Getting a firm grip

For heavy-duty pick-and-place applications that expose grippers to impacts and shocks, the designers at PHD Inc., Ft. Wayne, Ind. (phdinc.com), are manufacturing the Series GRR Guardian grippers. They feature a double-acting design, so they can handle internal and external gripping. They also handle fast cycle times with dual-airpassage pistons that allow rapid bore pressurization. Three largediameter jawguides span the length of the gripper to stabilize jaw travel. To reduce maintenance and keep debris out of the mechanism, the rack-and-pinion synchronizer is fully enclosed. This also minimizes backlash. The devices can be synchronized, nonsynchronized, or nonsynchronized with independently powered jaws. Jaw travel lengths range from 150 to 300 mm.