In the field of automated assembly, pneumatic grippers are a key component that is often overlooked as a candidate for upgrade and improvement. Like the tires on a race car that make contact with the racetrack, grippers make contact with the product and process. However, unlike the tires of a race car, grippers don’t have the advantage of an expert human being constantly monitoring and controlling their performance.

Fortunately, various sensor technologies are now available that can give dumb grippers the feedback necessary to become smart. The optimum sensor technology to choose depends on what parameter of gripper performance needs to be monitored. There are three most commonly monitored gripper parameters: 

• Gripper jaw open/jaw closed/jaw closed on part 
• Gripper jaw actual position 
• Part present/absent in gripper jaw