Determine the most distant point that the manipulator must reach and calculate the horizontal distance from that point to a point directly below the slave pivot. The slave overhang and the separation must be selected before this horizontal distance can be calculated. This calculated distance is the tong tip radius and is usually to the closest back corner of the in-cell table.
Select the mounting height, which in turn determines the operating height, the vertical distance from the center of the tong tip radius to the slave pivot. This operating height is usually the difference between the mounting height and the in-cell table height.
Knowing the tong tip radius and the operating height, calculate the slave extended length using the formula on the Web page or General & Installed Assembly Drawing. When the slave extended length is determined and the master overhang is selected, all other manipulator dimensions may be determined using the other formulas.
The master collapsed length can be permanently increased or decreased to get the handle in a more comfortable range, but for some models it cannot be shortened without sacrificing some of the Z motion travel. There are also minimum values for some of the manipulator dimensions which are noted on the Web page or General & Installed Assembly Drawing.
Check to see if the manipulator will reach other distant points and also whether it will reach the desired heights, especially directly below the slave pivot. Check the facility to be certain enough clearance is allowed for installation, operation, and removal of the manipulator, in particular the minimum cell depth, the removal clearance, and the overhead clearance dimensions shown on the drawing. It may even be desirable to add these clearance requirements to the architectural drawings to be sure light fixtures, duct work, or piping are not field-installed in these areas.
