Workholding

Metalworking is becoming increasingly specialized, with manufacturers of lathes and grinders offering a variety of capacities, bed lengths and other options. This promises the user the ability to create custom machining solutions to “meet any production need.” While this is true to a point, standard options have their limits, and truly customized machines cost more and have extended delivery times.

Some workpieces, like those that are oddly shaped, large or delicate, can be a real pain in the neck. What's the best way to securely grab a hold of them?

Every lathe and grinder operator has, at one time or another, struggled with workpieces that are out of round, tapered or have poor finish. The "quick fix" is typically replacing centers. The more involved fix requires replacing spindle bearings that appear to have failed prematurely. In either case, the problem goes away initially, only to reoccur a short time later.

Wedge, cam, square and pull-down clamps, micro vises and chucks, hexagons and rounds. These are just some of the workholding options available to shops that mill small workpieces. Finding the right clamps isn't a problem, but how they're utilized may be. This article examines some of the options and provides tips on how to use them.

An off-the-shelf robotic gripper that conforms to a variety of parts shapes without reprogramming.

Workholder modeling slashes setup time.

A U-axis system that enables complete machining of a part on one standard machine tool without rotating the workpiece or moving it to a lathe.

Diaphragm chucks are ideal for thin-walled parts or parts made with delicate materials, according to the Workholding column in the August 2014 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

When turning long parts, the traditional workholding technique is to chuck one end of the part and support the other end with a live or dead center. This is generally effective but has two drawbacks.

Tired of your wimpy 5C indexer or NC rotary table giving up its position faster than a politician after an election? Maybe it's time to supersize that commodity indexer.