Comments on: Clamp Clamp!

Question: Clamp Clamp!

CXImran — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 06:37:51 -0800

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!

By: zeoslap

zeoslap — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 06:48:40 -0800

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.

By: davey_darling

davey_darling — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 06:49:42 -0800

How 'bout something like this?.

By: Pink Fuzzy Bunny

Pink Fuzzy Bunny — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 11:06:44 -0800

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.

By: oats

oats — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 17:57:30 -0800

Something like this

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

C-P has a variety of sizes and arities.