End effector

How it is used

Common in engineering documents, quotes and design reviews. People also say EOAT (end-of-arm tooling) or simply 'the tool'. You design, mount, change and calibrate an end effector, and its weight counts toward the robot's payload.

Example sentences

1. The end effector weighs 6 kg, so with the part we're close to the robot's payload limit.

2. We use a tool changer so one robot can switch between two end effectors.

Common collocations

• design an end effector
• mount the end effector
• tool changer
• end-of-arm tooling

Related terms

• gripperA type of end effector that picks up, holds and releases parts, usually with two or three fingers or jaws that open and close. It is driven by compressed air or an electric motor.
• vacuum gripperA gripper that holds parts by suction, using suction cups or a foam pad and a vacuum made by an ejector or a pump. It works well on flat, smooth surfaces such as boxes, sheets and glass.
• payloadThe maximum weight a robot can carry at its flange while keeping its rated speed and accuracy. It includes the gripper or tool as well as the part.
• tool center pointThe reference point at the working tip of the robot's tool, such as the tip of a welding wire or the center between gripper fingers. The robot moves and positions this point.
• robot armThe moving mechanical part of a robot, made of links connected by joints, that brings the tool at its end into position. Technical texts also call it the manipulator.

More terms: Robot Types and Components

• industrial robot
• joint
• reach
• collaborative robot
• articulated robot
• SCARA robot
• gantry robot