END EFFECTORS

END EFFECTORS
➢ In robotics, an “end effector” is a device or tool connected to the end
of a robot arm to enable the robot to accomplish a specific task.
Basically, it is a tool to grip, hold, and transport object and position
them in a desired location.
➢ End effectors are the devices through which a robot interacts with the
world around it, grasping and manipulating parts, inspecting surfaces,
and working on them. As such, end effectors are among the most
important elements of a robotic system.
 END EFFECTORS

➢ Robot end effectors are also known as robot’s

hand, robotic peripherals, robotic accessories,
robot tools or robotic tools, end-of-arm
tooling (EOA), or end-of-arm devices.
➢ An end effector attached to the robot arm is shown in the figure.
➢ The two categories of end effectors are grippers and tools.
 GRIPPERS

➢ Grippers are end effectors used to grasp and manipulate objects

during the work cycle. The objects are usually work-parts that are
moved from one location to another in the cell.
➢ Grippers take advantage of point-to-point control and are used in
applications for machine loading and unloading, material handling,
and assembling.
 GRIPPERS

 Grippers can be categorized as follows:

➢Mechanical grippers
✓Single grippers
✓Double grippers
➢Other types of grippers
✓Vacuum grippers
✓Magnetic grippers
✓Adhesive grippers
✓Hooks, scoops, and other miscellaneous
devices
 MECHANICAL GRIPPERS
 A mechanical gripper is an end effector which consists of two or more
mechanical fingers that can be actuated by the robot controller to grasp
the work part. A robot’s hand can have a maximum of three fingers and
these fingers, sometimes, are also called as jaws.
 Mechanical grippers can further be classified as follows:
➢Single grippers
➢Double grippers
 MECHANICAL GRIPPERS

▪ Single grippers: These grippers have only

one gripping device attached to the robot’s
wrist and are used mainly for pick and place
applications.
▪ Double grippers: These grippers have two gripping devices attached
to the robot’s wrist and are used to handle two separate objects. These
grippers are mainly used in machine loading & unloading applications
as both of the grippers can be actuated independently.
MECHANICAL GRIPPERS
 VACUUM GRIPPERS

▪ Vacuum grippers are used in the robots for grasping the non-ferrous
objects.
▪ It uses vacuum cups as the gripping device, which is also commonly
known as suction cups.
▪ This type of grippers will provide good handling if the objects are
smooth, flat, and clean. It has only one surface for gripping the objects.
Most importantly, it is not best suitable for handling the objects with
holes.
 VACUUM GRIPPERS
 Generally, the vacuum cups (suction cups) are in the round shape. These
cups are developed by means of rubber or other elastic materials.
Sometimes, they are also made up of soft plastics. Moreover, the vacuum
cups are prepared of hard materials for handling the soft material objects.
 These devices are mainly used for holding objects like glass, ceramic
tiles, etc. to avoid the marks on the object’s surface as the use of
mechanical grippers may produce scratches which ruin the aesthetic look
of the object.
VACUUM GRIPPERS
VACUUM GRIPPERS
 VACUUM GRIPPERS
 Advantages
➢The gripper is light weight.
➢No danger of scratches or crushing of fragile objects.
➢Distribution of uniform pressure on the objects during operation.
➢It works and does not let the workpiece fall down during the
power failure.
➢It requires only one surface of the object to grasp.
➢Many different materials can be used in grasping operation.
 VACUUM GRIPPERS
 Disadvantages
➢It works only on flat, clean and smooth surfaces.
➢The maximum force is limited by size of suction cups.
➢Time may be needed form vacuum creation.
➢It is not suitable for the curved surfaces or the surfaces with
holes & cavities.
➢Sometimes, positioning may be inaccurate.
 MAGNETIC GRIPPERS
 Magnetic grippers are most commonly used in a robot as an end
effector for grasping the ferrous materials. It is another type of
handling the work parts other than the mechanical grippers and
vacuum grippers.
 The magnetic grippers can be categorized as follows:
➢ Magnetic grippers with electromagnets, and
➢Magnetic grippers with permanent magnets.
 MAGNETIC GRIPPERS
 Electromagnetic gripper: It includes a controller unit and a DC
power for handling the materials. This type of grippers is easy to
control, and very effective in releasing the part at the end of the
operation than the permanent magnets. If the work part gripped is to be
released, the polarity level is minimized by the controller unit before
the electromagnet is turned off. This process will certainly help in
removing the magnetism on the work parts. As a result, a best way of
releasing the materials is possible in this gripper.
 MAGNETIC GRIPPERS
▪ Permanent magnets gripper: It does not require any sort of
external power as like the electromagnets for handling the materials.
▪ After this gripper grasps a work part, an additional device called as
stripper push-off pin will be required to separate the work part from
the magnet. This device is incorporated at the sides of the gripper.
 MAGNETIC GRIPPERS
 The advantage of this permanent magnet gripper is that it can be
used in hazardous applications like explosion-proof apparatus
because of no electrical circuit. Moreover, there is no possibility of
spark production as well.
MAGNETIC GRIPPERS
 MAGNETIC GRIPPERS

 Advantages
➢It can handle objects with holes.
➢It requires only one surface to grasp the object.
➢Pickup times are very fast.
➢It can tolerate the variations in object size.
➢It does not require separate designs for handling different size of
materials.
 MAGNETIC GRIPPERS
 Disadvantages
➢Residual magnetism remaining in the object may cause problems.
➢Possible side slippage if moved quickly.
➢While picking up the sheet from the stack, it is possible that more than
a single sheet is lifted (if the magnetic attraction tends to penetrate
beyond the top sheet in the stack).
➢Sometimes, oil on the surface can reduce the strength of the gripper.
➢The machining chips may stick to the gripper during operation.
 ADHESIVE GRIPPERS
 In this gripper, the adhesive body is used to grasp the fabric objects. It is
also very much suitable for carrying the light-weight materials. As like
magnetic and vacuum grippers, it uses only one surface for gripping the
objects.
 ADHESIVE GRIPPERS
 One disadvantage in this gripper design is that it will lose its strong
adhesive substances when it is used continuously. As a result, the
consistency of the gripper is reduced and leads to the improper grasping of
objects.
 This disadvantage can be solved by constantly applying the adhesive
substances on the gripper. It can be done by using a continuous ribbon
connected to a feeding system, which is placed in the robot wrist. This
process looks very much related to the operation of a typewriter ribbon
system.
ADHESIVE GRIPPERS
 HOOKS, SCOOPS, & INFLATABLE DEVICES

 Hooks: A hook gripper is incorporated in an operation for picking up

the containers of parts. A hook that grips an object will require a
handle for permitting the gripper to grasp it.
 Moreover, this type of grippers can be used in the part loading and
unloading process in which the work parts hang from the overhead
conveyors.
 HOOKS, SCOOPS, & INFLATABLE DEVICES
 Scoops: Scoop is used as an end effector for grasping the material in
the form of powder or liquid. It handles some objects like molten
metal, food, chemicals, and granular. There are two problems in this
gripper such as:
➢The control of the material is very difficult.
➢It may also spill out the materials, while performing the process.
 HOOKS, SCOOPS, & INFLATABLE DEVICES
 Inflatable bladder type grippers: The inflatable bladder type
gripper is made of rubber or some sort of elastic materials. It can be
used to pick up the fragile objects by expanding the inflatable
bladder. The mechanical gripper applies concentrated power for
grasping a material, while this type of gripper applies a constant
handling pressure in opposition to the object surface.
GRIPPERS
 TOOLS AS END EFFECTORS
 A tool is mounted on the robot's wrist for carrying out several
operations on the work parts instead of grasping it. A tool itself acts as
an end effector when it is attached directly to the robot’s wrist.
▪ In some applications, there will be a need for multi-tool task, and
changing the tool all the time from the robot wrist will be highly
difficult. As a result, a gripper is used in this process to grasp and
manipulate the tool. It certainly helps the robot to handle several tools
in an operation, and thus makes the multi-tooling function possible.
Moreover, the time taken to change the tool is very low.
TOOLS AS END EFFECTORS
 TOOLS AS END EFFECTORS
 Some examples of tools used as end effectors in robot applications
include:
➢Spot welding tools Spray painting nozzle
➢Arc welding torch
➢Rotating spindle for operations such as:
✓Drilling Routing Wire brushing Grinding
➢Liquid cement applicators
➢Water jet cutting tool
➢Heating torches
 Requirements and Challenges of Robot End Effectors
Requirements of End Effectors
▪ Compatibility with Task and Workpiece: The end effector must be
suited to the size, shape, material and fragility of the item it handles. For
example, delicate components may require soft-grip or vacuum-based
end effectors.
▪ Adequate Payload Capacity: The end effector must handle the
maximum payload including additional forces during processing
without deformation or accuracy loss.
▪ Positional Accuracy and Repeatability: Precise positioning relative to
the workpiece is essential for consistent execution of operations such as
insertion, welding, or assembly.
▪ Reliability and Durability: End effectors must withstand mechanical
stresses and environmental conditions (heat, dust, liquids, vibration)
throughout their working life.
▪ Flexibility and Ease of Changeover: End effectors should offer
adaptability or quick changeover features to handle multiple product
types with minimal downtime.
▪ Safety: The design must prevent accidental dropping of components
and avoid harming human operators. Features such as force limiting and
fail-safe mechanisms are essential.
▪ Integration and Control: The end effector should integrate easily with
the robot controller, sensors and auxiliary equipment, responding
accurately to control commands.
 Requirements and Challenges of Robot End Effectors
Requirements of End Effectors
▪ Compatibility with Task and Workpiece: The end effector must be
suited to the size, shape, material and fragility of the item it handles. For
example, delicate components may require soft-grip or vacuum-based
end effectors.
▪ Adequate Payload Capacity: The end effector must handle the
maximum payload including additional forces during processing
without deformation or accuracy loss.
▪ Positional Accuracy and Repeatability: Precise positioning relative to
the workpiece is essential for consistent execution of operations such as
insertion, welding, or assembly.
Challenges in End Effector Design and Use
▪ Diversity of Workpieces: The wide variation of workpiece geometries
and materials makes it difficult to design a single gripper to handle all
parts without compromise.
▪ Balancing Grip Force and Damage Risk: Providing enough force to hold
a part firmly while ensuring it is not damaged is a major challenge,
especially for fragile products.
▪ Environmental Influence: Extreme temperatures, dust, corrosive fluids,
or electromagnetic noise can affect end effector performance and
degrade sensors and actuators.
Challenges in End Effector Design and Use
▪ Space Constraints: Robots often operate in restricted or cluttered spaces.
Designing an end effector that fits within available workspace while
providing required functionality is challenging.
▪ Cost vs Flexibility Trade-off: Highly adaptive or multi-purpose end
effectors are expensive, while low-cost ones are usually
application-specific.
▪ Wear and Maintenance: Contact surfaces, actuators, seals, and suction
cups are subject to wear and require regular inspection and maintenance.
▪ Sensing and Feedback Integration: Integrating built-in sensors (force,
tactile, proximity) and effectively using the data to adapt remains
technically difficult.