Toolholding & Workholding

Articles • January 16, 2017 • Kip Hanson

RFID tagging for toolholders

The tagging applications for radio frequency identification (RFID) are vast, including pets, property—and even people. Recently, Micro-Mechanics Inc., a Morgan Hill, Calif., machine shop, worked with process control equipment provider Caron Engineering Inc., Wells, Maine, to implement an RFID tagging system on its Okuma LB series CNC lathe.

Products • January 9, 2017

Modular Fixturing System

Bluco Corp.'s modular fixturing system is for fixturing low-volume/high-mix work. Using an alternating pattern of dowel and tapped holes, fixture plates are accurate to +/- 0.0004" between centers.

Products • January 9, 2017

Large-Diameter Steel Round Jaws

U S Shop Tools offers round jaws in sizes up to 28 inches in diameter. In addition, large diameter steel round jaws, up to 15" with a height of 6", are also available.

Products • January 6, 2017

SideWinder Vises

SideWinder vises mount directly to the back of 6- or 8-inch Kurt vises and make an ideal setup when configured in tandem with two or more vises. The Kurt SideWinder vise provides vertical workholding without interfering with an existing host vise or the machine spindle.

Products • December 22, 2016

Customized NF-650 Air Chuck

A customer came to Northfield Precision Instrument Corp. to design a chuck that would allow its precision sprocket to be positioned in the chuck only one way in order to assure a properly timed gear part. It would have to work with a range of gear diameters. Northfield's engineers customized the NF-650 air chuck with special tooling to meet these requirements.

Products • December 14, 2016

TriGrip Carbide Gripper Inserts and TriMax Vises

Fixtureworks has introduced its lineup of ultra-low profile TriGrip carbide gripper inserts and TriMax vises. TriGrip carbide gripper inserts are designed for ultralow profile 0.14 in. (3.5 mm) clamping with no dovetail workpiece preparation.

Products • December 8, 2016

KZF-S Collet Chuck

RÖHM Products of America now offers a powered external clamping chuck for gear surface face grinding. The KZF-S collet chuck is especially well-suited for clamping gears/workpieces that have an external plane or gear teeth geometries accessible from the outside.

News • November 28, 2016

Carr Lane Manufacturing names new operations chief

Carr Lane Manufacturing CEO Nance Frost recently announced the promotion of Colin W. Frost to Chief Operating Officer of the company, which is headquartered in St. Louis. Known primarily for jig & fixture components, Carr Lane Manufacturing offers more than 100,000 products, including quick-change tooling plates and accessories, hoist rings, toggle clamps, handles, knobs, ball and spring plungers, threaded inserts, clamp straps, drill bushings, alignment pins, fixture bases, and power workholding devices.

Products • November 14, 2016

Digital Grip Force Analyzer Software and Kit introduced

Kitagawa NorthTech Inc. introduces its digital grip force analyzer software and kit (PC version) for machine tool users and machine shops. The gripping force provided by the workholding and chucking solution is paramount to successfully machining high quality parts. It is often the single largest reason why a machine tool user encounters a variety of issues hindering productivity, performance, reliability and accuracy of the workholding.

Products • November 9, 2016

AGILIS Power-Operated Cartridge Mandrel Clamping System

RÖHM Products of America introduced the lightweight, compact AGILIS power-operated cartridge mandrel clamping system. This new mandrel provides consistent, rigid workpiece ID clamping of small diameters for grinding, turning, milling, drilling and measuring applications.

Products • November 9, 2016

DoveLock Dovetail Vises

Kurt's DoveLock dovetail vises are ideal for clamping strength and specifically designed for allowing access to five sides of the workpiece in 5-axis, 4th-axis and palletized CNC machining systems. DoveLock vise is available in two sizes: a 1-inch jaw width DTR10 model and 2-inch jaw width DTR20 model.

Products • November 8, 2016

GN 820.4 Steel Horizontal Acting Toggle Clamps

J.W. Winco Inc. offers GN 820.4 steel horizontal acting toggle clamps with safety hook latch, including a vertical mounting base. These RoHS-compliant horizontal acting toggle clamps, which are also available in stainless steel, have a safety function whereby, during closing, a spring-loaded safety hook latch ensures a secure locking connection.