Attendees at IMTS 2014 witnessed the commercially available version of Empire Robotics' VERSABALL - a new gripper archetype able to flexibly adapt to multiple, automated manufacturing tasks. The VERSABALL gripper, mounted on a Universal Robots UR5 robot, illustrated how the VERSABALL can be used in safe, collaborative robot applications with humans working in close proximity to robots on agile manufacturing tasks. A video of the demo can be viewed at http://youtu.be/_jDW0RI7gso.
"With VERSABALL, Empire Robotics provides off-the-shelf ease of use that cuts engineering time and costs for custom tooling and complex handling tasks," said a company spokesperson. "Unlike hard grippers, the balloon-shaped VERSABALL conforms to and grips a wide range of objects without reprogramming. The new end-of-arm tool will pick and place objects ranging from light gearwheels to heavy bricks and delicate light bulbs - all in the same cycle without any changes to the application."
According to the company, the live demonstration at IMTS showcased the following VERSABALL features:
- Flexibility - with four very different objects (brick, CFL bulb, steel gear, billiard ball)
- Delicate object handling - CFL light bulb
- Repeatability - putting objects in the same place every time within the jig tolerance (plug bulb into a socket)
- Reliability - zero drops after 8,000 cycles
- Durability - metal gear and brick are sharp and abrasive.
"Historically, robot integrators have spent a great deal of engineering resources designing specialized and varied grippers for industrial production," said the spokesperson. "To meet the demands of agile manufacturing - typically with a low-volume, high-mix series of tasks - automating production involves frequent reprogramming and retooling. For many companies, the final solution often combines expensive mechanical, vacuum and magnetic grippers into a complex end-of-arm tool that is highly specific to the application and not easily adaptable or reusable.
"In contrast to traditional, fixed tooling, Empire Robotics VERSABALL delivers an out-of-the-box, multitask solution that easily adapts to a variety of tasks. In a matter of minutes, with a fraction of the engineering time and effort, VERSABALL can be programmed or reprogrammed to pick and place parts that vary - like ceramics - and consistent parts with varied orientations, such as objects that fall randomly on a conveyor."
The VERSABALL is a squishy balloon membrane full of loose sub-millimeter particles. The soft ball gripper is designed to easily conform around a wide range of target object shapes and sizes. Using a process known as granular jamming, air is quickly sucked out of the ball, which vacuum-packs the particles and hardens the gripper around the object to hold and lift it. The object releases when the ball is reinflated. VERSABALL comes in 3.5" and 6.5" head models that use the same pneumatic base.
"Empire Robotics' VERSABALL is one of the most unique new gripper technologies on the market," said Ed Mullen, National Sales Manager with Universal Robots in North America. "The fact that the gripper is soft between grips and can be deployed on-the-fly further extends the safety and flexibility benefits of our robot arms."
"Our VERSABALL gripper compliments the flexibility of the UR5 and UR10 robots with an end-of-arm gripping solution that has minimal impact on the bottom line and shrinks time between product cycles, pushing robotics into small- and medium-sized manufacturing facilities," said Bill Culley, President of Empire Robotics.
For more information contact:
Empire Robotics, Inc.
12 Channel St., Suite 202
Boston, MA 02210
info@empirerobotics.com
www.empirerobotics.com
Universal Robots USA
11 Technology Drive
East Setauket, NY 11733
631-610-9664
ur.na@universal-robots.com
www.universal-robots.com