The Fraunhofer Institute for Mechatronic Systems Design IEM has developed a cutting-edge robot gripper that boasts an impressive array of features, setting it apart from other grippers currently available on the market. Not only is it force-sensitive, but it is also dynamic and energy-efficient, making it a highly versatile tool that can be used in a range of industrial settings. Most notably, the gripper has been designed to handle fragile objects with care, ensuring that they are safely transported from one production step to the next without sustaining any damage. This unique combination of qualities makes the new robot gripper an invaluable asset to businesses looking to streamline their production processes while maintaining a high standard of quality control.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Mechatronic Systems Design IEM has developed a robot gripper that is specifically tailored to the needs of the food industry. The gripper is designed to handle delicate food products with great care, helping to reduce waste and ensure that high-quality standards are maintained throughout the production process. Unlike traditional pneumatics, the gripper is powered by an electric drive, making it more energy-efficient and cost-effective.
At the upcoming Hannover Messe 2023, the Fraunhofer IEM team will showcase the gripper as part of a cobot workstation, demonstrating how it can be used to move fragile food products without causing damage. One of the main challenges of automating food production is finding a way to handle products quickly and dynamically without compromising their quality. The new gripper system offers a solution to this problem, allowing food manufacturers to improve their efficiency and reduce waste.
The versatility of the gripper system means that it can be customized to suit a range of different tasks and purposes. This means that it could also be used for the automated handling of other fragile products such as glassware, offering potential applications in a variety of industries beyond food production.
The Fraunhofer IEM team has worked tirelessly to develop a robot gripper that meets the specific needs of the food industry. Their efforts have resulted in a highly advanced and efficient system that promises to revolutionize the way that delicate food products are handled and transported. By showcasing the gripper at the Hannover Messe 2023, the team hopes to highlight the potential of this groundbreaking technology and inspire others to explore its many applications.
“The fingers have a plastic-based, soft and flexible coating, which enables them to keep a delicate grip on fragile materials and avoid damaging them. The robot gripper is also extremely dynamic and can easily be incorporated into production processes. It maintains the required balance between speed and sensitivity at all times,” says Dr. Christian Henke, head of the Scientific Automation department at Fraunhofer IEM.
The robot gripper developed by Fraunhofer IEM features a highly advanced control system that allows for precise and dynamic finger movement. This level of control enables the gripper to handle delicate products with exceptional care, reducing the risk of damage and ensuring that quality standards are maintained throughout the production process.
One of the key features of the control system is the use of sensors integrated into the fingers of the gripper. These sensors are capable of detecting the amount of pressure required to handle a particular product and adjust the finger movement accordingly. This ensures that the gripper can handle products of varying sizes, shapes, and weights with equal precision, providing a high degree of flexibility in production settings.
The ability to apply the correct amount of pressure is crucial when handling fragile products in the food industry. With the new gripper, food manufacturers can automate their production processes without sacrificing quality or product integrity. The precise and dynamic control technology also has potential applications in other industries where delicate product handling is required, such as electronics and medical device manufacturing.
Saving resources with electric power
The special advantage of the system: the gripper is not operated pneumatically, but electrically. In this way, it works energy-efficiently and uses existing power connections. “Until now, gripper systems have been powered pneumatically, which uses a lot of energy. Generating pressurized air is less efficient—even less so due to frequent leakages in the lines,” explains the engineer.
Safety barriers not required for production
In addition to its advanced control system and integrated sensors, the robot gripper developed by Fraunhofer IEM also offers the flexibility of an expandable spatial radius of action. By adding a linear axis, the gripper can be mounted on a vertical lifting column and extended horizontally, providing a larger range of movement. This makes it possible to handle larger products or multiple products simultaneously, improving the efficiency of production processes.
While the robot gripper itself is suitable for safe human-robot collaboration, the same cannot be said for the linear axis and lifting column. To address this issue, the researchers at Fraunhofer IEM have developed a 360-degree environment recognition system that monitors the full length and height of the axes. This system can be integrated into the base of the linear axis, providing complete coverage and ensuring that the entire workspace is collaborative and safe for human-robot interaction.
The environment recognition system uses a combination of cameras, sensors, and machine learning algorithms to detect the presence of humans or other objects in the workspace. If a potential collision is detected, the system automatically stops the robot or adjusts its movement to avoid contact. This ensures that human operators can work safely alongside the robot gripper and the associated linear axis and lifting column, providing greater flexibility and efficiency in production settings.
“With this multi-sensor system, which includes distance and thermografic sensors, the entire cobot and axis structure can work collaboratively. This means that businesses don’t need to install safety barriers,” says Henke. “The gripper can either be combined with the linear axis and multi-sensor system or used on its own.” Initial tests have been successful, and the Fraunhofer IEM team is now looking for partners to manage bringing the robot gripper to market.
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