Each of the four tool holders can use vacuum cups or grippers mounted on individual linear actuators, which can be programmed for as many as 28 separate locations. The programmable EOAT will save the time and money usually involved in dealing with multiple EOATs and tool changers. The design, says SAS, is made for easy and rapid interfacing with any make or style of robot.

With these features built into the programmable EOAT, the robot can pick and place or pull four different-sized parts from an injection mold using the same EOAT, thus eliminating the cost of additional tools. When four different parts are picked at one time, the program allows for repositioning the parts before releasing them.

According to SAS Automation's general manager Robert Dalton, this feature is about increasing productivity. "Getting more out of your robot directly relates to having end-of-arm tooling that can handle multi-functions with parts of different shapes and weights," he says. —[email protected]