Schunk Launches Adaptable Long-Stroke Gripper

9 October 2012

With the ability to be adapted for all standard servo motors, the EGA electrically driven long-stroke gripper from SCHUNK, the competence leader for clamping technology and gripping systems is the most flexible gripper of its kind. The comprehensive adaptability enables it to be easily integrated into an existing system’s control and regulation unit.

The EGA can directly interpolate as an additional axis since it can be controlled with the same command set as the robot. Therefore prob-lems with incompatible control signals can be eliminated and features of the system’s control unit such as programming, safety or field buses can be directly used.

The robust long-stroke gripper from the innovative family-owned company is based on a mechatronic platform that has already been tried and tested many times with the PHL pneumatic long-stroke gripper from SCHUNK. It is extremely flat and compact and has less interfering contours. The guide carriages of its base jaws are bearing mounted and this minimizes friction to provide for an optimum force distribution, therefore the EGA maintains constant precision over a long service life. Moreover, the weight-optimized gripper design improves the dynamics and energy efficiency of the system.

Many popular industrial servo motors can be used as a drive system, particularly servo motors covering a voltage range starting at 230V AC. Depending on the application, the motor can be flange-mounted in parallel or rectangular in the direction of motion. Parallel flange mounting is particularly useful for robot applications, where the grip-per’s height has to be minimized. For gantry applications, a rectangular attachment is more advantageous, since the width of the gripper has to be minimized. The motor adapter kit for both attachment types are identical. Since the gripper is equipped with a crown gear head, it is simple to install.

The EGA is available in three sizes with size-specific stroke versions from 30mm to 160mm. At gripping forces of 650N, 1750N or 4,000N, it is suitable for handling larger components up to 20kg, but also for batch production with various workpiece sizes that are running through one single production line. Moreover, the EGA can reliably grip components with large undercuts. Depending on the motor, pro-tection class IP41 (mechanically), or IP67 (electrically) are feasible.