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Department of Engineering, ICT and Technologies for Energy and Transport Patent Title Device and method for the manipulation of components based on vacuum principle. Ref. CNR 10252 Assignee(s): CNR CNR Institute: ITIA Main Inventor: Serena Ruggieri Countries: IT, EP Priority date: 26/03/2013 Abstract The manipulation of millimetric and sub-millimetric components presents several issues, often negligible at the macro-scale. Indeed, at the micro-scale, the high surface-to-volume ratio leads to the predominance of the superficial forces (e.g. electrostatic, van der Waals and capillary forces) over the gravitational force, therefore the manipulation of micro-parts is very challenging. In particular, the release is a critical phase of the manipulation. Components often stick to the gripper and, since the gravitational force does not overcome the adhesion, their release becomes uncertain and unreliable. In this context, an innovative vacuum micro- gripping method and device able to cope with the micro-part release issues was conceived. The device is effective, simple, low-cost, low-weight and easy to use and integrate in a manipulation system. It allows to manipulate micro-parts of different shape and material. Background Vacuum grippers are simple, cheap and allow the manipulation of a large variety of components as long as their surface is smooth and not porous. However, the release can be an issue since, due to the superficial forces, the components often stick to the gripper. This reduce their possible range of applications. Many solutions have been implemented so far to improve the release phase, such as the use of a soft blow or additional tools, but their drawbacks make them unsuitable in several applications. Technology This new vacuum manipulation device uses the same actuating system (vacuum pump) for grasping the parts and controlling an innovative mechanical system to assist the release. The mechanical system is inside the gripper body and can move between two main positions, one of which allows the grasping of the component by vacuum and the other forces and improves its release as soon as the pump is turned off. Advantages and Applications The device allows the precise, reliable and safe manipulation of micro-parts, avoiding any considerable increase in weight nor excessive complication of the system. The device can be easily mounted on a robot or integrated in a manual or tele-operated manipulation system. Its applications spread in several sectors including electronics, automotive, micro-mechanics, packaging, telecommunication, medical and biomedical. Development stage A prototype has been fabricated and is currently used in the Laboratory of Micro-robotics at ITIA-CNR. Several experimental tests proved its ability to grasp and release micro-components of different shape and dimension. The prototype has shown very good potentialities in terms of reliability, precision and ease of integration. 91