OnRobot Gecko SP adhesive gripper

OnRobot has launched a compact, single-pad version of its Gecko no-mark adhesive gripper. The Gecko Single Pad (SP) gripper brings the same capability to automation applications with small footprints and lower payload.

The Gecko SP is available in three sizes (SP1, SP3 and SP5) named after the gripper’s payload in kilograms, and features the ability to lift a wide range of flat, smooth, shiny or perforated surfaces. Because the technology doesn’t mark even high-shine surfaces, it eliminates the need for a cleaning step in manufacturing processes, saving time and improving output. The product can also grip perforated workpieces such as printed circuit boards, aluminium mesh or head gaskets.

The Gecko gripper technology uses millions of microscaled fibrillar stalks that adhere to a surface using Van der Waals forces — the same way that geckos climb. The technology requires no compressed air or external power, saving costs and maintenance, and can be implemented quickly and easily through OnRobot’s One-System Solution platform with little or no programming on any major collaborative or light industrial robot arm.