Robotics & Automation worked example

Pneumatic Gripper Air Cost with gripper air use of 0.6 SCFM: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop gripper air use to 0.6 SCFM, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate the cost of compressed air consumed by a pneumatic gripper from cycle air use, runtime, and your plant cost of compressed air.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Gripper air use: 0.6 SCFM (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 1.2)
  • Gripper runtime: 16 hr (held at the documented default)
  • Plant cost of compressed air: 0.3 $ / 1000 SCF (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Air consumed = gripper air use x gripper runtime x 60 (min/hr) / 1000.
  • Gripper air cost works out to 2.88 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Air consumed works out to 9.6 units at these inputs.
  • Gripper runtime works out to 16 hr at these inputs.
  • Plant cost of compressed air works out to 0.3 $ / unit at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where gripper air use sits at 1.2 SCFM and the headline result is 5.76 $, this scenario comes in 50% below the baseline at 2.88 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to gripper air use, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. The result is only as good as your plant cost of compressed air, which varies widely by compressor efficiency, pressure, and duty cycle; a plant-specific SCF cost from an energy audit beats a rule-of-thumb figure.

Results at a glance

  • Gripper air cost: 2.88 $ (headline result)
  • Air consumed: 9.6 units
  • Gripper runtime: 16 hr
  • Plant cost of compressed air: 0.3 $ / unit

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Pneumatic Gripper Air Cost calculator, set gripper air use to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.