Clamp Clamp!

September 22, 2006 6:37 AM

Help me find a motorized clamp/press

I'm working on a project for one of my College courses, and I need to find a place that sells motorized clamps so I can squeeze and unsqueeze a tube.

Essentially, I want the clamp to pinch the tube for a quarter of a second and then release, and then pinch again, and then release.

It would be preferable if I could adjust the speed at which the clamp "pinches" manually, but if not, I can probably wire a solution.

It also doesn't have to be a clamp, it could be some kind of press, I just need something that will pinch.


If that fails, is there anything out there that vibrates every .25 seconds or so, so I can just attach a clamp to something and have it vibrate?

Sorry for the long winded question! Thanks in advance!

posted by CXImran to technology (4 comments total)

You could just have a cam (oval) rotating so that it pushes a board up and down. Think piston in an engine. All you need is a small electric motor with a cam attached to it.
posted by zeoslap at 6:48 AM on September 22, 2006

How 'bout something like this?.
posted by davey_darling at 6:49 AM on September 22, 2006

Depending on the amount of arcane technical knowledge you have, you could rig up a surplus air cylinder to an electric solenoid valve, this will allow air into the cylinder when it receives an electrical impulse. This in turn could be hooked up to a 555 timing oscillator chip which you can control with a variable resistor to adjust the cycle timing.
Also, what zeo said, but with the addition of a lamp dimmer (try ikea for one you can just plug into a wall and plug something else into it) to adjust the power to the motor, and thus cycle speed.
As for the vibrator, how strong a vibration do you need? You can pick up surplus pager motors that have a strong, albeit rapid vibration. These are essentially just a regular electric motor with an off centre weight attached to the shaft.
posted by Pink Fuzzy Bunny at 11:06 AM on September 22, 2006

Something like this

http://www.coleparmer.com/catalog/product_view.asp?sku=9830220&pfx=EW

C-P has a variety of sizes and arities.
posted by oats at 5:57 PM on September 23, 2006