A vacuum chamber for a gripper including at least one fastener plate and at least one pneumatic accessory fastened in a perforation in the fastener plate. The pneumatic accessory is held in the perforation by an elastically deformable tubular interface including an external groove in which the periphery of the perforation is received so as to provide sealing between the plate and the interface, the interface defining a channel extending between a first end of the interface extending inside the chamber and a second end extending outside the chamber, at least a portion of the pneumatic accessory being inserted in the channel of the interface.

A system and method for moving directional drill pipe with vacuum power. The system is used with a vacuum beam mounted on a boom. It has a vacuum pad that is pivotally attached at one end by a hinge to the vacuum beam. The other end of the vacuum pad is attached to the vacuum beam via an actuatable cylinder. Operation of the cylinder causes the vacuum pad to rotate about the hinge and change the angle of the vacuum pad relative to the vacuum beam. Lateral movement of the vacuum pad relative to the vacuum beam is provided by one or more pinned connections located adjacent to the hinge. Vacuum pressure from the vacuum pad is used to grasp and release drill pipe.

A vacuum device for a material handling system includes a vacuum device body and a sealing element. The vacuum device body has a vacuum passageway in which a vacuum is generated in response to activation of a pressurized air supply that forces pressurized air through a venturi device. The sealing element moves to a sealing position to substantially seal the vacuum passageway when the air supply is activated, and is urged toward the sealing position via pressurized air that is diverted from an inlet of the vacuum device to the sealing element. The sealing element moves to substantially vent the vacuum passageway when the air supply is deactivated. The vacuum passageway may be in fluid communication with a vacuum cup, which seals against the object when the sealing element is at the sealing position and the vacuum generating device generates at least a partial vacuum in the vacuum passageway.

An end effector is disclosed for an articulated arm. The end effector includes a valve assembly including a plurality of supply channels, each supply channel including a supply conduit, a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the supply conduit, and a supply conduit plug. The supply conduit is in fluid communication with a vacuum source. During use, each supply conduit is either at vacuum such that the pressure within the supply conduit is substantially at a vacuum pressure, or is at a pressure that is substantially higher than vacuum pressure because the supply conduit plug has moved to block a portion of the supply conduit. The pressure sensor of each supply conduit provides a pressure sensor signal responsive to whether the pressure in the conduit is either substantially at vacuum or is at a pressure that is substantially higher than vacuum.

A micro device transferring method and a micro device transferring apparatus are provided. The micro device transferring method exemplarily includes: providing a carrier substrate including a transparent base, a light radiation activated adhesiveness-loss layer located on a first surface of the transparent base and multiple micro devices arranged in an array on the light radiation activated adhesiveness-loss layer; locally irradiating the light radiation activated adhesiveness-loss layer from a second surface of the transparent base to reduce adhesiveness of multiple target areas of the light radiation activated adhesiveness-loss layer to the micro devices respectively located in the multiple target areas, the multiple target areas being areas corresponding to the micro devices to be transferred; picking up the micro devices in the multiple target areas; and aligning the picked up micro devices with corresponding locations of a receiving substrate, and releasing them onto the receiving substrate.

A vacuum lifter apparatus for lifting sheet material articles comprises an upper chassis, a modular lower suction plate supported beneath the chassis, a controller and a source of vacuum air pressure, the suction plate comprising a suction lifting surface for providing vacuum lifting pressure to said articles. The modular suction plate has plural side-by-side modules, each module providing a different portion of the suction lifting surface and having one or more air outlets, outlets of one module separate from outlets of other modules and in fluid communication with the corresponding portion of the suction lifting surface and not with different portions of the suction lifting surface. The chassis comprises at least one air outlet connected to said source of vacuum air pressure, and a plurality of separate air flow channels through the chassis. Each air flow channel has an associated air flow valve and a valve actuator.

An end-of-arm tool for attachment to a robotic arm, includes a housing, an outer suction cup assembly that includes an outer suction cup located at the distal end of the housing, and an inner suction cup assembly that extends centrally through the outer suction cup assembly. The inner suction cup assembly includes a lower suction tube, an inner suction cup that is positioned at a distal end of the lower suction tube and is in fluid communication with the lower suction tube. The inner suction cup is concentrically located relative to the outer suction cup. The tool includes an actuator configured to selectively extend and retract the lower suction tube with respect to the outer suction cup.

A vacuum system (10) and method (100) used for creating a dynamically controlled vacuum system (10) for lifting processes (Wc) are disclosed. The compressed air used for an ejector (3) is varied by calculating the required vacuum levels (V.sup. ) during the lifting process (Wc). This reduces the air consumption.

A system is disclosed for providing dynamic vacuum control to an end effector of an articulated arm. The system includes a first vacuum source for providing a first vacuum pressure with a first maximum air flow rate, and a second vacuum source for providing a second vacuum pressure with a second maximum air flow rate, wherein the second vacuum pressure is higher than the first vacuum pressure and wherein the second maximum air flow rate is greater than the first maximum air flow rate.

A vacuum lifter apparatus for lifting sheet material articles, comprises an upper chassis joined to a substantially planar lower suction plate and an airflow suction system for conveying vacuum air pressure to the suction plate. The suction plate comprises a plurality of suction plate modules, each comprising a housing with a substantially hollow interior and each of said housings being located laterally adjacent at least one other of said housings. Each of said housings comprises a lower plate, an upper plate and at least one side plate, each housing being affixed to said laterally adjacent housing along a seam between adjoining pairs of side plates. The upper plates each comprise at least one opening and said lower plates are each perforated with a plurality of orifices through which, in use, air is drawn along airflow paths through said interior and out of said opening by the airflow suction system.