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The MGP800 Series of Mini-Parallel Grippers from Techno-Sommer Automation, New Hyde Park, N.Y. (www.techno-sommer.com), uses flat guides made of hardened steel to guide the jaws over their entire stroke length. This ensures jaw motions are precise and that the jaws exert maximum force and resistance to moments. The pneumatically powered grippers come in eight sizes ranging from 12 × 10 × 20-mm
(L × W × H) up to 48 × 38 × 77 mm, with gripping forces going from 6 to 400 N and strokes from 1 to 12 mm/jaw. They are powered by a double-acting pneumatic cylinder and can be equipped with a spring-powered safety mechanism that kicks in if pressure is lost. Centering sleeves position each gripping jaw, a design that saves space yet maximizes the size of mounting holes. Repeatability for all models is ± 0.025 mm and they operate in temperatures from 5 to 80°C. Closing and opening times range from 0.01 to 0.04 sec. The grippers need little maintenance. In fact, technicians don’t need to perform routine maintenance before 10 million cycles. Magnetic sensors can be added to track jaw position and customers can use this for feedback control.
Edited by Stephen J. Mraz