Get a Grip on Efficiency: The Power of Electric Grippers

Electric Gripper Background

Our line of electric grippers are all based on a unique, patent-pending feature: the grip is spring loaded. The resulting advantages are:

Engineered to a 4:1 safety factor, the jaws maintain an secure grip in the event of power loss,
No power is required after the grip has been made; the grip will remain solid for hours or days after contact has been made
A strong grip can be made no matter what size load appears between the jaws; the size of load could be changed unexpectedly and the gripper will still grip with just as much force
The grip force can be specified by varying the amount of spring compression
The force exerted by the gripper climbs higher and higher as the screw tightens
The motor continues to spin after contact has been made, compressing the spring
There is no reduction in grip force, even if the load is accelerated or flipped upside down or if the load collides with an obstruction
The jaws close fast, with no slowdown before contact
The motor is shut off safely only when a threshold of force is met, without overloading the motor or the gear reduction

Controls

A remote drive controls the servomotor that closes the gripper, often stored with other important components in a cabinet. In the absence of a cabinet, a pre-mounted drive unit can be attached to the gripper or end-effector.

Accurate gripper control is vital for smooth operation of robotic systems, regardless of the configuration.

Material Sensing

In order to sense the grip of the robotic end-effector, two different methods are commonly used: Grip Detect and Part Present Sensing. Grip Detect uses servo drive output to signal when the electrical-current-draw increases during gripping. This method is preferred for manipulators and cranes since limit or proximity switches are prone to breakage during rough handling.

Part Present Sensing involves adding a proximity or limit switch, which detects the absence of a part sooner than with Grip Detect. This method is more suitable for robotic applications where precision and accuracy are crucial. The sensing method choice depends on the application needs, and the type of robotic system used.

Electric Gripper Jaws and Accessories

Customers usually provide gripper jaws, but Industrial Actuator Corp. can provide them if needed. In this case, CAD information of the lifted part, along with additional information about the robot, crane or manipulator in use would be required.

For manipulators and cranes, we can provide the entire end-effector built around the gripper, includes tilts and rotates, along with operator handlebars. Additionally, the Industrial Actuator Corp. can also provide the mount for the gripper that attaches to your robot.

Technical Specifications

The G46E and G56E Electric Grippers boast an impressive set of features, including an aluminum chassis to reduce weight, a grip speed of 1 in/sec or 25mm/sec, a maximum jaw travel of 6in or 150mm, and a voltage of 120V. Additionally, these grippers have a current draw of 1A and a power consumption of 100W, making them efficient and reliable tools for any industrial application.

Name	Max Grip Force	Max Grip Moment	Weight
G46E	250 lb or 1100 N	4000 in-lb or 450 Nm	11 lb or 5kg
G56E	500 lb or 2000 N	5000 in-lb or 550 Nm	13 lb or 6 kg

G56E: Gripper, 5000 in-lb, 6″ stroke, Electric”

G46E: Gripper, 4000 in-lb, 6″ stroke, Electric”

To determine the appropriate size for electric grippers, we recommend initiating the calculation by first measuring the distance between the center of the screw and the load’s point of contact. Once this distance is determined, simply multiply it by the required grip force. (shown below…)

+ (grip force x distance from point of contact to center of screw)

Get In Touch