Electric grippers have adjustable stroke and force

In essence the EVG grippers feature a very compact profile with a width of only 55mm and a length that is easy to adjust. Drive is provided by a brushless servo motor that transfers its power via bevel gears to the roller-guided jaws. The version with 100mm stroke has a maximum gripping force of 68N. However, due to the servo control, the EVG grippers can achieve extremely low gripping forces as low as 2N. This is especially important for processes in which high gripping forces are undesirable; for example, if sensitive workpieces or sample containers with thin walls are handled, as they might be in pharmaceutical laboratories. Moreover, by using the force measuring system, gripping forces which are close to zero can be achieved.

The 100mm gripper weighs just 1.3kg. In order to keep it as compact as possible, the EVG grippers are equipped with an external electronic processor, which can be mounted separately from the gripper. The grippers are actuated by Schunk's new controller that provides for uniform control of all of Schunk's servo-electric components and ensures simple programming, pre-configuration and commissioning. Single commands can be combined to form complete tasks and, once created, command libraries can be used for other modules.