Would you believe that some of the most amazing and technological marvels depicted in science fiction movies and novels have actually come to fruition? When you see robots moving, carrying, picking up, and putting down all kinds of small and intricate parts and products, pneumatics makes it possible. More specifically, the type of tool that can actually grip and carry even heavy objects is known as the pneumatic gripper.

Pneumatic grippers are a type of pneumatic actuator that look very similar to the "fingers" or "jaws" you see in science fiction movies quickly picking, placing, moving, and interacting with a variety of different objects. In the real world, pneumatic grippers are most frequently used to "pick and place" objects in a manufacturing application. This drastically reduces the need for humans in the manufacturing process, increasing safety and efficiency at the same time.

Many types of pneumatic grippers directly interact with the object that they are gripping, which calls for very specific parameters in order to pinpoint the force of the air pressure exerted by the gripper. For example, in some manufacturing applications where pneumatic grippers are handling fragile components, improperly calibrated or maintained equipment could lead to a pneumatic gripper grasping an object with too much force, damaging it and hurting that company’s bottom line.

Grippers vary widely when it comes to their opening size, the amount of force they are capable of exerting, and the shape of the actual gripping surface, or "jaw". Due to these factors, grippers are often designed and engineered to handle very specific loads. For instance, a gripper designed to handle very small and delicate parts, like a circuit board, will be designed much differently than large and powerful grippers intended for transporting heavy automotive parts for a car or truck. While this can tend to cause a fair amount of confusion for the first time buyer, it enables pneumatic grippers to provide an unparalleled level of precision and care when it comes to gripping everything from tiny delicate components to large and heavy parts and components.

So next time you’re watching your favorite science fiction movie and you see nimble robots quickly and efficiently building, handling, moving, and interacting with claw or finger-like tools, don’t forget that they are not too far removed from reality. Many times, the technology that helped quickly and efficiently manufacture the products you use every day is very similar.