We’ve heard about robots, robotic arms, and mechanical arm, but some may not be familiar with the word manipulator. What is a manipulator arm? A similar arm like robot arm?
What Is A Manipulator Arm?
In robotics, a manipulator arm or robotic arm is a type of mechanical arm, usually programmable, with similar functions to a human arm; the arm may be the sum total of the mechanism or may be part of a more complex robot.
Industrially speaking, a manipulator is a lift-assist device used to help workers lift, maneuver and place articles in process that are too heavy, too hot, too large or otherwise too difficult for a single worker to manually handle.
What Is the Use of Manipulator Arm?
As manipulator arms are designed to facilitate relocation of loads from one place to another, which are too heavy for the worker or unsuitable for capture, they are mainly used to manipulate materials without direct physical contact by the operator.
Originally, it is used for dealing with radioactive or biohazardous materials, or used in inaccessible places. With the development of technology and its application, it has been widely used in diverse range of applications including welding automation, robotic surgery and in space. It is an arm-like mechanism that consists of a series of segments, usually sliding or jointed called cross-slides, which grasp and move objects with a number of degrees of freedom.
Opposed to simply vertical lift assists (cranes, hoists, etc.), a manipulator arm has the ability to reach in to tight spaces and remove workpieces. A good example would be removing large stamped parts from a press and placing them in a rack or similar dunnage. In welding, a column boom manipulator is used to increase deposition rates, reduce human error and other costs in a manufacturing setting.
Moreover, manipulator arm gives the lift assist the ability to pitch, roll, or spin the part for appropriate placement. An example would be removing a part from a press in the horizontal and then pitching it up for vertical placement in a rack or rolling a part over for exposing the back of the part.
Manipulator Arm Gripper
Each robot has an arm, and each arm requires a gripper to perform the handling task. Manipulator arm gripper, custom designed and manufactured by HVR MAG, can be used to pick, lift, load, place, transfer of ferrous parts for automation line as an end-of-arm-tool.
We supply magnetic gripper for manipulator arm, saving electric power with higher safety, for magnetic pick and place of steel parts in automation. Diagram engineered for free, working to get the most out of your robotic handling project. Contact us to get a quote, or visit our website to learn more.
