Increased productivity with measurement during robotic material handling.

Metrology is an essential part of manufacturing processes, especially machining. However, when manufacturing is diversified among multiple manufacturers, each with their own procedures, quality assurance can generate more indirect costs by having to implement additional part verification processes to confirm that these other producers have met specifications. Obviously, passing up defective parts will result in significant waste and high waste and/or scrap costs.

That said, in high-volume manufacturing, verifying every incoming part might seem impractical, but thanks to advances in process automation, as well as a new wave of available sensored-handling products, high-accuracy measurement can now be implemented while feeding parts into the production process without the need for additional positions; of course, you could always add a measurement position to the process, but now you can blend directly into another part without the need for additional stations, saving space, cost and process time.

Robotic part feeding in manufacturing is becoming standard across most product industries, and robotic solution manufacturers are constantly developing new solutions, providing us with components capable of direct measurement when handling manufactured parts, thanks to COBOT-type arms and measurement-capable gripping systems.

Introducing: KITAGAWA NPGT/NPL-S Gripper Hand

The KITAGAWA NPGT/NPL-S gripper is a 2-jaw parallel gripper robotic hand capable of measuring width directly at the jaw opening, similar to a micrometer or caliper. The NPGT/NPL-S gripper enables high-precision measurements during workpiece handling while holding or manipulating a workpiece, and uses the same technological principles as KITAWAGA’s lathe chucks to achieve high gripping-force values. The NPGT/NPL-S series contributes to operational savings, and improves the prevention of manufacturing defects through early detection of non-conforming parts.

NPGT-S Series Characteristics: Models 08, 10, 12, 16 / Repeatability (+/-0.008mm) / Measurement Distance 10mm

• Stroke in Diameter: 16 ~ 32mm
• Gripping Force: 600/500 ~ 2800/2650 Newtons
• Load Capacity: 

NPL216S Caracteristics: 60mm Measurement Distance / 1800(OD)-2080(ID) Newtons / Repeatability (+/- 0.008mm) 

Load (X, Y, Z): 40, 75, 75 Nm

Other gripper NPGT/NPL-S applications:

But the gripper’s capabilities are not limited to detecting workpiece conformity.

Classification according to geometric characteristics:

• By recognizing the size of the pieces, you can select where they should be placed, performing classification style tasks.

Dimensional verification at unpacking:

• When receiving workpieces from suppliers, dimensional conformity can be detected immediately.

Detection of adhered foreign substances:

• It is possible to detect whether there are any adhered residues of substances from previous processes or any elements that should be removed (such as commas or protections) and decide whether to send them to a secondary process.

The KITAGAWA NPGT/NPL-S gripper is a very versatile tool, allowing for potential integration into a variety of solutions. We invite you to consult with your YAMAZEN sales representative to discuss your requirements with KITAGAWA measuring grippers. Contact us at 472-7486400, at our email info@yamazen.com.mx, or on this website.