ISO 8573-1 is a world customary for measuring the standard of compressed air. It is necessary for robotic palletizing as a result of the vacuum grippers usually utilized in these techniques are pneumatic.
When you’re utilizing vacuum grippers for palletizing, the standard of the air can imply the distinction between efficiently selecting a field and dropping it.
However what’s the affect of air high quality in your work surroundings on the robotic?
How will you examine fashions of vacuum grippers and their air high quality rankings?
And the way do you inform what vacuum gripper can be finest on your particular palletizing job?
Let’s take a look on the ISO 8563-1 customary to grasp how you should use it to make higher selections about your palletizing robotic.
What’s ISO 8573-1?
ISO8573-1 is a world customary for compressed air purity lessons developed by the Worldwide Group for Standardization (ISO). It defines a set of standards for assessing and classifying purity of compressed air and is important for duties the place clear air is required.
The usual contains 8 elements that present lessons and check procedures. It classifies air high quality by the sort and measurement of contaminant or particles within the compressed air.
Sections of the usual are:
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Purity lessons for particles, water, and oil.
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Check strategies for oil aerosol, humidity, strong particle, and oil/solvent.
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Check strategies for strong particle content material and microbiological contaminants.
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Strong particle check strategies.
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Liquid water testing procedures.
From these exams and procedures, an air provide is given a ranking that signifies the purity of the air.
For robotic vacuum grippers, the kind of contaminant might fluctuate relying on the precise surroundings that you’re utilizing the robotic in. Nevertheless, the most typical sort is particles, such because the ambient mud in a warehouse surroundings.
Why air high quality is necessary for dependable robotic palletizing
Air high quality is a property that individuals usually overlook to contemplate when they’re buying a palletizing robotic. Nevertheless, the air high quality ranking of a robotic vacuum gripper can considerably have an effect on the robotic’s efficiency in a palletizing job.
Contaminants have an effect on the suction power of a vacuum gripper. In consequence, the air high quality influences the load of things that the gripper can raise.
Most vacuum grippers have some type of air filtration system. Nevertheless, these have completely different rankings in accordance with ISO 8573-1. In case your gripper’s filtration system cannot filter the kind of contaminants current within the air, it could fail to choose up containers reliably.
In case your robotic is working in a clear room, you most likely haven’t got to fret about air high quality. For all different environments, you need to contemplate the standard of the air.
How vacuum grippers use air when palletizing
The vacuum grippers usually utilized in palletizing robots work by making a vacuum power, sometimes with a vacuum pump related to the gripper.
Vacuum grippers work by utilizing the venturi impact, a precept that depends on the suction created when a fluid is compelled by a slim pathway. When compressed air is pushed by a venturi tube, it creates a vacuum with decrease strain than the ambiance.
Vacuum grippers sometimes have two most important operational elements: suction cups and an air provide (which features a strain regulator with an air filtration system).
Throughout operation, the suction cups begin crammed with air. This air is then shortly sucked out, making a destructive air strain within the cup which sticks the cup to the floor of the field.
If there are contaminants within the air provide, it creates a weaker lifting power by degrading the standard of the vacuum.

Evaluating the air ranking of two dependable vacuum grippers
You’ll be able to see the affect of air ranking on the efficiency of vacuum grippers by completely different fashions.
At Robotiq, we’ve three vacuum gripper ranges: EPick, AirPick, and PowerPick. The EPick consists of its personal mini vacuum pump inside the gripper itself – as a substitute of utilizing an exterior air provide – so it is barely completely different from the opposite two.
Let’s examine the AirPick and PowerPick to see the affect of air high quality ranking:
Instance 1: AirPick
AirPick is the proper selection for an enormous variety of palletizing duties. It’s able to exactly lifting containers and gadgets for a lot of decide and place duties. It has a compact design for cobots and, in the fitting environments, affords highly effective vacuum circulation.
The AirPick’s filtration system is rated at ISO 8573-1 Class 2-4-2. This implies it offers a particle measurement separation of <0.1µm — which is equal to the grain measurement of corn starch.
The air filter is 5 microns, the mist separator is 0.3 micron, and the micro mis separator is 0.01 micron.
Instance 2: PowerPick
PowerPick is a extra highly effective vacuum gripper that’s designed to extend the reliability and power for lifting heavier gadgets. It additionally affords many extra configuration choices to go well with much more palletizing duties.
The PowerPick’s filtration system is rated at ISO 8573-1 Class 7-4-4. This implies it offers a particle measurement separation of <40µm — which is equal to grains of plant pollen. The air filter can be 5 microns.
This ranking signifies that the PowerPick can deal with air with particle sizes 400 instances bigger than the AirPick.
The improved vacuum system has a most load capability of 11.5 kg (25 lbs) and offers a powerful suction power to make sure containers are firmly held even in additional dusty environments.
What air high quality does your palletizing job want?
How will you use this data to determine which palletizing system is best for you?
When you’re a vacuum gripper system, establish if the air high quality ranking of the vacuum matches that of the surroundings through which will probably be working.
You’ll be able to both analyze the air high quality of your surroundings utilizing measurement gear. Or you can run a check utility with a vacuum gripper and establish that the efficiency meets your wants.
By understanding what class of air purity is critical on your explicit utility, you possibly can be sure that your palletizing job is working at peak efficiency.
What questions do you may have about air high quality rankings? Inform us within the feedback beneath or be part of the dialogue on LinkedIn, Twitter, Fb, or the DoF skilled robotics group.
