REVIEW, CLASSIFICATION, AND ANALYSIS OF ROBOTIC GRIPPERS IN MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS

Abstract

The article presents a review, classification, and comparative analysis of modern gripper devices as end-effectors of robotic systems that directly interact with manipulated objects in automated industrial processes. The relevance of the study is driven by the steady growth of automation and robotization in manufacturing, the expansion of product ranges, and increasing requirements for the speed, accuracy, and flexibility of technological operations.

The main types of grippers—mechanical, magnetic, vacuum, jet-based, and grippers with elastic chambers—are considered in terms of operating principles, structural features, and operating conditions. Their advantages, disadvantages, and operational limitations are analyzed depending on the geometric and physical-mechanical characteristics of the manipulated objects. It is shown that mechanical grippers remain the most versatile due to their structural simplicity and reliability; however, they exhibit limited adaptability. Magnetic and vacuum grippers are effective only for a narrow class of materials, whereas jet-based and elastic grippers provide enhanced adaptability but are characterized by limited payload capacity and service life.

The prospects for the development of multi-finger adaptive grippers with integrated sensors and intelligent control algorithms, including artificial intelligence elements, are substantiated as a means of increasing the productivity and functionality of robotic systems. The feasibility of approximating the operating principles of modern grippers to the functional capabilities of the human hand is demonstrated. The obtained results can be applied in the selection and design of gripper devices for industrial robots and may also serve as a basis for further research in robotics and mechanical engineering.