End effectors
Soft grippers
Compliant, often silicone or bellows-based grippers that conform to irregular or delicate parts without rigid fingers or high clamping force.
Soft grippers use flexible materials, such as silicone bellows or fiber-reinforced actuators, that deform around a part's shape when pressurized rather than clamping with rigid jaws. This lets a single gripper handle a range of part shapes and sizes without tooling changes, useful for food, produce, and other delicate or variable items.
Because the gripping surface conforms rather than applies concentrated point force, soft grippers reduce the risk of marking or crushing fragile or cosmetically sensitive parts compared to rigid mechanical fingers.
Grip force and repeatability are generally lower than a rigid gripper, so soft designs are better suited to lighter payloads and applications where part protection matters more than absolute holding force.
Related integrations
Common questions
- What does Soft grippers do?
- Compliant, often silicone or bellows-based grippers that conform to irregular or delicate parts without rigid fingers or high clamping force.
- What does Soft grippers work with?
- It works with Photoneo bin picking, Zivid 3D, OnRobot grippers, SMC vacuum.
- What should I watch for with Soft grippers?
- Lower grip force and repeatability than rigid grippers. Best suited to lighter payloads. Material wear over time requires periodic replacement.