Jigs are often used to position parts for welding on an automated assembly line. However, a big challenge for many manufacturers today is mixed-model production. Maintaining jigs for every welded assembly can be expensive. Moreover, each time the assembly changes, the fixture must be changed, too, and that adds cycle time.

Now, there’s an alternative: a robot equipped with an adaptive gripper. The gripper can grab any part regardless of size or shape, position it on the assembly, and hold it tight during welding.