Manipulator and method for manipulating components

The method involves using a single optical system for gripper alignment, component application, component measurement and gripper positioning for workpiece fitting. The method involves using an optical system (OS) of fixed focal length, and a gripper (GR) mounted between the optical system and the focal plane (FE). The gripper is placed in a working position at the start of the manipulation process with its gripper plane (GE) at a working distance from the focal plane. The unit (E) is moved and aligned until a component in a pick-up plane can be sharply focused and gripped. The unit is moved towards the pick-up plane the gripper applied to the component. The component is gripped and the unit moved away from the pick-up plane. The gripper is moved to an observation position, the component is measured and the gripper moved to its working position. The unit is moved over the workpiece to fit the component. An Independent claim is also included for a manipulator for implementing the method.