Material Handling Applications of Electroadhesion:Įlectroadhesive pads are widely used for material handling applications in industries. The object gets polarized due to electrostatic induction and thus, gets adhered to the pad. The object to be attached is brought near the pads. Upon energizing, the static charges start accumulating on the adhesive pad. The pads are energized by a high voltage DC supply. The substrate (object to be attached) then acts as the second plate of the capacitor. A pad consists of a conductor (Aluminum etc.), which act as an electrode, laminated with a layer of dielectric (Mylar, Epoxy, etc.). The pads work on the model of a capacitor. Working Principle of Electroadhesive Pads: While researchers have found the comb arrangement the most effective. These electrodes are arranged in different arrangements Concentric circles, square spiral, comb structure, etc. These are easy to manufacture and use, but their adhesive force is relatively weaker than bipolar pads.īipolar pads consist of two electrodes electrically insulated from each other. Unipolar pads comprise of a single sheet of electrode laminated with a dielectric. Pad Designs: Bipolar(left) and Unipolar(right) Some of these techniques include chemical adhesion, suction cups, synthetic gecko feet, magnetic and mechanical grippers.Ī brief comparison of different adhesion techniques is given in the table below. Up until now, several adhesion techniques have been employed, each with their own merits and demerits. Comparison Between Different Adhesion Techniques: If we can produce enough static charge on a surface, we can then attach any object to that surface. This law provided the basis for the concept of electrostatic adhesion. He found out that similar charges repel each other while opposite charges attract each other, also known as Coulomb’s law. Later on, in the late 1700s, a French scientist Augustin de Coulomb tried to understand the force of the electric field. They observed that when two pieces of wool were rubbed together, light objects like feathers were attracted towards them. The electrostatic phenomenon was first considered by the Greeks. Tesla Coil: Demonstrating Electrostatic Force Basis of Electroadhesive Phenomenon: While this whole phenomenon of adhesion between objects based on the electrostatic principles is called Electrostatic Adhesion or simply Electroadhesion. This charge that stays there on the surface of an insulator is called static charge, and their study is called Electrostatics. The law ‘opposite charges attract each other’ came into play, and the balloon got attached to the wall. This charged balloon, when brought near the wall, induced an equal and opposite charge on the wall. Since the balloon is an insulator, the electric charge cannot move and stays there. Well, when you rubbed the balloon against the towel, due to friction, the electric charge transferred from the towel onto the balloon. This time the balloon magically sticks to the wall. Now again try to attach it to a nearby wall. Now take the same balloon and rub it against a towel. Electrostatic Adhesion: Making Wall Climbing Robots a Reality!ĭo an experiment! Take a balloon and try to attach it to a wall.
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