Pneumatic or servo? Choosing the right gripper for your automated laboratory process
The demand for speed to market requires that drug discovery
, biotechnology and clinical diagnostics labs work faster, more accurately and more efficiently than in the past. Increasingly, lab technicians and scientists seeking greater levels of automation are turning to gripper solutions that mechanize what have traditionally been manual and mundane tasks, allowing them to work on more value-added activities. Currently, a wide variety of pneumatic and servo grippers are available, each with its own set of unique attributes. It is critical that manufacturers select the appropriate gripper for their process. By understanding the specific advantages of servo and pneumatic grippers, life scientists can make smarter choices in selecting the best tool for any given application--as well as maximize the benefits in accelerated research and development processes, reduced human error, increased volumes of sample tracking and improved sterile conditions. The majority of grippers utilized by manufacturers today are pneumatic grippers. These low-cost end-of-arm tools are cost effective and have the ability to produce and maintain considerably more force than servo grippers. While more expensive, servo grippers are necessary when more control is required for more delicate and complex assembly and handling applications. Servo grippers, with their human-hand-like design, offer greater degrees of freedom and are appropriate for many medical applications. With the added expense of servo grippers, manufacturers need to carefully analyze their needs in order to make an educated decision on which gripper to design into their workcell. Applied Robotics, Inc., a global supplier of end-of-arm tooling solutions, conducted a thorough comparative analysis and has formulated the following application questions based on flexibility, control and environmental requirements to help manufacturers make that decision.Pneumatic or servo? Choosing the right gripper for your automated laboratory process
By: Emma