Handling and Manipulation of Microcomponents: Work-Cell Design and Grasping Tests

The paper introduces an experimental setup for the automatic manipulation of micro-components, based on a 4 dof robot with Shoenflies motion and a two-camera vision system. Firstly, an overview on the micro-manipulation and micro-assembly issues is provided, focusing on the emergent hybrid micro-products and the technical challenges of their precise manipulation. Then, the general architecture of the work-cell is presented. The work-cell functionality was tested via repeatability experiments using a set of vacuum grippers. An innovative design of a nozzle for a vacuum gripper has been tested, comparing its performance with traditional needles. The performed tests assess the success and precision of the part release. Indeed, this is a crucial aspect of micromanipulation because of sticking effects that may prevent the successful performance of manipulation tasks. The design of the experimental tests are described in the paper.