Kitagawa NTS3 User manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL
MODEL NTS3
Collaborative Robot Mounting Unit
3-jaw Parallel Gripper
・This Instruction Manual has been prepared for intended use for
production engineers and maintenance persons who operate this
product. When the beginners use this product, be sure to receive the
guidance from skilled persons, sales agents, or us in advance.
・Before installing, using, or maintaining this product, read carefully the
safety precautions given in this manual so as to understand them
completely. If you do not heed given instructions or safety
precautions, serious human accidents, death, or physical damage
may occur.
・Store this manual with care in the specified place at hand, and reread
it as necessary for correct use of the product.
・Please contact the sales agent if you have any uncertainty or doubt
about this manual.
Ha
za
rd
MA1524YHG
Version1.10 (20230802)

1
Preface
This manual provides detailed information on the 3-jaw parallel gripper (model NTS3) so
that you can understand its performance and functions and use it safely and correctly.
Before using this gripper, read this manual carefully to understand how to use the gripper
correctly. Always follow the instructions and warnings given in “Important Safety
Precautions” and “Precautions for Use”. Failure to follow these precautions could result
in serious human accidents.
Terms and Symbols Used for Safety
Messages
In this manual, handling precautions that are considered especially important are classified
and displayed as shown below according to the degree of risk (seriousness of harm) that
could result. Please completely understand the meaning of these terms and follow the
instructions for safe operation.
Safety Alert Symbol
This triangle is a safety alert symbol used to alert you to potential safety hazards. To avoid
death or injuries that could occur, follow the safety messages given with this safety alert
symbol.
Failure to follow the safety precautions below will result in
death or serious injuries.
Failure to follow the safety precautions below will result
in death or serious injuries.
Failure to follow the safety precautions below may result
in minor or moderate injuries.
Indicates instructions which, if you do not heed given
instructions, could result in damage to the product or
shortened service life, or damage to peripheral
equipment.

2
Disclaimer and How to Use Instruction
Manual
This product is suitable for gripping a conveyed workpiece by being installed on the robot or
loader. The product is equipped with the jaws to grip the conveyed workpiece and they are
operated by air pressure. For any other applications, please contact us.
Kitagawa Iron Works Co., Ltd. shall not be held liable for human accidents, death, damage,
or loss that occurred due to a failure to follow the safety precautions given in this manual.
This manual does not predict all potential hazards in operation, inspection, and
maintenance under all environmental conditions. There will be an infinite number of matters
that cannot or must not be done, and it is impossible for the manual to cover all of them.
Therefore, the matters, unless otherwise mentioned clearly as “can be done” or “may be
done” in this manual, should be considered as “cannot be done” or “must not be done”.
Please contact us or our agents if you have an uncertainty about safety when you try to
perform operation, inspection, or maintenance not mentioned in this manual.
Warranty and Disclaimer
The product is warranted for one year after the date of delivery.
All parts used shall be those delivered by Kitagawa Corporation. Kitagawa Corporation
shall not be held liable for human accidents, death, damage, or loss that occurred due to
the use of parts which are not genuine parts manufactured by Kitagawa. Also, the use of
parts other than Kitagawa’s genuine parts will void the warranty.

3
Contents
1. Structural Drawing and Parts List 4
1-1.Mounting parts configuration
1-2.Structural drawing
1-3.Seal list
1-4.Parts list
1-5.Mounting parts list
2. Important Safety Precautions 10
3. Specifications 14
3-1.Specification table
3-2.Gripping force
4. Use 17
5. Design of Jaws 18
5-1. Designing jaws to be installed on the gripper
5-2. Designing base jaws to be installed on the gripper
6. Installation 20
6-1.Installing the gripper
6-2.Installing the jaws
6-3. Connecting the air piping
6-4.Installing the switches
7. Maintenance and Inspection 25
7-1.Periodic inspection
7-2.Maintenance interval
7-3.Grease supply
7-4.Air circuit maintenance
7-5.Disassembly and assembly procedure
8. Troubleshooting 29
8-1.In the case of gripper malfunction
8-2.Contact address in case of trouble
9. Others 31
9-1.Standards and directives to which the gripper conforms
9-2.Disposal of gripper

4
1. Structural Drawing and Parts List
1-1. Mounting parts configuration
The collaborative robots on which this product can be installed are limited to those
with end-effector mounting standards conforming to ISO9409-1-50-4-M6. It cannot be
installed on collaborative robots with other mounting standards.
The model indication is as follows:
NTS3 11
Series
Size
NTS3
NBR seal
11
adapter
Collaborative Robot
（Prepared by the customer）
Gripper
Base Jaw

5
The models of the Gripper Mounting Kit are as follows
Mounting Standard: Conforms to ISO9409-1-50-4-M6
NTS3 11 - C
Air equipment set
HP –A188
This equipment set includes solenoid valves, one-touch joints, and other air
equipment to operate the grippers. Other equipment not included in the air
equipment set must be provided by the customer.
Base jaw
NTS－BJ 3 11 C
Concerning the base jaw.
If you are not selecting a jaw to attach to the base jaw or a base jaw, please refer
to Section 5 "Jaw Design" to design and prepare the base jaw yourself.
Series
Size
Utilization
NTS3
11
Collaborative Robot
Series
Part name
Size
Utilization
NTS
Base jaw
11
Collaborative Robot

6
1-2. Structural drawing
1-3. Seal list
No.
Model
202
203
204
205
NTS311
X-ring X118
X-ring X232
O-ring S71
O-ring P4
Master jaw
Plunger
Body
Cover
Rear body
Piston

7
1-4. Parts list
①Without safety mechanism
No.
Parts name
Quantity
No.
Parts name
Quantity
1
Body
1
202
Shaft packing
1
2
Rear body
1
203
Piston packing
1
3
Plunger
1
204
O-ring A
1
4
Cover
1
205
O-ring B
2
5
Master jaw
3
206
Parallel pin
1
6
Piston
1
207
Setscrew
4
200
Piston fixing bolt
1
208
Rear body fixing bolt
3
201
Cover fixing bolt
3
4
201
200
5
202
6
1
3
206
205
204
203
208
207
2

8
１－５．Mounting parts list
1-5-1. Hand mounting set
No.
Parts name
Quantity
No.
Parts name
Quantity
1
Adapter
（Conforms to ISO9409-1-50-4-M6
mounting standard）
1
5
Positioning pin
2
2
Bushing
1
6
Gripper mounting bolt
3
3
Positioning pin
1
7
Speed Controller
SC3W-6-6 manufactured by CKD
2
4
Adapter mounting bolt
4
8
Reed Switch
SW-F2H3 manufactured by CKD
（Lead wire length 3m）
2
6
7
1
8
5
2
3
4

9
1-5-2. Air equipment set
No.
Parts name
Quantity
No.
Parts name
Quantity
1
Air hose
1
5
Single elbow
GWL6-M5 manufactured by CKD
4
2
Solenoid valve
4GA230R-C6-E03-3
manufactured by CKD
1
6
Single elbow
GWL6-6 manufactured by CKD
1
3
Silencer
SLW-6A manufactured by CKD
2
7
Single straight
GWS6-6 manufactured by CKD
2
4
Filter regulator
W1000-6-W-B3W
manufactured by CKD
1
※No.5 single elbow may not be used depending on the robot model to be installed.
1-5-3. Base jaw set
No.
Parts name
Quantity
No.
Parts name
Quantity
1
Base jaw
3
2
Fixing bolt
6
4
2
1
3
7
6
5
1
2
※
Robot

10
2. Important Safety Precautions
Important safety precautions that particularly you should know or follow are summarized
below. Please read them before starting to use the product.
DANGER
Failure to follow the safety precautions below will result
in death or serious injuries.
Be sure to turn off the main power supply when installing, checking,
oiling, or replacing the gripper.
Also, shut down the air pressure in the work area.
●During work, the robot or gripper
could move abruptly and collide
with your body.
●After shutting down the air
pressure, release the air
pressure remaining inside the
gripper.
When installing, checking, oiling, or replacing the gripper, post a sign or
notice, or provide a fence, and so on to notify people around the machine
that work is in progress.
●Notify people around the machine that work is in progress and take measures to keep
people other than the operator out of the work area.
Machine motion not predicted by a third party could cause serious danger.
Take safety measures so that the operator is not injured even if the
conveyed workpiece flies out due to the reduced air pressure.
●Observe the legal safety
standards defined by each
country, such as installation of
safeguards or fall prevention
covers.
！
Main power supply
OFF
Air
pressure
Close

11
DANGER
Failure to follow the safety precautions below will result
in death or serious injuries.
Do not modify the gripper.
●Not only the gripper is damaged
but also the gripper and fixed
workpiece may fly out.
If using the gripper as a workpiece fixture when the workpiece is drilled,
deburred, welded, or modified additionally, confirm the specifications.
●If the gripper is used out of the
specifications, not only the
gripper is damaged but also the
fixed workpiece may fly out.
Be sure to tighten the bolts with the specified torque.
●Lack of bolt quantity or tightening
torque, or excessive torque could
damage the bolt, causing the
gripper or conveyed workpiece to
fly out.
●When tightening the bolts, fix the
gripper so that it will not rotate.
Failure to do so may result in
injury by slipping your hands
when tightening the bolts.
Other than piston fixing bolt Piston fixing bolt
Bolt
Size
Tightening
torque
Bolt
Size
Tightening
torque
M3
1.0
N･m
M5
6.8
N･m
M4
2.0
N･m
M6
12.7
N･m
M5
4.5
N･m
M8
33.3
N･m
M6
7.65
N･m
M10
72.6
N・m
M8
18.0
N･m

12
DANGER
Failure to follow the safety precautions below will result
in death or serious injuries.
Use the gripper in accordance with the legal safety standards.
●Use the gripper in accordance
with the legal safety standards
defined by each country, such as
installation of safeguards or
safety covers.

13
WARNING
Failure to follow the safety precautions below will
result in death or serious injuries.
Do not operate the machine after drinking alcohol or taking medicine.
●Impaired judgment or operation mistake
may cause serious hazards.
Do not wear clothing or accessories such as a necktie, necklace, etc.
which are easy to be caught in.
●You may be caught in the gripper.
Use the gripper within the range of specification values.
●When selecting a gripper, select the
model by referring to "Model selection"
in page 11.
●Have the gripper grip the conveyed
workpiece at the position of its center of
gravity.
●If not, not only the gripper is damaged
but also the conveyed workpiece may
fly out.
Alcohol
Medicine

14
3. Specifications
3-1. Specification table
(Standard gripping force)
Model
NTS
311
Fluid used
Air pressure
Operating air pressure
(MPa)
0.2 –0.8
Ambient temperature
range
(°C)
5 –60
Jaw stroke in diameter
(mm)
20
Cylinder internal volume
(reciprocation)
(cm3)
112
Repeatability
(mm)
±0.01
Body mass
(kg)
1.21
Ambient humidity range
(%)
30 –95
Storage temperature
range
(°C)
-10 –60
Noise level
(dB)
79
*Noise is measured at 4 locations 1m from the gripper, front, back, left, and right.

15
3-2. Gripping force
①Model selection
Perform the following calculation and select the model that provides a gripping force
exceeding the calculation result, though a gripping force varies depending on the
shapes of jaws created by the customer and conveyed workpiece or the friction
coefficient.
F=m（g+a）/μ
(Example)
When mass of conveyed workpiece
= 8 kg, friction coefficient = 0.1, and
robot acceleration = 10m/s2:
F=8（9.8+10）/0.1＝1584（N）
②Gripping force
●External gripping ●Internal gripping
L: Distance up to a grip point (mm)
●Expression of gripping force
A gripping force F shown in graph
is actually measured gripping
force per jaw F1 x the number of
jaws.
（F=F1×3）
A = B
A = B
External gripping
Internal gripping
F1
F1
F1
F= Gripping force (N)
m = Mass of conveyed workpiece (kg)
g = Gravitational acceleration (m/s2)
a = Acceleration of robot/loader (m/s2)
μ = Friction coefficient of gripping part
Conveyed
workpiece
Conveyed
workpiece

16
■NTS311
300
500
700
900
1100
1300
1500
1700
1900
2100
2300
2500
2700
020 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
把持力 F(N)
把持点までの距離 L(mm)
●Determine the distance up to a grip point L as short as possible when designing
the jaws. Also, the distance up to a grip point L should be used within a range
shown in graph. If it is used out of the range, not only the specified gripping
force may not be obtained but also the wear of sliding parts may be increased.
Distance up to grip point L (mm)
Gripping force F (N)

17
4. Use
The product provides pneumatic pressure to the machine, moves the jaws in the open or
close direction, grips the material to be transported, and transports it to the desired
location. After transport, the jaws are moved in the open or closed direction to remove the
material.
●Do not modify the gripper. Using the modified product could cause unexpected
accidents. Kitagawa shall not be held liable for human accidents, death,
damage, or loss that occurred due to the modification.
●If using the gripper as a workpiece fixture when the workpiece is drilled,
deburred, welded, or modified additionally, confirm the specifications. If the
gripper is used out of the specifications, not only the gripper is damaged but
also the conveyed workpiece may fly out.
●Wear appropriate clothing suitable for the work and wear gloves, safety
glasses, safety shoes, and helmet.
・Wearing inappropriate clothing causes the clothing to be stuck,
resulting in danger.
・Appropriate clothing will be preventive measures to prevent hazards
due to the carelessness or unexpected accidents during work.
●Do not use the product in the environment of corrosive chemicals, corrosive
gas, dust, and vibration, avoiding high temperature or direct sunlight.
●When storing the product, apply antirust treatment and then store it in a place
free from water leakage, dew condensation, or freeze.

18
5. Design of Jaws
5-1. Designing jaws to be installed on the gripper
When designing the jaws to be mounted on the base jaws, refer to the base jaw
dimensions below. The base jaws do not have grooves for left and right positioning.
Model
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
NTS-BJ311C
18.5
27
20
5
55
55
8
20