Development of a unique grip and lift mechanism for automated test water systems

In this paper, we develop a unique, two-pronged forklift mechanism as a part of a robotic system in an automated water-test sampler. This design consists of a leveraged forklift which can hold and lift caps from an array of sample bottles at one time. Unlike other methods already in the market, this design does not require extra active manipulation components. It also provides a downward force on the bottle while removing the cap ensuring the bottle and cap assembly will separate effectively. This design is also simple, cost effective, lightweight, and strong. We also optimized the dimensions of the forklift to provide the most mechanical leverage, and to decrease the amount of machining steps. We also analysed the proposed solution in terms of stress and found out that this design is resilient due to a safety factor of 3.37.