Create a gripper
The way in which the gripper holds the part might need to be changed between some bends. The Bend database contains a large number of bending grippers, that can be used for the automated bending process. If required, it is possible to create own grippers adapted to the respective part geometry.
In order to create a gripper, information about the wrist, optional base plate, suction plate, and suction cups, together with their respective positions, are needed.
For this purpose a DXF file, including the respective geometry and parameters needs to be created.
Create your own gripper geometry with the desired suction cups, using the drawing module.
To create a new gripper:
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Open a new drawing inside FlexCell CAM and select the sketch option.
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Create a drawing of the gripper with the wrist, base plate and suction cup plate (alternatively, open an existing DXF drawing and adapt it as required).
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Apply a different colour (e.g. green) to the contour of the base plate.
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For a correct graphical display of the optional base plate, it must be in a separate layer. Pick the base plate rectangle and choose the layer as BASEPLATE. The layer color changes to green.
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Make sure that the centre of the wrist is at the drawing zero point and type the required text entities for the parameters.
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Many of the settings for this gripper come from text entities that are of the form KEY=VALUE. Here are the possible keys, with their meanings
key Meaning Name
The name of the gripper
Weight
Weight of the gripper, in kg.
WRISTDIA
Wrist diameter (must be 120/180 corresponding to BM60/BM150)
WRISTTHICKNESS
The thickness in Z of the wrist cylinder underneath. The wrist cylinder extends from Z=0 to this value
PLATEEXTENT
The Z extent (in the form ZMIN:ZMAX) of the plate. Typically, one sets ZMIN the same as WRISTTHICKNESS, so the plate starts where the wrist-cylinder ends.
BASEPLATEEXTENT
The Z extent of the baseplate (see the section below on Two-Layered-Grippers)
CUPNAME
The type of suction cup used for this gripper (like SAXM50)
CUPS
The number of suction cups
CUP1POS
The position of the first suction cup in the form X,Y
CUP2POS
The position of the second suction cup
CUPNPOS
The position of the Nth suction cup
CUPDIA
Can be used instead of CUPNAME to specify a suction cup (not recommended).
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Export as DXF file under the below mentioned path after updating the text parameters from the drawing module.
Suction cup types
In the Bend database there are different types of suction cups available, which can be used when configuring a new gripper.
