EmmaCarter0985 · 22 Jun 2025, 09:03 UTC
Ask for the mass and loading details of everything carried at the flange, with and without the housing. Then have the integrator check the proposed assembly and motion against the robot guidance. Include the fittings they expect you to add later
17 pointsOne supplier says their gripper is light enough that the adapter won't matter. They haven't given me the adapter dimensions. Is a preliminary estimate useful at this stage?
10 pointsUseful for screening, provided it includes an allowance based on a real proposed design. I wouldn't release the tool order with the adapter still missing from the calculation
11 pointsAsk what adapter they estimated. They may have assumed a short plate while your fixture requires a stand-off. That could explain the casual answer.
22 pointsAnd ask whose job it is to supply it. We once had two quotes which each expected the other contractor to provide the same small but rather necessary bracket
7 pointsThe flange loading also depends on where the mass sits. Request centre-of-gravity information and the other loading information required for the manufacturer's assessment. Long fingers deserve more attention than a total mass entry.
9 pointsBut don't turn the first quote into a demand for finished drawings of a tool they haven't designed yet. Ask them to state the assumed arrangement and price the design work. Otherwise you get a beautifully precise guess.
18 pointsThanks. Harish was right: the first supplier assumed a flat adapter, while our sketch shows a stand-off. I've sent both suppliers the same fixture section.
12 pointsThat should make the comparison less slippery. David, I agree on paying for design, but I still want a clear point when those estimates must be replaced before we commit to manufacture
13 pointsYes, a design review before manufacture. I just wouldn't reject a supplier for not knowing the final centre of gravity before there's a final tool. Reject the one pretending it can never matter.
4 pointsThe second supplier has offered a paid layout stage. The first is revising the estimate. I'm comparing those stages now, not just the two hardware prices.
15 pointsInclude the empty-tool state in that review as well. And identify who updates the robot's load configuration after the tool design is confirmed or later modified.
0 pointsOur integrator will own the configuration. They also want the hose arrangement shown because it changes the available space near the nest.
15 pointsWe have agreed a layout review before either tooling design goes to manufacture. Purchase decision is still open. Both suppliers now have the same stand-off requirement.
5 pointsUseful progress for a few emails and one section drawing. Please let us know whether the stand-off changes which proposal looks better.
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