Pneumatic Grippers For Pick And Place
A pneumatic gripper is used for general pick and place applications. The series include pneumatic rotary grippers, two, three and four finger parallel styles that are ideal for gripping and centering; a wide opening parallel model pneumatic gripper, designed to accommodate many different sized parts; a heavy duty style, suitable for a wide range of applications; an angular model with speed adjustment built in; a toggle to give reliable gripping support; a low-contamination style, equipped with a protective boot.
For Electric Grippers, please visit our Electric Grippers page at Electric Grippers
Gripper-2 Finger
Parallel grippers use compressed air to actuate two opposing fingers that open and close in a synchronized parallel motion. They are designed for high-precision pick-and-place applications in automated manufacturing, and feature linear guides and double piston construction. In this product line there are four series, procured primarily by manufacturing engineers, automation system integrators, and robotics end of arm tool designers:
- MHZ2 - general purpose grippers featuring an integrated linear guide that prevents slippage
- MHF2 - designed for vertical space constraints, its height is reduced by 66% compared to standard models
- MHL2 - dual piston gripper is built for long strokes to accommodate varying workpiece sizes on the same line
- MHT2 - features a unique self-locking toggle mechanism that holds the workpiece in place even if the air pressure is lost
The parallel motion distributes balanced gripping force evenly across flat or cylindrical objects. Because they are pneumatically driven, they require simple control logic and programming, while the dual piston designs generate exceptional gripping force without adding excessive weight to the robotic arm.
Gripper-3 Finger
Three finger grippers use compressed air to actuate three fingers that move synchronously toward a central point, providing self-centering gripping action. The MHS3 is the core product line, featuring a wedge cam design that ensures all three fingers close on the center axis, minimizing height and keeping it compact while delivering strong gripping force. The high precision MHR utilizes a rotary design for more precise applications without the backlash. It's available in bore sizes from 16mm to 125mm and can handle anything from small vials to heavy metal billets.
Gripper-4 Finger
Four finger grippers center and clamp workpieces along two perpendicular axes simultaneously. Instead of moving opposing pairs independently, these grippers synchronize all four fingers moving toward or away from a central axis and automatically align the center of a square or rectangular workpiece in both the X and Y directions in a single action. They use a low-profile wedge-cam construction that keeps the center of mass close to the robot's mounting flange, allowing designers to specify smaller, less expensive robots or run arms at faster speeds. They can be configured for food-grade lubricants and cleanrooms and are used primarily in the automotive, semiconductor, and metalworking industries.
Collaborative Robot Air Gripper Unit
Collaborative robot air grippers are a plug-and-play pneumatic end-of-arm tooling solution that allows engineers to skip mechanical adapter design, valve bracket fabrication, and complex electrical routing. It houses a parallel air gripper, an internal 2-position double solenoid valve, precision opening and closing speed throttles, and magnetic auto-switches inside a single unit. The unit bolts on to the robot's wrist, connects to the wrist I/O port, and is operational in minutes. In addition, the teaching pendant enables operators to program grip, release, gripping confirmation, and speed control through visual, drag and drop icon blocks. This unit delivers high gripping forces with a small wrist footprint, preserving the cobot’s payload for the workpiece. The valve, speed throttles, and sensors are embedded inside the gripper’s head, which eliminates auxiliary pneumatic lines along the arm.
Pneumatic Single & 2 Finger Escapements
Pneumatic escapements are designed to isolate and feed individual parts from a continuous stream in a vibratory parts-feeding system. These units feature two reciprocating, mechanically interlocked fingers and an internal cam mechanism that synchronizes the two piston rods. As finger A retracts to release a single part, finger B extends to hold back the line, and vice versa, ensuring that only one component enters the pick position every cycle.
Auto Hand Changing (AHC) System
Our Auto Hand Changing (AHC) system is the mechanical interface that holds and swaps grippers, allowing a single robotic arm to switch between multiple end-effectors or mount several grippers simultaneously. It provides numerous benefits for automated material handling systems:
- A single robot can pick up an object with gripper A, put it away, swap to gripper B, and perform a different task.
- The AHC handles the mechanical locking and pneumatic coupling automatically in a matter of seconds.
- With three grippers on one arm the robot can rotate its wrist to use a different gripper which improves cycle times on complex assemblies
- Built-in fail-safe drop prevention protects inventory in the event of a power interruption.
Magnetic Gripper
These grippers pick, hold, and release objects using permanent magnets actuated by compressed air. Because the gripping force doesn’t come from electricity or air pressure, the unit continues to hold ferromagnetic workpieces securely even if the facility loses power or air. Vacuum suction cups slide or lose their seal on parts coated with lubricants or cutting fluids. These grippers reliably hold onto perforated sheet metal and are able to grip through oil layers without lateral slip. The internal flux return path drops residual holding force down to 0.3 N or less, enabling a clean part release at cycle speeds that match mechanical grippers. An all-in-one cobot package is offered that includes built-in miniature solenoid valves, speed controllers, and native software plug-ins.
Gripper Fingers
While industrial grippers provide the actuation force, the actual point of contact with a workpiece is the tooling fingers attached to the gripper jaws. Gripper fingers offer compliant, form-fitting soft tooling to handle soft, fragile, or delicate products in the food and beverage, cosmetics, and electronics industries. Instead of using a solid machined block, the finger employs a tensioned, flexible elastomeric membrane that wraps around an object's contours and distributes pressure evenly across irregular, curved, or fragile surfaces.
Collaborative Robot Multi Tool Adapter
The collaborative robot multi-tool adapter enables a single collaborative robot arm to mount up to three separate end-effectors simultaneously. The multi-tool adapter conforms to ISO 9409-1-50-4-M6, the mechanical flange standard used by major collaborative robot brands. It supports up to 3 grippers on a single robot and is available in 90°, 120°, and 180° mounting orientations. It's favored by engineers automating the loading and unloading of CNC mills, lathes, and grinding centers because it reduces machine tending cycle time.