A Two-Finger Gripper Actuated by Shape Memory Alloy for Applications in Automation Technology with Minimized Installation Space

The increasing demand for innovative grippers and actuators for the automation sector encourages the development of new and innovative functional principles. Intelligent materials are particularly suitable for this purpose based on their high energy density. In this study, a two-finger gripper drive...

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Main Authors: Tobias Schmelter, Lukas Bade, Bernd Kuhlenkötter
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Actuators
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0825/13/10/425
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author Tobias Schmelter
Lukas Bade
Bernd Kuhlenkötter
author_facet Tobias Schmelter
Lukas Bade
Bernd Kuhlenkötter
author_sort Tobias Schmelter
collection DOAJ
description The increasing demand for innovative grippers and actuators for the automation sector encourages the development of new and innovative functional principles. Intelligent materials are particularly suitable for this purpose based on their high energy density. In this study, a two-finger gripper driven by shape memory alloys (SMA) for use in automation technology is presented. Previous grippers driven by SMA can only be found in the field of micro gripping due to the limited stroke generated by SMA. Based on a methodical product development, a new type of gripper was developed and is presented in this study, which can achieve an opening width comparable to conventional grippers based on transmission mechanisms. Two different variants of the gripper are shown and compared aiming to minimize the installation space and weight of the gripper. In addition to the design presentation, a prototype is built, and the functionality is demonstrated through various test series.
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publishDate 2024-10-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Actuators
spelling doaj-art-d4815f64054440a5b8bb2a01c61ebbf82025-08-20T02:10:57ZengMDPI AGActuators2076-08252024-10-01131042510.3390/act13100425A Two-Finger Gripper Actuated by Shape Memory Alloy for Applications in Automation Technology with Minimized Installation SpaceTobias Schmelter0Lukas Bade1Bernd Kuhlenkötter2Chair of Production Systems, Ruhr-University of Bochum, Universitaetsstrasse 150, 44801 Bochum, GermanyChair of Production Systems, Ruhr-University of Bochum, Universitaetsstrasse 150, 44801 Bochum, GermanyChair of Production Systems, Ruhr-University of Bochum, Universitaetsstrasse 150, 44801 Bochum, GermanyThe increasing demand for innovative grippers and actuators for the automation sector encourages the development of new and innovative functional principles. Intelligent materials are particularly suitable for this purpose based on their high energy density. In this study, a two-finger gripper driven by shape memory alloys (SMA) for use in automation technology is presented. Previous grippers driven by SMA can only be found in the field of micro gripping due to the limited stroke generated by SMA. Based on a methodical product development, a new type of gripper was developed and is presented in this study, which can achieve an opening width comparable to conventional grippers based on transmission mechanisms. Two different variants of the gripper are shown and compared aiming to minimize the installation space and weight of the gripper. In addition to the design presentation, a prototype is built, and the functionality is demonstrated through various test series.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0825/13/10/425shape memory alloysshape memory actuatoractuatorautomation technologygripper
spellingShingle Tobias Schmelter
Lukas Bade
Bernd Kuhlenkötter
A Two-Finger Gripper Actuated by Shape Memory Alloy for Applications in Automation Technology with Minimized Installation Space
Actuators
shape memory alloys
shape memory actuator
actuator
automation technology
gripper
title A Two-Finger Gripper Actuated by Shape Memory Alloy for Applications in Automation Technology with Minimized Installation Space
title_full A Two-Finger Gripper Actuated by Shape Memory Alloy for Applications in Automation Technology with Minimized Installation Space
title_fullStr A Two-Finger Gripper Actuated by Shape Memory Alloy for Applications in Automation Technology with Minimized Installation Space
title_full_unstemmed A Two-Finger Gripper Actuated by Shape Memory Alloy for Applications in Automation Technology with Minimized Installation Space
title_short A Two-Finger Gripper Actuated by Shape Memory Alloy for Applications in Automation Technology with Minimized Installation Space
title_sort two finger gripper actuated by shape memory alloy for applications in automation technology with minimized installation space
topic shape memory alloys
shape memory actuator
actuator
automation technology
gripper
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0825/13/10/425
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