SMC MHY2-16D 180-Degree Angular Air Gripper

A gripper whose fingers open through 180 degrees

MHY2-16D is a double-acting 180-degree angular cam-type air gripper from the SMC MHY2 series. The two fingers swing through a full half circle, so when open they lie flat to either side of the body. This lets the gripper reach into a deep pocket or over a large part and then close, which a parallel gripper cannot do.

In the code MHY2 is the cam-type series, 16 is the 16 mm bore and D is double acting. The model table lists 10, 16, 20 and 25 mm sizes, and the catalogue also carries the MHW2 partner series for larger bores.

Technical specifications

Strengths and limits of a 180 degree design

The large opening angle makes this gripper well suited to picking up round parts or boxes where the fingers need to clear a wide envelope. The price of this geometry is a lower repeatability than the parallel types, at +/-0.2 mm in the catalogue, and a lower cycle rate of 60 per minute. For high precision placement a parallel MHZ2 style gripper at +/-0.01 mm remains the better fit.

Gripping moment is quoted at 0.5 MPa, so the force at the tip depends on the distance from the pivot to the gripping point; a longer finger lowers the force at the tip for the same moment. Because the fingers are driven by a cam, the catalogue also limits the finger attachment weight and moment of inertia, and these limits are the first things to check when a custom jaw is designed for a heavy part.

The gripping moment grows quickly through the range: 0.16 N-m for the 10 mm bore, 0.54 N-m for 16 mm, 1.10 N-m for 20 mm and 2.28 N-m for 25 mm, with weights of 70, 150, 320 and 560 g, so the 16 mm model is the light, small-part choice.

Installation and operation

Check the allowable moment of inertia of the finger attachments with the catalogue method before adding custom jaws, since a long attachment swings with the finger through the full angle. The catalogue states that auto switches can be mounted at four locations, which helps detect fully open, closed and part-present positions on the same unit. Supply clean, dry air and reduce exhaust speed to protect the cams. As with any pneumatic gripper, loss of air pressure releases the load unless a holding circuit is used, so consider this in the machine safety assessment where a dropped part could injure someone.

Documents and quotation

The SMC MHY2 catalogue PDF linked at the end of this page has specifications, selection steps and dimensions. Please confirm finger design, switch needs and loading before ordering. More automation items are available under Pneumatic Cylinders. Seven Star LLC is an independent supplier and supplies this code on quotation.

How the MHY2-16D Cam Mechanism Works

Inside the MHY2-16D a single double-acting piston drives a joint and joint rollers running on needle rollers. As the piston moves, the rollers act on a cam profile in each finger, which turns the linear stroke into rotation of both fingers about their shafts. Air to the closing port swings the fingers together; air to the opening port swings them back through the full 180° (the catalogue lists the opening/closing angle as 180° −3°). A built-in magnet on the piston lets the gripper work with solid-state auto switches, and the fingers themselves are stainless steel as standard.

Main construction materials

MHY2-16D Selection & Ordering Guide

The SMC ordering code for this family is built as MHY2 – bore – action – finger option – auto switch – number of switches. For the MHY2-16D the code decodes as follows:

• MHY – 180° angular gripper, cam type
• 2 – two fingers
• 16 – 16 mm bore
• D – double acting
• Finger option – blank for the standard tapped finger (4 × M3 × 0.5 thread for the attachment on the 16 mm size), or 2 for through-holes in the opening/closing direction (MHY2-16D2)
• Auto switch – blank for no switch (magnet still built in), or a D-M9 family solid-state switch such as M9N, M9P, M9B or the 2-colour M9NW/M9PW/M9BW, with lead length suffixes M (1 m), L (3 m) or Z (5 m)

SMC’s selection procedure has three steps: confirm the gripping force, confirm the gripping point, and confirm the moment of inertia of each attachment. As a rule of thumb the catalogue recommends a gripping force of 10 to 20 times the workpiece weight or more, with extra margin where high acceleration or impact occurs. In the catalogue worked example, an MHY2-16D at 0.4 MPa with a 35 mm gripping point gives about 13 N, enough for a 0.05 kg part at 20× safety factor. Made-to-order options include -X4 heat resistance (100°C), -X5 fluororubber seals, -X50 without magnet, -X53 EPDM seals with fluorine grease, -X63 fluorine grease and -X79 food-machine grease.

Installation & Maintenance

• Mount the body with the M4 × 0.7 mounting threads or the through holes, and use the positioning pin holes when the gripper must be replaced without re-teaching.
• Keep the attachment within the limited mounting area shown on the drawing and verify its moment of inertia against the MHY2-16D allowable graph.
• Use speed controllers on the M5 ports so the fingers do not slam at the end of the 180° swing.
• Lubrication is not required; for service SMC lists seal kit MHY16-PS, finger assembly MHY-A1601 (MHY-A1601-2 for the D2 type), joint assembly MHY-A1602, piston assembly MHY-A1603 and grease pack MH-G04.
• For a small bore working at a short stroke and high frequency, SMC notes that condensation can form in the piping; its IDK moisture control tube is one countermeasure.

Typical Applications in Oman & the GCC

The wide opening of the MHY2-16D suits pick-and-place of bottles, caps and round components on packaging and bottling lines, loading machine tools where the fingers must clear a fixture, and handling small boxes in assembly cells. In hot, dusty plants common in Oman and the GCC, the reduced opening sizes of the cam body help keep dust out, while clean dry air and filtered supply remain essential.

Why Source from Seven Star LLC

Seven Star LLC supplies SMC grippers, valves and air preparation equipment across Oman and the GCC. Send us your application details and request a quote; our team can help confirm the correct ordering code, finger option and auto switch for the MHY2-16D.