Toolholding & Workholding

Vacuum workholding can securely grip difficult-to-hold parts, according to the February 2017 Workholding column in Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

Time-tested workholding allows a parts manufacturer to target other areas for improvement, if needed. Husky Corp., for example, needed space-saving hydraulic components when refixturing a dial machine with limited space for fixtures and conducted an extensive search 30 years ago for a solution, said Darrell Vilmer, senior manufacturing engineer – machine/fixture designer for Husky.

Jergens Inc. introduces its 125mm vise and 96mm Drop & Lock pallet as a universal quick-change solution. The two work together on vertical and horizontal machining centers, and significantly open up possibilities on 5-axis and multiple-axis machining centers for increased machining access and the quick changeover of both top tooling and machineable parts.

SPS Spindle takes their business very seriously. It realizes that its clients' bottom lines rely on the detail-oriented services provided by the spindle repair company. Machine downtime equates to profit loss, and SPS takes pride on being a no-nonsense company.

American Workholding Inc. offers Force Gauge, an effective, lightweight, mostly hand-held, direct-reading gauge. It gives an operator, setup man or quality control individual an instant and accurate reading of actual lbs/tonnage force data for many shop floor situations.

J.W. Winco Inc. offers GN 254 inch and metric size stainless steel vibration/shock-absorption mounts, conical type. These RoHS compliant vibration/shock absorption mounts are also known as shock absorbing mounts, vibration mounts, antivibration mounts, vibration bobbins or rubber bumpers.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.