Mechanism and Machine Theory 42 (2007) 1833

Mechanism and Machine Theory

www.elsevier.com/locate/mechmt

Optimal grasp of vacuum grippers with multiple suction cups

Giacomo Mantriota
*
Dipartimento di Ingegneria dellAmbiente e per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile, Politecnico di Bari, Viale del Turismo, 8; 74100 Taranto, Italy Received 22 February 2005; received in revised form 16 February 2006; accepted 28 February 2006 Available online 27 April 2006

Abstract Vacuum grippers allow the grasping and movement of objects, often of large dimension, with remarkable simplicity and delicacy. In this work, a mathematical model is proposed for the grasp of vacuum grippers with multiple suction cups. The model allows us to determine the minimum value of the vacuum force and the friction coecient able to guarantee the grasping and movement of the object by means of a gripper with multiple suction cups without separating or skidding. A criterion is also proposed to determine the best position of the vacuum gripper with the objective of minimizing the vacuum force. Finally, an example related to the motion of an irregular object is described. 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction Vacuum grippers are largely diused for moving objects of various natures (glass, marble, sacks, etc.). Single or multiple suction cups of dierent shapes and sizes are used for grasping objects. Used extensively throughout the packaging industry, vacuum suction can be found in most other elds of robotics as well [18]. In addition to the advantage of producing an attraction force, vacuum grippers permit a soft grasp and are able to take hold of large and heavy objects. Recent applications of vacuum suctions are related to wall surface mobile robots with vacuum gripper feet [913]. In Mangialardi et al. [14] and Mantriota [15], a criterion has been proposed which determines the most favorable grip points with a view to ensure grasp stability while minimizing the grasp forces or the friction coecient required to balance any external force acting on the object. Confronting the numerous applications of vacuum suctions, there have been very few studies regarding suction cup models aimed at determining load capacities while the objects are in movement. The safety measure of suction cups is important for the payload capacity. There are two dangerous circumstances that could occur: one is the object slipping and the other is the object falling. A theoretical analysis of the loading

Fax: +39 080 596 2777. E-mail address: mantriota@poliba.it

0094-114X/$ - see front matter 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2006.02.007

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capacity has been performed by Zhu et al. [16] to obtain conditions that prevent slipping and falling. The simple model is related to the multi-vacuum system used in a tracked climbing robot. The model and the kineostatic analysis of the climbing robot were proposed by Bahr et al. [9]. During the motion of an object, often a torsion torque is present on the suction cup in which the equilibrium is allowed by the adhesion force between the suction cup and object. The vacuum grippers with multiple suction cups have the advantage of being highly capable of balancing torques. Such devices are used therefore, for the motion of objects of large dimensions. Today the limited use of vacuum grippers is due to the diculty of being able to estimate their performances well while the objects are in motion. The main complexity is caused by the simultaneous presence of tangential forces and torsional torques, which can produce skidding. Consequently, vacuum grippers are generally used for the motion of regular shaped objects (plates, parallelepipedons, etc.). Furthermore, since mathematical models for systems of multiple suction cups do not exist, for fear of the separating or skidding of the object, vacuum grippers are often under utilized. In Mantriota [17] a mathematical model has been proposed for determining the normal and tangential contact pressures between a single suction cup and the object. The main purpose of the model is to determine the minimum vacuum level to guarantee the grasp without detachment of the object and the minimum value of the adhesion coecient in order to avoid the object from skidding. In this work, a model is suggested to determine the minimum value of the vacuum force and the adhesion coecient able to guarantee the grasp and movement of the object by means of grippers with multiple suction cups without detachment or skid eects. Additionally, a criterion for determining the optimal position of the vacuum gripper is proposed with the objective of minimizing the needed vacuum force to guarantee a grasp. 2. Minimum vacuum force for the grasp and motion Two or more suction cups bound to a single rigid frame are utilized when moving large sized objects such as plates of glass or marble. A solution such as this allows us to increase the systems capability to balance bending and torsional torques created by the grasped object. An example of a multiple suction cups apparatus is stated in Fig. 1. The model of a single suction cup has been examined in Mantriota [17]. Particularly, the suction cup produces a force on the object due to the vacuum level created in the suction cup and a contact pressure along the edge. The forces created by the suction cup on the object are referable to (Fig. 2): Force due to the vacuum level generated inside the suction cup (FV). Pressure p along the edge of the suction cup in normal direction. Pressure along the edge of the suction cup in tangential direction because of friction. In Mantriota [17] the normal and tangential distribution is considered for the contact pressures that generate the three components of the force and the resultant torque. In the case of multiple suction cups, the dimension of the suction cup is much smaller than the distance between the them, therefore, the resultant torques generated by the unequal normal and tangential contact pressures are negligible. Consequently, in this paper, a simplied model of the multiple suction cups system is considered in which each suction cup is able to create only the three components of the resultant force, while the torques produced by an unequal distribution of the contact pressures are neglected. Four suction cups connected together by a single rigid system are considered and shown in Fig. 3. Hypothesizing equal rigidity along axle Z for the four suction cups, the normal forces F N1 ; F N2 ; F N3 ; F N4 generated by the suction cups must verify the following relationship: F N1 F N3 F N2 F N4 The tangential forces of adhesion lie in the contact plane with the object (Fig. 3). 1

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G. Mantriota / Mechanism and Machine Theory 42 (2007) 1833

Fig. 1. Vacuum grippers with multiple suction cups.

Fig. 2. Forces created by the suction cup on the object.

Neglecting the inertia forces, the equations of equilibrium become F Z 4F V FX FY

e e e 4 X i1 4 X i1 e 4 X i1

F Ni 0

2 3 4 5 6 7

F Txi 0 F Ty i 0

T X bF N4 F N2 0
e TY e TZ

aF N3 F N1 0 F Tx4 F Tx2 b F Ty 3 F Ty 1 a 0

G. Mantriota / Mechanism and Machine Theory 42 (2007) 1833

21

Fig. 3. Forces created by the vacuum grippers with multiple suction cups.

Having pointed out with a and b the distance between the suction cups (Fig. 3) and with F X ; F Y ; F Z and e e e T X ; T Y ; T Z , the components respectively of the external force and torque on the vacuum gripper respect to (V, X, Y, Z). In this work, the hypothesis of the rigid body of the object to be moved and of the whole support device for the suction cups is considered, while only the edge of the suction cups is considered yielding. The two limited conditions for the tangential forces occur when a tangential external force is applied on the e suction cup in V or when only a torsional torque is present T z . Hypothesizing a normal contact force that is equal for the four suction cups, when only a tangential force (F(e)) is applied in the center of the suction cup in order to guarantee the stability of the grasped object, the adhesion forces will presumably be parallel to the direction of the F(e) (Fig. 4a).

(a)
Fig. 4. Static-friction forces: (a) the external force F
(e)

(b)
is only a tangenzial force; (b) the external force is only torsional torque T
(e)

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G. Mantriota / Mechanism and Machine Theory 42 (2007) 1833

e When only a torsional torque T z is present on the suction cup, the suction cup has the tendency to rotate around its center and the forces of static friction can be hypothesized perpendicular to the straight line that connects the point of contact with the center of the suction cup (Fig. 4b). In a generic load condition of the vacuum gripper, the elementary displacements of relative motion of the suction cup compared to the object are characterized as having a plane motion. If there were a skid eect between the suction cup and object, the direction of the tangential forces would be a function of the instantaneous axis of rotation of the vacuum grippers compared to the object. Particularly, (Fig. 5) the direction would be perpendicular to the straight line that connects the suction cup with the instantaneous axis of rotation (K). In case of adhesion, the existence of a point could be imagined around which there is a rotation tendency of the grasp device with a consequent direction of the tangential force similar to the case of skidding. This consideration becomes truer as it becomes closer to the conditions of incipient skidding. (V, X, Y, Z) is considered a reference system with the origin of coordinates in the center of the vacuum gripper (Fig. 3). Pointing out with K(xk, yk) the point around which the suction cup has the tendency to rotate, tangential forces are generated for the four suction cups and are reported in Fig. 5. In absence of the skid eect, the components of the tangential force for every suction cup must verify the following relationship: 2 2 2 F2 Txi F Ty i 6 fsf F Ni ;

i 1; . . . ; 4

where fsf is the static-friction coecient. Moreover, always using K to indicate the point around which there is the tendency of rotation, the components of the tangential force will verify the followings relationships: F Ty i xi x K ; y i y K F Txi i 1; . . . ; 4 9

where xi, yi are the coordinates of the center of a generic suction cup. In case of incipient skidding of the suction cup (condition limit), the relationship (8) is veried with the equal sign:
2 2 2 F2 Txi F Ty i fsf F Ni

10

It cannot be assumed that the relationship between the static-friction tangential force F Ti and the normal force F Ni is the same for the four suction cups under conditions dierent from that of incipient skid. Nevertheless, such a hypothesis will be more accurate as the conditions of operation become close to the skid eect. The conditions of incipient skid are in fact those researched in this work, considering that the main objective is to determine the minimum value of the static-friction coecient and of the vacuum force able

Fig. 5. Direction of the tangential forces.

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23

to guarantee the absence of skid. In sofar in this work, the ratio f between tangential and normal component of the contact forces is considered the same for the four suction cups. In this hypothesis, the model of the device with four suction cups consists of the following equations: F Z 4F V FX FY
e e e 4 X i1 4 X i1 e 4 X i1

F Ni 0

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

F Txi 0 F Ty i 0

T X bF N4 F N2 0
e TY e TZ

aF N3 F N1 0 F Tx4 F Tx2 b F Ty 3 F Ty 1 a 0

F N1 F N3 F N2 F N4 F Ty i xi xK ; i 1; . . . ; 4 y i y K F Txi
2 2 2 F2 Txi F Ty i f F Ni ;

i 1; . . . ; 4

The system consists of 15 equations (Eqs. (11)(19)) containing the followings 16 unknowns: F Ni ; F Txi ; F Ty i ; f ; F V ; xk ; y k i 1; . . . ; 4 20 21

The equation system obviously permits innite solutions. If the value of the vacuum force FV were known, the equation system could be solved and the value of each unknown could be found. Obviously if the parameter f results bigger than fsf, it would produce skid whereas if one of the F Ni is negative, the grasp of the object would not be guaranteed because of the suction cup detachment. To the extent that the following constraints must be added to the previous equations: F Ni P 0; f 6 fST i 1; . . . ; 4 22 23

If the value of the static-friction coecient (fsf) is xed, in order to determine the minimum value of the vacuum level with the purpose of guaranteeing a stable grasp, it is enough to consider the FV (force produced by the vacuum level in each suction cup) as an objective function to be minimized. The minimum value of the vacuum force to guarantee the absence of detachment and skid is determined resolving the following optimization problem with non-linear constraints: Objective function: Min FV subjected to the following constraints: F Z 4F V FX FY
e e e 4 X i1 4 X i1 e 4 X i1

F Ni 0

24 25 26 27

F Txi 0 F Ty i 0

T X bF N4 F N2 0

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e

G. Mantriota / Mechanism and Machine Theory 42 (2007) 1833

T Y aF N3 F N1 0 e T Z F Tx4 F Tx2 b F Ty 3 F Ty 1 a 0 F N1 F N3 F N2 F N4 F Ty i xi x K ; i 1; . . . ; 4 y i y K F Txi 2 2 2 F2 i 1; . . . ; 4 Txi F Ty i f F Ni ; F Ni P 0; f 6 fST i 1; . . . ; 4

28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

The problem variables are F Ni ; F Txi ; F Ty i ; f ; F V ; xk ; y k i 1; . . . ; 4

Obviously, the optimization problem can easily be modied for vacuum grippers constituted by more than four suction cups or with dierent positions of the suction cups. 3. Optimal position of the vacuum gripper with multiple suction cups The positioning of the grasp device has fundamental importance in guaranteeing the stability of the grasp. In fact, the torques applied by the object on the suction cups depend on the position of the cups themselves. Considering the same performances of the vacuum gripper, depending on the grasp position, it is possible to have skidding or detachment of the suction cups. It is therefore important to determine the optimal grasp position of the object. The mathematical model of the multiple suction cups system could also be used for the evaluation of the optimum position of the grasp device. Considering a coordinate reference system (Fig. 6) related to the object (origin O) and another one related to the vacuum gripper (origin V) with parallel and concord axis, the external forces on the object can be reduced to the point V keeping in mind the position of the suction. Using xV and yV to specically point out the position of the center of the suction cup, the external torques in comparison to V are T Z T Z F X y V F Y xV
V TX V TY V O e e

37 38 39

O TX O TY

e F Z yV e F Z xV

where

O O O TX ;TY ;TZ

are the torques in comparison to (O, X, Y, Z).

Fig. 6. Coordinate reference systems related to the object (origin O) and another one related to the vacuum gripper (origin V).

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25

The location of point V(xV, yV) on one surface of the object may be expressed by means of a convex combination of the vertices [14] composing that surface (assuming that the surface is represented by a convex polygon). In other words, with n indicating the number of vertices (xPi, yPi), of the surface, the coordinates of point V(xV, yV) may be expressed by xV yV with 0 6 ki 6 1 n X ki 1
i 1 n X i 1 n X i1

k i xPi k i y Pi

40 41

42 43

Adding the term ki to the variables that specify the coordinates of the center of the suction cup, it is now possible to determine the best possible position of the vacuum gripper with the objective of minimizing the vacuum force. The optimization problem becomes Objective function: Min FV subjected to the following constraints: F Z 4F V FX FY
O e e 4 X i1 4 X i1 e 4 X i1

F Ni 0

44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56

F Txi 0 F Ty i 0

T X F Z y V bF N4 F N2 0
O TY O TZ

e F Z xV e F X yV

aF N3 F N1 0
e F Y xV

F Tx4 F Tx2 b F Ty 3 F Ty 1 a 0

F N1 F N3 F N2 F N4 F Ty i xi xK ; y i y K F Txi
2 2 2 F2 Txi F Ty i f F Ni ;

i 1; . . . ; 4 i 1; . . . ; 4

F Ni P 0;

i 1; . . . ; 4

f 6 fST n X xV k i xPi yV
i 1 n X i1

k i y Pi i 1; . . . ; n

0 6 k i 6 1; n X ki 1
i 1

57 58

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G. Mantriota / Mechanism and Machine Theory 42 (2007) 1833

In this case the variables are F Ni ; F Txi ; F Ty i ; k i f ; F V ; xk ; y k ; xV ; y V

59 60

In which xV, yV are the coordinates of the vacuum gripper center in comparison to the coordinate reference system integrant to the object (O, X, Y, Z). The solution of the problem allows us to carry out the optimal position (xV, yV) of the vacuum gripper in correspondence with the minimum vacuum force value necessary to prevent the detachment and skid of the object being grasped. 4. Example In this example, the lifting and rotating of a homogeneous object (Mg = 500 N) of Fig. 7 through a vacuum gripper is assumed, made up of four suction cups, placed in correspondence with the origin of the reference (O, X, Y, Z) of the object. The center of gravity of the object has coordinated xG = 243 mm; yG = 0; zG = 636 mm. Assuming that the object has a rotation of 90 (Fig. 8). The objective is to determine the minimum value of the vacuum force needed to allow lifting and the subsequent 90 rotation of the object. While the object is in motion, taking the reference system O, X, Y, Z into consideration, the object applies the following forces and torques on the suction cup: FX 0
e FY e e

61 62 63 64 65 66

Mg sin b MgzG sin b MgxG cos b MgxG sin b

F Z Mg cos b
e TX e TY e TZ

Fig. 7. Object and vacuum gripper.

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27

Fig. 8. Motion of the object.

Changing the angle of rotation b, it is possible to determine the minimum value of the vacuum force through the following optimization problem: Objective function: Min FV subjected to the following constraints: 4 X F Ni 0 67 Mg cosb 4F V
i1 4 X i 1

F Txi 0
4 X i1

68 F Ty i 0 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77

Mg sin b

MgzG sin b aF N4 F N2 0 MgxG cos b aF N3 F N1 0 MgxG sin b a F Tx4 F Tx2 F Ty 3 F Ty 1 0 F N1 F N3 F N2 F N4 F Ty i xi xK ; i 1; . . . ; 4 y i y K F Txi

2 2 2 F2 Txi F Ty i f F Ni ;

i 1; . . . ; 4

F Ni P 0; f 6 fST

i 1; . . . ; 4

The variables are F Ni ; F Txi ; F Ty i ; f ; F V ; xk ; y k A commercial software, MATLAB, was run to solve the examples reported in this paper. i 1; . . . ; 4 78 79

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G. Mantriota / Mechanism and Machine Theory 42 (2007) 1833

In Fig. 9 for three dierent values of the static-friction coecient (0.25; 0.3; 0.4), the minimum value of the total vacuum force (4FV) in function of the angle b is reported. It is seen that up to around b = 20 the vacuum force is independent from the static-friction coecient, therefore for angles b included between 0 and 20 the most restrictive condition is that related to the detachment of the suction cups and not the skid. For values of b included between 20 and 60 the minimum vacuum force is independent from the static friction coecient fST if this last one is more than 0.3. In other words, the most critical condition is the skid if fST is less than 0.3. The maximum value results to be equal to 3270, 2735 and 2545 [N] respectively for fST = 0.25, 0.3, 0.4. Considering a total vacuum force (4 * FV) equal to 2800 [N] and the angle b variation, the minimum value of the static-friction coecient (Fig. 10) and the normal contact forces was calculated (Fig. 11). We can see that fST Min increases with the growth of the angle of rotation b. Particularly when b = 0, because torsional torques or tangential forces are not present, static-friction forces are not necessary (fST = 0). Whereas when e e b = 90 the values of F Y and T Z are the maximum and therefore also the requested value of fST is the maximum to avoid skidding (0.296). In Fig. 11 it is possible to note that the normal forces of the four suction cups are all positive, this means that the absence of detachment of the suction cups is guaranteed. Considering that the F4 is the smallest force and is close to zero for b = 80, suction cup number 4 is the one in condition of incipient detachment. Finally, the most favorable position of the vacuum gripper was sought with the objective of reducing the necessary vacuum force for the motion. The optimization was performed considering a more serious load condition (b = 90). The polygon inside which the center of the vacuum gripper can be positioned is a square with sides of 0.30 m having the center in O (Fig. 7). Therefore, the optimization problem was solved (Eqs. (44)(58)) in which the coordinates xpi ; y pi are those of the square vertexes with sides of 0.3 m. For fST = 0.25 and 0.3 the obtained result was xV = 0.15 m, while yV is indierent for the optimization. In fact, for b = 90, the maximum value of (0.15 m) reduces the torsional torque on the vacuum gripper, while the value of yV is indierent because it does not inuence any component of the external forces. To evaluate the inuence of yV, the optimum position was researched for values of b smaller of 90. Therefore, an optimum for b = 80 with xV = 0.15 m and yV = 0.15 m was obtained. Finally, the value of the minimum vacuum force was calculated considering the optimum position xV = 0.15 m and yV = 0.15 m. In Fig. 12 the comparison between the minimum vacuum force for the optimum position and the position in which the vacuum gripper is located in the center of the support surface (O = V) is

3500

3000

fsf=0.25 fsf=0.3

2500
fsf=0.4

Fv min [N]

2000

1500

1000

500

0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

[]

Fig. 9. Minimum value of the vacuum force in function of the angle b.

G. Mantriota / Mechanism and Machine Theory 42 (2007) 1833

0.3

29

0.25

0.2

fMin
0.15

0.1

0.05

0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

[]

Fig. 10. Minimum value of the static-friction coecient in function of the angle b.

1400

1200

F2

1000

F [N]

800

F3

600

F1
400

200

F4
0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

[]

Fig. 11. Normal contact forces in function of the angle b.

reported. For fST = 0.25 (Fig. 12) a notable reduction (22%) of the vacuum force for high values of b can be seen, passing from a maximum value of 32702545 [N] (b = 90). The reduction of the vacuum force is, instead, less notable when fST = 0.3 (Fig. 13), passing from 2735 to 2545 N. For fST = 0.4 and b = 90 the position of the vacuum gripper is indierent when the minimization of the vacuum force is considered. In fact, in this case the most serious stress is due to the torques (TX, TY), which has the tendency to produce the detachment of suction cup number 4. Always for fST = 0.4, with the decrease of angle b the optimum position was researched, reaching the position xV = 0.15 m, yV = 0.15 m for b = 60.

30
3500

G. Mantriota / Mechanism and Machine Theory 42 (2007) 1833

3000

without optimization

2500

Fv min [N]

2000
with optimization (xV=0.15; yV=0.15)

1500

fsf=0.25
1000

500

0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

[]

Fig. 12. Minimum vacuum force for the optimum position and the position in which the vacuum gripper is located in the center of the support surface (fsf = 0.25).

3000

2500

without optimization

2000

with optimization (x V =0.15; yV =0.15)

Fv min [N]

1500

fsf=0.3

1000

500

0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

[]

Fig. 13. Minimum vacuum force for the optimum position and the position in which the vacuum gripper is located in the center of the support surface (fsf = 0.3).

In Fig. 14 the comparison of the vacuum force for the position xV = 0.15 m, yV = 0.15 m and that in which the vacuum gripper is centered on the surface, was reported. We can see that a consistent reduction of the vacuum force occurs for low values of b, such advantage disappears when b = 90. From this example, the important role of the static-friction coecient that inuences the more unfavorable condition (suction cup detachment or skid) and the optimal position of the vacuum gripper is demonstrated.

G. Mantriota / Mechanism and Machine Theory 42 (2007) 1833

3000

31

2500

without optimization

2000
with optimization (xV=0.15; yV=0.15)

Fv min [N]

1500

fsf=0.4

1000

500

0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

[]

Fig. 14. Minimum vacuum force for the optimum position and the position in which the vacuum gripper is located in the center of the support surface (fsf = 0.4).

A comparison was nally performed between two congurations of the vacuum gripper modifying the position of the suction cups (Fig. 15). Considering a vacuum total force (4 * FV) equal to 2800 [N] in Fig. 16 the minimum value of the static-friction coecient is compared for the two congurations. It is possible to notice that setting the suction cups on the edges of the square, the needed friction coecient to avoid the skid is always smaller in comparison to the other conguration. The maximum value reduces from 0.295 to 0.250. Considering instead an static-friction coecient equal to 0.3, in Fig. 17 the minimum vacuum total force is

(a)

(b)

Fig. 15. Two congurations of the vacuum gripper.

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0.3

G. Mantriota / Mechanism and Machine Theory 42 (2007) 1833

0.25

0.2

0.15

0.1

0.05

0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

[]

Fig. 16. Minimum value of the static-friction coecient for the two congurations.

3000

2500

2000

Fv min [N]

1500

1000

500

fsf=0.3

0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

[]

Fig. 17. Minimum vacuum total force for the two congurations.

reported (4 * FV). Also in this case, the disposition of the suction cups to the vertexes of the square reduces the maximum value from 2735 to 2560 N. 5. Conclusions The vacuums grippers with multiple suction cups have a great ability to balance torques and therefore are used for moving large objects.

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In this paper a model was proposed to determine the minimum value of the vacuum force and the friction coecient necessary to guarantee the grasp and movement of objects through grippers with multiple suction cups without detachment or skid. Furthermore, utilizing an optimization problem with non-linear constraints, a criterion for determining the optimum position of the vacuum gripper with the objective of the minimization of the vacuum force necessary for grasping, was proposed. An example of an object in motion was demonstrated using a vacuum gripper with four suction cups. The minimum values of the friction coecient and the vacuum force to guarantee motion and the advantages that should derive from an optimal positioning of the vacuum gripper were reported. Lastly, the performances of two dierent vacuum grippers with dierent placements of the suction cups were compared. The model proposed in this research is easily applicable to vacuum grippers made up of a large number of suction cups or with dierent placements of suction cups. References
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