If I am using a pneumatic actuator to actuate a gripper to grip inside a pipe, is the force exherted by my pneumatic cylinder(F) independent of the surface area (contact area) of the gripper (A)?
thanks!
Yes. The force depends on the ram piston size and the air pressure applied. The contact stress of the gripper is dependent on the force applied to the gripper, relative to the contact area.
The total force transferred to the inner wall is equal to the force (F) on the piston, which is air pressure on the piston times area of the piston.
The distribution of the force F (F / area unit)) on the inner wall is depending on the area of the gripper. Large gripper area: lower pressure per area unit, but totals up to F.
No-ish. It's largely dependent on geometry and the type of chuck you use. If your finger motion is angular, it depends on which part of the finger (end or base) actually contacts the work. You will not get contact along the entire finger. If your finger motion is linear it's more complicated, depending on friction and the mechanism used to create linear motion. Finger contact on the workpiece will generate a moment on whatever mechanism constrains linear motion. If you have a metal-on-metal slide, you'll get less force than a linear rail/block type slide. The further away from the linear motion constraint your contact point is, the less force will end up transferred to the workpiece.
Yes.
Force exerted by the cylinder is independant of gripper contact area. See previous posts. Force = pressure * piston area.
Force exerted by the gripper against the inside pipe wall is independant of gripper contact area. It is what ever is generated by the piston force through the gripper geometry.
The friction force between the gripper and the inside wall is independant of gripper contact area. Friction force = coeff of friction * normal force. Unless the grippers have a texture that bites into the pipe wall.