties widen its software vary, famous Festo. HPSX encompasses a common ISO50 becoming for robotic end-of-arm tooling (EOAT).
The brand new gripper doesn’t include haptic sensing customary, however stress sensors do point out when the gripper fingers are open or closed, stated Guelker. It could be potential by request, he famous.
As well as, the HPSX can carry out a number of picks per second, in accordance with the corporate, whose U.S. headquarters are in Islandia, N.Y.
Rugged fingers prepared for industrial use
Festo stated its “common adaptive gripper” is corrosion-resistant and encompasses a sanitary design that makes it straightforward to scrub and keep. The supplies used are meals-grade and metal-detectable.
The Festo HPSX, which is designed for affordability, can deal with meat and eggs, stated Guelker.
“Dealing with uncooked protein is among the goal purposes, and now we have labored with some pilot clients testing the HPSX efficiency with dealing with uncooked rooster and beef, for instance,” he stated. “The HPSX can deal with any meals product straight, as a result of FDA-conforming, food-safe supplies and the IP69k high-pressure wash-down functionality to keep up cleanliness.”
Clients can substitute the blue silicone membrane fingers after they put on out themselves with none instruments, Guelker added. “Our testing confirmed a median lifetime of 5 million cycles, the place a cycle consists of choosing up an object and putting it down,” he stated.
Guelker did acknowledge some variables that may have an effect on the mushy grippers’ endurance:
- Very excessive or low temperature; the usual vary is 0°C to +60°C (32°F to 140°F)
- Floor roughness or abrasiveness of the objects dealt with
- Acceleration — tremendous quick speeds generate greater forces on the gripper, which may then put on out sooner
HPSX gripper is appropriate for a number of markets
Festo stated the HPSX’s potential to deal with all kinds of sizes and styles and not using a software change is necessary for purposes akin to kitting within the cosmetics business, the place a single gripper may have to choose up a number of completely different merchandise.
“Kitchen automation is one other goal software, utilizing robots and automation merchandise to automate sure capabilities inside a restaurant or meals preparation space,” stated Guelker. “For instance, now we have carried out testing with clients for issues like assembling/dealing with hamburgers, and assembling egg sandwiches, automated meeting of ‘build-your-own’ pizza kiosks, amongst others.”
He added that the gripper might be utilized in agriculture, the place Festo and clients have examined it for purposes akin to harvesting mushrooms and choosing strawberries.
The HPSX gripper can be utilized in agriculture and meals preparation. Supply: Festo
Festo presents a single level of contact, help
The HPSX works with Festo’s different parts, akin to controllers, valves, and pneumatic programs. The corporate asserted that this may cut back the effort and time required for set up and programming, as the unique tools producer (OEM) doesn’t have to fret about compatibility amongst merchandise from completely different distributors.
Festo added {that a} single level of contact for all automation simplifies troubleshooting, upkeep, and help, serving to OEMs, integrators and finish customers to cut back downtime and streamline their operations.
The ISO50 common becoming makes HPSX accessible to a large market, as Festo goals to compete with different gripper producers by providing a versatile answer that may be simply hooked up to present robotic arms.
“The usual HPSX can fulfill a majority of purposes with the usual out-of-the-box product, and for distinctive purposes, we will develop a custom-made model shortly and cost-effectively,” stated Guelker.
