Rotating parallel grippers

Edited by Stephen J. Mraz

HGDS grippers from Festo Corp., Hauppauge, N.Y. (www.festo.com), use a semirotary vane actuator to control a parallel gripper, letting the compact unit grip and turn. A piston rod passing though the rotary actuator transmits opening forces from the operating cylinder to the gripper jaws. And a stop system lets the swivel angle be set from 0 to 210°.

There are three sizes and maximum torque ranges from 0.85 to 2.5 Nm. Repeatability depends on the cushioning used. Hydraulic shock-absorber cushioning yields 0.02° and flexible elastomeric cushioning yields 0.2°. Gripper stroke ranges from 5 to 14 mm, and operating frequency is 2 Hz. All ports and sensors are outside the swivel range, simplifying installation. Adjustments and connections are also all on one side to make them accessible even after installation