Soft Robotic Grippers for Automated Poultry Processing Applications

SoftGripping has introduced the Drumstick Gripper, an end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) solution specifically engineered for the automated handling of poultry products. Utilizing the company's proprietary GorillaFinger technology, the pneumatic gripper allows food processing facilities to integrate delicate pick-and-place operations into existing robotic cells and machine architectures.

Gripper Architecture and Delicate Handling
Handling raw poultry, particularly chicken drumsticks, presents significant automation challenges due to irregular geometries, slippery surface textures, and delicate skin. The Drumstick Gripper addresses these issues through a form-fit, pneumatic design that wraps securely around the meat without applying excessive point pressure. An integrated spacer stabilizes the drumstick during the gripping and transfer phases, ensuring consistent positioning for high-speed pick-and-place applications without causing product damage or bruising.




System Integration and Hygiene Standards
Designed as a modular end-of-arm tooling component, the system integrates seamlessly into existing industrial automation setups, including high-speed delta and SCARA robots. This modularity reduces the engineering overhead typically associated with custom gripper development. Furthermore, the elastomeric GorillaFingers are manufactured from food-grade materials designed to withstand the rigorous cleaning protocols required in meat processing environments, minimizing the risk of contamination.

Additional Context: This section details technical specifications not included in the original announcement
In industrial food automation, handling raw protein requires strict adherence to hygienic design principles (such as EHEDG guidelines). Traditional rigid mechanical grippers or vacuum suction cups often fail in poultry applications because vacuum seals cannot maintain suction on wet, contoured skin, and rigid metal jaws cause unacceptable tissue bruising. Soft robotic actuators, like the pneumatically driven GorillaFingers, operate at low pneumatic pressures (typically 0.5 to 1.0 bar) to achieve adaptive mechanical compliance. By utilizing food-grade silicones with smooth, crevice-free geometries, these soft effectors are compatible with the aggressive washdown procedures—including high-temperature water, alkaline foams, and peracetic acid—mandated by standard sanitation operating procedures (SSOPs) in poultry plants. In this specific niche of compliant protein handling, SoftGripping competes directly with other specialized EOAT manufacturers such as Soft Robotics Inc. (mGrip series) and Festo.

Edited by Lekshman Ramdas, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.

www.soft-gripping.com