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ePaper created 2015-05-08, 15:29:13 | version 1.38.0
51JAHRESBERICHT 2014 / ANNUAL REPORT 2014 Fig. 1: INM’s Gecobot demonstrating switchability of the adhesion strength for utilization in pick and place operations has drawn much industrial interest: switching by fiber re-orientation. Fig. 2: Commercial 6-axis robot equipped with lab-produced Gecomer technology. I Attachment II Detachment INM’s Gecomer technology is coming of age: the transfer of the gecko principle from fundamental research to industrial applications is making rapid progress. Gripping systems play an important role in production and handling processes for various industrial branches. When featured with our gecko-inspired micropatterned surfaces, a novel platform of energy-efficient pick and place systems is estab- lished; such systems can handle highly sensitive and delicate surfac- es in industrial process lines. The adhesion mechanism is based on Van der Waals forces that also exist in vacuum, where conventional vacuum or Bernoulli grippers fail. The fibrillar design of the novel structures further allows switching of the adhesion strength in a controlled manner by changing the effective contact area between substrate and adhesive structure (Fig. 1). The patented attachment and detachment mechanism is purely based on contact mechanics and works without any externally applied energy, enabling energy conservation in production lines. In 2014, a commercial 6-axis robot was equipped with our bio-inspired adhesives (Fig. 2). It drew much attention at the TechConnect World Exhibition in Washington, DC, by demonstrating the versatility of the Gecomer Technology in a repeating pick-and-place sequence. As a result, more than 40 consultations with industrial companies have been made. A first industrial feasibility study was successfully completed in 2014. Stimulated by the numerous industrial demands on substrate materials, process environments or other specifications, we now elaborate novel templates and new materials for the next generation of the Gecomer Technology. INM’S GECOMER® TECHNOLOGY ON THE PATH TO APPLICATION K. MOH, R. HENSEL, E. ARZT FUNCTIONAL MICROSTRUCTURES