基于TPU塑性材料的柔性操作末端设计

Design of an Flexible End-Effector for Manipulation on Pressure Gauge Using TPU Material

在精密机械式压力表的制造及检定自动化工业中,机械臂操作末端的设计需要避免对仪表造成损伤的风险.考虑到柔顺手指对接触物体产生形状自适应的特性,基于TPU塑性材料设计了一种面向机械式压力表抓取操作的柔性操作末端,其能自动对抓取的仪表形成边缘包络,满足抓取可靠性的同时,也能通过材料的塑性变形抵消抓取过程中可能产生的过度抓取力.有限元分析的结果表明,使用TPU塑性材料设计的柔性操作末端在结构优化后能对抓取目标物形成最好的包络效果,并且在达到抓取要求的最大塑性变形时,能保持关键的柔顺关节不发生崩裂.

For the automatic manufacturing and calibration of precision pressure gauge,the designing of the end-effector should avoid the tasks of damaging the instrument. Considering that the flexible finger is adaptive to the shape of its contacting object,we designed a flexible end-effector for the manipulation of pressure gauge by using TPU material. The designed flexible end-effector can enwind the manipulated object by adapting to the object’s shape. The elastic deformation of the finger not only facilitates the grasp,but also can eliminate the excessive grasping force when it occurres. The finite element analysis(FEA)showed that,even when the TPU-based flexible end-effector reached its required maximum deformation,the key compliact joints were still able to keep undamaged.