Last October the Almatech SA CLIC Gripper developed within the EROSS SC consortium underwent a full vibration test campaign at Bern University. The aim of the test was to validate the gripper's mechanical robustness in a closed and powered-off configuration representative of launch conditions.
Along the Z-axis, the gripper operated flawlessly, withstanding maximum sinusoidal and random loads without any deterioration. The X and Y axes brought more of a challenge, with unexpected partial openings during excitation, leading to audible impacts between fingers and shifts in eigenmodes (the natural vibration patterns and frequencies of the structure). After a simple reset cycle the gripper recovered its nominal behaviour and its eigenmodes returned to expected values.
A quick fix using a homemade launch-lock based on Kapton tape applied to a rotating motor element proved highly effective and enabled all tests to proceed successfully up to qualification levels.
This campaign delivered valuable insights and a design adaptation will now be implemented on the flight model to ensure full robustness as we move towards mission-ready maturity.
👏 Thank you to all teams involved for their reactivity and dedication!
