×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Contact US

*
*
*
*

Thanks. We have received your request and will respond promptly.

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Rotational Vacuum Cups?

thread277-278857

Rotational Vacuum Cups?

Rotational Vacuum Cups?

(OP)
Hey there!

I need to design a mechanism that picks up a plastic spherical body and then rotates it over a desired angle.
I'm thinking of a pneumatic system with a vacuum cup on the end of it to pick the body up and an electric motor to make the rotation. But the problem is that the angle of rotation may be more than 360 degrees, even infinitive. So, the question is that is there any way to make the rotation and keep pneumatic hoses irrotational(fixed, not moving) in order to prevent crashed in the system?

RE: Rotational Vacuum Cups?

How much vacuum are you talking about? Can you use a micro vacuum pump near the end effector and power it electrically via a wiper system the same way you would power the rotator?


"If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my axe." -- Abraham Lincoln  
For the best use of Eng-Tips, please click here -> FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies  

RE: Rotational Vacuum Cups?

Perhaps what you are looking for is a "rotary union" or "rotating union".

TygerDawg
Blue Technik LLC
Virtuoso Robotics Engineering
www.bluetechnik.com

RE: Rotational Vacuum Cups?

(OP)
Thanks very much for the answers.

I don't think it'll need large amonut of vacuum since the plastic body will be around 1 pound. I found out that those can pick a body up to 7 lbs. So that may be the solution.

I also checked out rotary unions which is exactly what I was thinking :)

In this case, I think I need to go a little further to see which one would be more proper/feasible to use.

Please let me know if you have any other idea to share. Thanks a lot for replies.

 

RE: Rotational Vacuum Cups?

If you choose to use a motor to turn it, you may look into these cute little steppers at http://www.imshome.com/  with direct drive, geared, or timing belt connection to rotary axis.  I recently used some and was very impressed at cost & ease of integration.  Nice little package.

TygerDawg
Blue Technik LLC
Virtuoso Robotics Engineering
www.bluetechnik.com

RE: Rotational Vacuum Cups?

We manufacture vacuum rotary equipment. They are used extensively on packaging machines to load cartons and cases. They continuously rotate 360 degrees, pick up and drop off as required.

We make our own vacuum cam valves. I could probably send you some pictures so you get the idea. The valves have vacuum passages milled out to pick up and drop off parts without having to turn valves on and off.

Charlie
www.facsco.com

RE: Rotational Vacuum Cups?

(OP)
Dear Charlie,

Thanks for the note. I'd more than appreciate it if you could send me some pictures. However, I need to say that I need a rotation more than 360 degrees. The vacuum cups in the end of the system should be rotating even infinite.

Btw, can you send pictures through eng-tips.com? If not, how would you be sending them?

Thanks!

RE: Rotational Vacuum Cups?

Subterrain,
Send me an EMail, and I can send pictures.

If I knew more about what you were doing, I could help find a solution; there are many things you can do.

Charlie
www.facsco.com

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members! Already a Member? Login

Resources

Low-Volume Rapid Injection Molding With 3D Printed Molds
Learn methods and guidelines for using stereolithography (SLA) 3D printed molds in the injection molding process to lower costs and lead time. Discover how this hybrid manufacturing process enables on-demand mold fabrication to quickly produce small batches of thermoplastic parts. Download Now
Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM)
Examine how the principles of DfAM upend many of the long-standing rules around manufacturability - allowing engineers and designers to place a part’s function at the center of their design considerations. Download Now
Taking Control of Engineering Documents
This ebook covers tips for creating and managing workflows, security best practices and protection of intellectual property, Cloud vs. on-premise software solutions, CAD file management, compliance, and more. Download Now
Close Box

Join Eng-Tips® Today!

Join your peers on the Internet's largest technical engineering professional community.
It's easy to join and it's free.

Here's Why Members Love Eng-Tips Forums:

Register now while it's still free!

Already a member? Close this window and log in.

Join Us             Close