Until recently, many robots have had difficulty handling irregularly shaped or fragile objects for food processing or e-commerce order fulfillment. OnRobot A/S today announced the OnRobot Soft Gripper, which it said can manipulate items including eggs, fruit, or bottles.

“Our new Soft Gripper is challenging existing solutions for picking hard-to-grasp, delicate and odd-sized items,” stated Enrico Krog Iversen, CEO of OnRobot. “Unlike proprietary solutions, the Soft Gripper offers seamless integration with most collaborative robots and light industrial robots through our One System Solution.”

The OnRobot Soft Gripper uses three interchangeable silicon-molded cups to precisely pick up almost any small object under 2.2kg with a precise touch, said the company. The flexible end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) comes in star and four-fingered configurations.

Unlike traditional vacuum grippers, the new end effector requires no external air supply, so it can reduce both cost and complexity, claimed the Odense, Denmark-based company.

Soft Gripper features and applications

The gripper includes the following features, according to OnRobot:

• Up to 2.2kg (4.8 lb.) payload based on the shape, softness, and friction of items to be handled
• Grip dimensions ranging from 11 to 118mm (0.43 to 4.64 in.), depending on cup used
• Certification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Flexible, interchangeable silicon cups
• No need for supplied air
• Fast, flexible deployment with seamless integration on all major robot brands

The electric Soft Gripper is food-grade-certified and complies with FDA 21 CFR for non-fatty items and EC 1935/2004, said OnRobot.

While the robotic gripper is designed for pick-and-place food and beverage applications, as well as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, it also provides flexible grasping for manufacturing and packaging.

One System Solution integrates with more robots

OnRobot said its award-winning One System Solution provides a unified mechanical and electrical interface between leading robot arms and any OnRobot EOAT.

The One System Solution has been newly expanded to include integration with robots from ABB Robotics and Hanwha Precision Machinery. Now, users of those robots can take advantage of the unified mechanical and electrical interface of any OnRobot product, for easier integration and faster return on investment, said the gripper maker.