SUCTION HAND AND METHOD OF FOLLOWING TARGET POSITION BY SUCTION HAND

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a suction hand which sucks a plurality of plate workpieces loaded in an erect position, wherein the suction hand can follow the position of each plate workpiece even if the loading angle of the plate workpieces deviates due to variation without spending time for correcting the angle of the suction hand. SOLUTION: The suction hands each have a plurality of elastic suction pads, and when a suction pressure generated at the time of pressing the suction hands to the plate workpiece reaches a predetermined value, an angular deviation between a surface of the plate workpiece and a suction surface of a suction pad group is detected based on a dog arranged at the tip of the suction pad, and on/off states of first and second sensors for detecting the dog. Then during a returning time period of the suction hands after transferring the sucked plate workpiece, the suction hands are angularly corrected by a preset angle. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI