Short Title: Int. J. Mech. Eng. Robot. Res.
Frequency: Bimonthly
Professor of School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Australia. His research interests cover Industry 4.0, Additive Manufacturing, Advanced Engineering Materials and Structures (Metals and Composites), Multi-scale Modelling of Materials and Structures, Metal Forming and Metal Surface Treatment.
2025-01-20
2025-01-09
2024-12-18
Abstract—A novel and new reconfigurable gripper was designed, conceptualized, and demonstrated in the previous study. The new gripper comprises six modular fingers that can rotate and clamp simultaneously. The finger assembly consists of two links, the finger arm, and the finger base. During grasping the desired object, the finger arm is in contact directly with the object. Thus, the Finger arm will be subjected to Stress and Modal analysis experiments using Fusion 360 CAD, CAM, and CAE software in this study. Moreover, to fabricate a prototype of the new gripper, the materials used in gripper fabrication are derived from studies conducted around gripper fabrication. In the simulation environment, eight materials were selected, and each material was simulated on the Finger arm. There are two major categories of materials: rigid and solid materials (Aluminum Alloy 2024-T351, Titanium Alloy 6Al-4V, Stainless Steel, Nickel-Copper Alloy 400). Another group of materials used in 3D printing is thermoplastic materials (ABS, PLA, Nylon, and Plastic). A Stress-Strain curve was plotted using ANSYS 2020 simulation software to examine the plasticity and elasticity of the first material group. Simulation results were presented as tables and in graphical form. Afterward, mechanical properties were compared. According to the results, Titanium is the most robust material in the first group of materials, followed by Steel. Compared to the other materials, Aluminum is ranked; third, while Nickel shows very little strength. In addition, PLA and Nylon are the most robust materials, with a load capacity of 8kg and higher safety factors than the target. Plastic, by comparison, can stand 3kg, while ABS is the most fragile, being able to hold only 2kg.