Design and Implementation of Soft Robotic Gripper Using 3D Printing Technology

Automated warehouses rely on robotic systems for efficient order picking, yet object manipulation remains challenging due to variations in object shape, size, and material properties. This study focuses on the material selection for the holder of flexible robotic grippers using fused deposition modelling. The holder plays a crucial role in ensuring a secure fit of the gripper's fingers, which is essential for stable and precise object handling in bin picking applications. Testing specimens were fabricated following the ASTM D638-22 standard with a grid infill pattern at full density. Two different variants of Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol and Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate were tested. Mechanical properties, including ultimate tensile strength, elongation at break, and Young's modulus, were estimated using a universal testing machine. Results indicate that one variant of Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol exhibited the highest tensile strength (40.54 MPa), making it suitable for applications requiring high mechanical strength and resistance to tensile loads, while Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate provided a balance between strength and flexibility. These results illustrate the comparison of materials and how material selection and infill density impact the mechanical performance of the holder, which contributes to a better choice of material. Future research will explore the influence of 3D printing temperatures, layer height and testing other infill patterns to further enhance the efficiency and reliability of materials used for robotic grippers in robotic manipulation.