End Effector Selection and Design
End Effector Types General Design Practices Specific Design Criteria Case Studies
End Effector Types
Mechanical Grippers Negative Pressure (vacuum) Magnetic Hooks Ladles (scoops liquid or powder) Others (electrostatic)
End Effector Types- Mechanical Grippers
Parallel Grippers
Most common More accurate
End Effector Types- Mechanical Grippers
Parallel Grippers
Most common More accurate
Angular Gripper
Limited space Clearance
Toggle Gripper
High mechanical advantage Over centering
End Effector Types- Mechanical Grippers
External Grippers Internal Grippers
End Effector Types- Negative Pressure
Vacuum
Suction Cups Edge grip Specialty
Flat
Shaped
Bellows
Rough Surfaces
End Effector Types- Negative Pressure
Vacuum Bernoulli (non-contact)
End Effector Types- Negative Pressure
Vacuum Bernoulli Coanda (high flow, low pressure)
End Effector Types- Negative Pressure
Vacuum Bernoulli Coanda (high flow, low pressure) Specialty
Vacuum/pressure (Coreflow) Vacuum/ultrasonic (Zimmerman-Schlip)
General Design Practices
Minimize weight- affects robot performance
Material selection Lightening holes
Minimize size
Helps minimize weight Reduce cantilever load and moment of inertia May conflict with flexibility
Maximize rigidity
Improves positional accuracy and repeatability Reduce vibrations
Maximize holding force
Reliably hold part (without damage) Orient part to maximize force in direction of motion
Maintenance and form factor change considerations
10
Specific Design Criteria
Work piece analysis (objects to be handled) Process Analysis Design Considerations
11
Work Piece Analysis
Work piece Dimensions and tolerances
Determines size and weight of end effector
Material, stiffness, cost
Can single tool handle size and shape variation of work piece? Is compliance required?
PV Wafer stack not parallel due to wedge shape of wafers
12
Work Piece Analysis
Material and physical properties
Use gripper, vacuum or magnet? Permissible contact points
Semiconductor: 3mm exclusion zone Hard disk: ID clamp zone, OD chamfer PV wafers: contact top surface but minimal edge contact
Permissible grip forces
High force on PV wafer surface creates micro-cracks Need to control force and clamping speed?
Weight and balance of part
Quantity and location of grip points
Surface finish and shape
Vacuum for smooth flat surfaces, mechanical gripper for round parts Surface texture and condition (oily, sticky)
13
Process Analysis
Manual or automated
Take tool to part or part to tool?
Range and quantity of parts
Hard disk tools require multiple form factors (48, 65, 78, 84, 95mm) Automated or manual tool change
Presentation and disposition
Position and orientation at pickup and drop-off
Dimensional clearances to avoid interferences
14
Process Analysis
Sequence of events and cycle time requirements
Number of end effectors batch processing
Environment
Cleanliness Temperature (environment or workpiece) Atmospheric or Vacuum Chemicals Vibration and shock
In process inspection requirements
Add gauging to end effector Compatibility with inspection process
15
Design Considerations
Cost Flexibility Changeover Safety (lost of power, collision) Handling of damage product Sensing
Part sensing
16
Case Studies
Case Studies
Vacuum end effector- Hot wafers Bonded wafers Picking wafer from blind pocket PV cell handling- high speed PV cell handling- perforated wafers
18
Hot Wafers- Vacuum End Effector
Problem: How to pick up a hot wafer with a cold vacuum end effector?
Wafer deforms (warps) due to temperature gradient and breaks vacuum.
Solution: a paddle type end effector with a low thermal mass insert made from low thermal conductivity material.
19
Hot Wafers- vacuum end effector
O-ring
Spring
Quartz Insert
20
Warped Wafers- vacuum end effector
Problem: Bonded wafers are often deformed (warped or bowed).
Edges are sharp and brittle and can not be handled with edge grip end effectors Will not hold vacuum with rigid vacuum pads
Solution: compliant vacuum pads
21
Warped Wafers- vacuum end effector
Pad snaps onto a ball shaped receptor and rocks +/-1deg
Vacuum pads
22
Top Surface, Non-contact Pick-up
Problem: How to pick up a wafer from a blind pocket- without touching top surface Vacuum will not work Solution: Bernoulli gripper creates low pressure for pickup Edge support prevents contact with wafer surface
23
Top Surface, Non-contact Pick-up
housing
Wafer contacts housing only at the edge
24
Bernoulli gripper
PV wafer handling
Problem: How to pick up and drop off PV wafers at 3600pph without damage
Off flat belt Off stationary coinstack Cycle time is limited by pickup and dropoff- not robot speed
Solution:
High flow low vacuum, generate at point of use
Rapid pickup, low stress on wafer
Built-in blowoff for quick release of wafer Rigid, large contact surface for high holding force with non-marking wafer support
25
PV wafer handling
Videos
High speed pickup and dropoff Slow motion of pickup and dropoff 7200pph (for alternative subtrate)
26
PV wafer handling- Fragile
Problem: Pick up highly fragile partially perforated wafers off coinstack.
Wafers stick together through surface tension Vacuum applied on top wafer leaks through and holds on to wafers below
Solution:
Add blowoff nozzle to separate cells Change vacuum pattern with compliant seal in non-perforated cell area
27
