Assessment of the Suitability of MREs as a Material Used for Fabrication of Robot Grippers

This article presents the results of tests carried out on one of magnetorheological elastomers based on silicone rubber matrix. The matrix was improved by addition of 10-20μm powdered Fe-Si alloy with 4wt% Si content. The matrix curing process did not involve external magnetic field. The specimens contained different amounts of ferromagnetic particles (by weight). The subject of research was to assess the suitability of magnetorheological elastomers (MRE) as material for fabricating industrial robot grippers. For this purpose a gripper-object model was built. It was used for comparing the Shore A hardness depending on the current in the coil generating the magnetic field.