STUDY ON OPTIMIZING MATERIALS FOR 3D GRIPPER PRINTING

The purpose of this paper is to identify the material that offers optimal characteristics in terms of cost, strength and weight. This is necessary because more and more composite materials and 3D printing are being used in the construction of robots, including the gripper. In this context, two types of materials are considered possible to be used in the construction of grippers. Samples are made in different 3D printing modes; the Taguchi method is applied to identify the optimal values. A finite element analysis was also performed in order to verify the characteristics of the materials introduced in the program by comparison with the experimental results in order to use them in the analysis of a new gripper solution. As they will follow, PLA material with 100% infill, 0,17mm layers thickness and 45° raster angle has the greatest resistance at extension. This material definition will be used in future research to the entire model of the gripper to see the behavior in different conditions given by the current requirements.