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2008
Conference Paper
Titel
Hybrid micro tri-point gripper with integrated alignment functionality
Abstract
Micro assembly is typically characterised by positioning tolerances below a few micro meters. In the case of the assembly of hybrid micro systems, such as optical glass fibres, micro ball lenses or micro probes for measurement tasks, even positioning accuracies in the sub-micrometer range have to be achieved. In case of positioning devices with less than 6 degrees of freedom, flexibility in terms of adaptation to the orientation of the objects is required. The flexibility of existing gripping systems is often reduced by the design of the utilized end effector. In case of mechanical gripping devices, the achievable precision in the field of micro and precision assembly is strongly defined by the shape of the end effector surfaces. Introducing flexibility, combined with precision into that kind of gripping device has to be seen as a challenge, most important when talking about gripping micro products in different shapes, size and based on different materials. Using vacuum based gripping devices, an appropriate end effector surface design is required to ensure a defined orientation of the manipulated object. In order to combine precision with flexibility, the precisely defined end effector shape has to be replaced by a solution, allowing the gripping of objects like micro parts, small lenses and other small components well defined and same time being able to adapt to object size, shape and orientation. On behalf of this background the Fraunhofer IPT conducts research on a concept to realize a highly flexible, fast and cost-efficient micro assembly based on conventional assembly systems combined with a six axis fine positioning assembly head. In this context, a concept for the design of a miniaturised tri-point vacuum gripping device with integrated positioning and alignment capabilities is presented.