Micro-Grippers (Pneumatic/Electric)

Detail: Miniature mechanical or pneumatic grippers designed for handling very small items like vials, caps, or specific labware where vacuum handling might not be suitable. Require precise force control to avoid damaging fragile items.

Norck Robotics – Expertise in Micro-Grippers (Pneumatic/Electric) Manufacturing

Norck Robotics engineers precision micro grippers to advance ultra-compact automation for medicine, semiconductor, and electronics. Whether electronically controlled handling with electric micro grippers or immediate and light actuation with pneumatic micro grippers, Norck Robotics has a solution for higher-level manipulation at the small or delicate scale. These high accuracy and reliable miniature robotic grippers offer precision control in a compact and rapid system. With a goal of performance and precision in automation, Norck Robotics gives you precision micro grippers to locate in your robotic system.

High grip accuracy

Our precision micro grippers provide repeatable control for fragile or ultra-small manipulations

Low footprint & weight

Light weight form factors to assist with integration into mobile or stationary systems

Electric micro grippers with smart contro

Allow position feedback, force adjust, and digital interfacing

Fast & efficient actuation

Pneumatic micro grippers support high-speed cycles with low air usage

Miniature robotic grippers for dense environments

Built to maximize density of handling and manipulation

The micro grippers by Norck Robotics that professionals trust to handle ultra-fine gripping in essential works across the globe.

Ready to automate your future? Get a quote from Norck Robotics now!

UNMATCHED ROBOTICS ENGINEERING SUPPORT

Integrated System Design

Norck Robotics specializes in providing unique robotic automation and engineering solutions designed to meet the specific operational needs of each client. Our expertise covers a wide range of industries and applications.

Engineering Expertise, Every Step of Automation

Norck Robotics delivers turnkey robotic automation and engineering solutions tailored to your specific needs across various industries.

Your Solution, Your Scale

Whether you need a single robotic cell prototype or full-scale factory automation, Norck Robotics engineers are ready to collaborate with you to bring your concept to life.

Optimize Your System for Automation

Norck Robotics engineers analyze your existing processes to provide feedback that enhances efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and productivity for robotic integration.

When are micro-grippers used instead of vacuum handling in labs?

Micro-grippers are used instead of vacuum handling in the lab environment when the items in question need grasping that can be more specified or targeted than suction alone can provide. This is especially important for objects that are irregularly shaped, porous, too small, or that are not flat, where a vacuum may be unable to make a proper seal, but also not provide sufficient stability during transport.

Pneumatic micro grippers or electric micro-grippers would generally be the correct tools to use to securely grip small vials, tube caps, uniquely shaped lab ware etc. Grippers can provide precise force, which can be necessary for handling delicate or fragile parts without deforming or breaking them. Furthermore, in situations of low contamination levels (i.e. sterile environments), mechanical grippers do have more specifically selectable areas of contact than vacuum systems. For these reasons, micro-grippers are excellent choices for precise and repeatable tasks of a laboratory automation effort, while traditional vacuum systems may be unreliable or impractical to use.

What actuation methods (pneumatic, electric) are used for micro-grippers?

Micro-grippers are applied with pneumatic or electric actuation methods, based on the tasks needed for lab automation.

Pneumatic micro-grippers use compressed air. Compared to size, pneumatic micro-grippers have relatively quick response times and high gripping-force. Pneumatic micro-grippers are best for quick pick-and-place scenarios. Pneumatic grippers can also be optimized to create softer or rigid grips depending on the air pressure.

Electric micro-grippers use miniature motors or servos to drive a mechanism that offers precise control regarding the gripping force and gripping position. Electric micro-grippers have clear advantages in instances that require delicate or variable-shaped items, where it is important to use consistent or programmable gripping force.

The selection of pneumatic and electric is often dependent on the precision, control, and speed desired for lab automation as well as whether the gripper can be integrated to a lab automation system.

WHY NORCK ROBOTICS?

Access Broad Integration and Project Capacity

In addition to its own expert engineering team, Norck Robotics provides access to a network of hundreds of top-tier system integrators, robot manufacturers, and component suppliers across the United States, Germany, and Europe.

Create Resilience in Your Supply Chain

Working with Norck Robotics reduces dependency on manual labor, increases production consistency, and secures your operations against unforeseen disruptions, quality issues, and fluctuations. This enhances your company's supply chain resilience.

Technology-Driven Solutions

Norck Robotics advances digital automation by developing custom-designed robot grippers, advanced vision systems, and innovative simulation software. With an AI-driven, data-centric approach, it enables smarter system design, optimal performance, and predictive maintenance solutions.

Environment-Focused Approach

Norck Robotics encourages its partners to be carbon-neutral by reducing energy consumption and material waste through the efficiency of robotic automation, and prioritizes environmentally conscious suppliers.

How is force control managed to handle delicate lab items?

In micro-grippers, force control usually relies on high-tech actuation systems but also sensor feedback and the wise design of mechanical systems to not damage delicate things in the lab.

Sensors

Many of the micro-grippers have been designed with force or pressure sensors capable of continuously measuring gripping force. Depending on the application, grippers with sensors could allow the operator to adjust the grip while in operation to prevent squeezing an especially delicate item, or dropping a sensitive item altogether.

Adjustable pneumatic pressure

For pneumatic grippers, force control is as easy as changing the air pressure, where lower pressures would be selected for particularly sensitive components such as thin glass vials, or soft caps.

Programmable electric grippers

Electric micro-grippers can also allow for precise programmed adjustments to the force applied, this allows for delivery of consistent, repeatable, controllable force made to the fragile of the item.

Soft materials or compliant jaw design

A combination of soft materials and compliant mechanisms were often used in gripper jaws to help spread pressure across a larger gripping surface; this being used to to minimize the chance of damaging the item.

With use of these combined strategy approaches, micro-grippers can be used reliably and safely with fragile labware, in high-throughput automated systems.

What specific labware are micro-grippers suitable for handling?

Micro-grippers are a great, if not the best, solution for durable and gentle handling of small, fragile labware that can’t be handled with vacuum-based handling strategies for either practical or safety reasons. This includes:

Custom microfluidic chips - typically, microfluidic chips are created from very fragile plastics or glass that can either shatter on impact or tear due to structural intricacies.

Thin-walled or miniature glass vials and glass test tubes - this is made more difficult when cracks occur somewhere else from uneven pressure on the fragile labware.

Microplates or lids to well plates - it is not just vertical force that requires consideration to avoid spills and to maintain alignment.

Petri dishes and microscope slides - there is no room for error when you place your labware incorrectly or when there is a scratch or crack.

Tube caps and bottle caps - these can be distorted with excess or uneven gripping force.

In either of these examples, micro-grippers provide reliability in robotic, automated or handling of fragile labware, as well as, consistency and preciseness in gripping components in the lab environments.