Global Robot End Effector Market By Type (Grippers, Welding Guns, Clamps, Suction Cups, Tool Changers, Other Types), By Application (Handling, Assembly, Welding, Processing, Dispensing, Other Applications), By End Use, By Region and Key Companies - Industry Segment Outlook, Market Assessment, Competition Scenario, Trends and Forecast 2021–2031

Introduction–

The phrase “end effector” refers to all devices that can be attached to a robot’s wrist. End effectors are also known as the End of Arm Tooling (or EOAT), robot peripherals, or robot accessories. However, the latter two names are less exact and can refer to both installed and uninstalled devices as well as the end of a robot arm.

A gripper or a tool can be used as an end effector. Mechanic, suction, and magnetic methods are all used in industrial grippers. The automobile sector as well as the metal sheet handling industry are dominated by vacuum cups and electromagnets.

Electrostatic grippers rely on a charge difference (electrostatic force) between the gripper and the part, which is often activated by the gripper itself, whereas Van der Waals grippers rely on the low force (still electrostatic) of atomic attraction between the gripper’s molecules and those of the object. To center, align, and select a part, capillary grippers use the surface tension of a liquid meniscus between the gripper and a given part.

Cryogenic grippers work by freezing a little amount of liquid and using the resulting ice to lift and handle the object. Ultrasonic grippers, which employ pressure standing waves to lift a component and trap it at a specific level, whereas laser tweezers provide enough pressure to trap and move micro parts in a liquid media, are even more complicated (mainly cells).

Laser tweezers are another name for laser grippers. An assembly-line robot’s end effector is usually a welding head or a paint spray gun. The end effector of a surgical robot could be a knife or other surgical equipment. Machine tools like drills and milling cutters could also be used as end effectors. For example, the end effector on the robotic arm of the space shuttle uses a network of wires that close around a handle or another grabbing point, like the aperture of a camera.

Detailed Segmentation –

Based on Type:

• Grippers
• Welding Guns
• Clamps
• Suction Cups
• Tool Changers
• Other Types

Based on Application:

• Handling
• Assembly
• Welding
• Processing
• Dispensing
• Other Applications

Based on End Use:

• Automotive
• Electrical and Electronics
• Metals and Machinery
• Food and Beverages
• Other End Uses

Based on Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Market Dynamics –

Drivers:

The demand for collaborative end effectors is surging due to the rapidly evolving nature of various industries. This is a common occurrence in the consumer goods sector, particularly in packaging, where the shape, size, surface, and weight of packaging are continually changing.

In contrast to normal industrial robots that operate autonomously, a collaborative robot, or cobot, is a device that is designed to work with humans in a shared workspace. It is a relatively new notion that was initially formulated and implemented in 1994 and has just recently been put into practice.

Restraints:

In contrast to large-scale businesses like automotive or electronics manufacturing, most SMEs have low capital expenditure thresholds. They also have a low-risk tolerance and a limited amount of time before they can register a return on their investments. These applications are quite particular and are generally handled on an individual basis.

Many SMEs have not designed their infrastructure around the deployment of robots and will have to do so later in order to fit robots into their existing floor space. However, as the robust adoption of end effectors in SME applications is surpassing the expansion of the automobile industry, businesses such as Universal Robots (Denmark) and Robotiq (Canada) have begun to deploy advertising campaigns displaying various use-cases and estimating payback periods.

Opportunity:

The most popular gripper, pneumatic grippers, offers less flexibility and control over grip force. Due to the potential of air contamination, pneumatic systems are avoided in the electrical and electronics, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics sectors, where robots are installed in cleanrooms or other locations with controlled atmospheric conditions.

Hydraulic grippers, on the other hand, are not used in the food & beverage, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries due to the risk of oil spills, in the event of hydraulic line failures. Electric grippers solve a lot of the problems that other grippers have.

Electric grippers in their early iterations were slow and inefficient, and they couldn’t match the gripping force of other available grippers. Current-generation electric grippers, on the other hand, have the speed and strength of pneumatic grippers while also providing additional benefits.

They are entirely programmable, allowing users to fine-tune their gripping force and pace. Although nearly all pneumatic end effector manufacturers offer electric grippers, Robotiq’s (Canada) electric grippers have a touchscreen GUI display for easy monitoring and troubleshooting, while Schunk (Germany) offers a servo-electric 2-finger parallel gripper.

Trends:

The food sector is one of the most important end-user industries for grippers. In June 2019, Piab introduced piSOFTGRIP, a unique vacuum-based soft gripping tool that handles unpackaged, fresh, and delicate food items without crushing them, maintaining food sector automation needs as a strategic objective when developing solutions.

These industries are gradually beginning to prioritize the safety of robots and their surrounding environments. With such growing trends in mind, the University of Buffalo created a two-fingered dynamic gripper that could aid in improved grabbing and increase safety for robots that work in close proximity with individuals. The robotic hand’s design also allows it to absorb impact energy during collisions.

According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), the market for grippers is expected to be positively influenced by the steady increase in installed operational robot stations.

Competitive Landscape –

• Piab AB
• Zimmer Group
• Tünkers
• Schunk
• Schmalz
• Destaco
• Robotiq
• FIPA
• Wiess Robotics
• ATI
• Bastian Solutions
• IPR
• ABB
• KUKA
• SMC
• Applied Robotics
• IAI
• JH Robotics
• EMI
• Millibar Robotics
• RAD
• Soft Robotics
• OnRobot
• Wyzo

Recent Development:

• In December 2020, Piab AB (Sweden) launched the BGI-Lip (piGRIP bag lip). The BGI-Lip was designed to pick both sturdy plastic bags and stand-up pouches filled with dry or wet food/substances. The enhanced design in the BGI-2 lip also had capabilities in picking thin/delicate plastic bags.
• In November 2020, Zimmer Group (Germany) announced a partnership with Softmanbot (France). The research project at Softmanbot proposed several developments to the Zimmer Group. Softmanbot research topics deal with the manipulation of flexible components, which are further analyzed with the help of various simulation models. Virtual description models of end effectors (grippers) are created parallelly. These digital twins were used to simulate a robot system’s operation in advance.
• In July 2020, Tünkers (Germany) acquired Nimak Group (Germany). NIMAK Group’s shareholders transferred the majority of their shares to Tünkers Verwaltungs, with headquarters in Ratingen. The transaction’s goal was to ensure NIMAK’s continued existence in an increasingly competitive global economic environment, as well as to strengthen its respective market position.

For the Robot End Effector Market research study, the following years have been considered to estimate the market size: