Automated Design of Gripper Systems for Electrical Connectors

In industrial production, the handling and mating of electrical connectors are carried out manually in most applications. Therefore, automation offers potential for improvement. Designing a suitable gripper system is a crucial step. However, this is currently only possible exploratively, requiring empirical knowledge and time. This paper presents a concept for automating the design process of gripper systems for electrical connectors. For this purpose, physics simulation for the mechanical impact of cables and grasp planning for the complex geometry of electrical connectors are considered simultaneously. The concept aims to automatically derive CAD data for gripper jaws that are suitable for electrical connectors.