End effector

The arm brings the tool to the right place, but the end effector does the actual job: grip, suck, screw, weld, spray. Many arms are sold without one, and the right tool often costs as much as a quarter of the arm.

When planning a project, start from the object: its weight, shape, surface and how fragile it is. A suction cup is fine for cardboard boxes and useless for a net bag of oranges. Check that the arm supports quick tool change if you plan to handle several product types.