Robotic End of Arm Tool (EoAT) or end effector design can often define the success of a robotic system. Although it seems like only a small portion of the project, in reality it will drive the performance of the robot. Robotic EoAT design can range from a very simple vacuum cup to a very complex array of technologies used to support the product on multiple sides. As the complexity of the EoAT increases, the design considerations and specifications will be magnified. It is paramount for the success of the project that the specifications are clearly defined and the appropriate technology is implemented.

With the advances in technology, Robotic End of Arm Tools have become increasing flexible. They have the ability to mimic a human hand and grasp objects in the same manner as an operator. The following video highlights how far technology has come:

As robots continually penetrate our daily industrial lives to improve productivity, reduce waste and inefficiencies and raise quality, one would expect that they would demand more, not less compensation for their hard work. Quite the contrary – the costs are reducing!

It bothers me that the main justification for replacing human labor with robots is the cost of human labor. At least, it used to bother me. For a 3 shift operation that runs 7 days a week there are typically 4 people employed. At a $40K/year cost per employee that’s $160K that can be saved by a client that replaces this function in their operation with a robot. If the robot installation costs $160K it only takes one year to break even…