Gripper Mechanical Setup - Flowline Mk3 Toothed Gripper

Auteur avatarGareth Green | Dernière modification 18/07/2023 par Gareth Green en cours de rédaction

How to set up a gripper on a Flowline Mk3 with a Toothed Gripper

Mechanical Setup

This gripper design has two gripper switch inputs. This design was implemented to ensure the system can load a bar with an uneven or angled cut on the end. The sensors are activated by a long stroke on a spring, which has at least 10mm range of movement.


Gripper sensors
Sensor Function
Grip Min Senses that a profile is gripped in the jaws. It should be active just after the spring is depressed
Grip Max Activates when profile hits "end stop" of gripper mechanism whn loading. This ensures a reliable datum point. It should be active when the spring is fully depressed

Software Process on Machining Centre side

Step Action Notes
1 Move to loadingpos plus 5mm
2 Wait for gripper max input (completely bottom out gripper)
3 Wait for gripper to be within 0.25mm of expected position and 100ms to pass (to allow system to settle)
4 Clutch and material load motor off
5 Move to loadingpos Pushes profile back to
6 Clutch on holds profile steady
7 Wait for trim Pause
8 Move x axis to loadingpos+200mm Clear of tooling head
9 Run datum hole routine
10 Move to loadingpos
11 Grip
12 Wait for grip on time
13 Check that grip min switch is active Ensure the bar is gripped
14 Grip lock on Locks the gripper in its current position so it does not force the profile to "wheelie"

Gripper Lock

...The cylinder locking devices on these cylinders are sprung loaded and locked on by default. They need to be piped to the opposite port of the valve so that the cylinder locks when the output is on

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