Expert Workholding Tips

August 2008

Ever wonder how to easily clamp multiple parts, irregular shaped parts in a vise?

Ideal for enhancing the capabilities of 4, 6 and 8 inch Kurt vises, these Hydramax Workholding Systems replace standard jaw plates with a jaw setup in models with 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12 pistons. Independent pistons provide consistent clamping for holding multiple parts, irregularly shaped parts, castings and various size parts in one clamping. Aluminum jaw allows quick pocket machining.

July 2008

Four HD Vises Hold 40 Components & Reduce Costs 65%

Super Torquer Systems, Inc. reduced part machining costs by utilizing quick change jaws and some intuitive process planning by the company's owners, Randy and Cindy Nouis.

June 2008

How to Eliminate Special Holding Fixtures For Short Run Aerospace Component Machining.

To do the needed 5-Axis work on these parts usually requires making special devices for holding the workpiece in a fixed position so the cutting tool could get at pockets, contours and all sides of the part. Falcon Precision finds a new solution. 

May 2008

Principle Of The Workholder

There are many types of machine workholders including clamps, chucks and vises. Of these, the most widely used are various styles of vises, all of which are designed to locate and hold a workpiece securely while it is machined to specified dimensions and tolerances.

Download the How to Make Workholding More Productive Guide (325k PDF)

April 2008

Tightening

It is a good practice to become familiar with your vises clamping forces. Too much clamping force could damage parts with thin wall sections. Also remember that repeatable clamping pressures will help you achieve better accuracy. When tightening a vise, never use a cheater bar, impact wrench, or hammer to strike the handle. This excessive pressure can cause damage to the vise's internal parts. The handle of your vise is properly designed to allow for adequate clamping pressure.

March 2008

Ever wanted to hold a part at a custom angle within a vise?

Now you can. Kurt announces the introduction of the 5C Angle Boss (Model No. K5CVMAB) for mounting in any Kurt 6 inch vise. This manually clamped 5C fixture allows machining any custom angle desired or 24 precision indexes (+/-2 arc-min) using the mount’s special index pin.

Setup is fast and easy. Once the machining position is determined, simply clamp the 5C fixture using the massive 1-1/4 inch thick ground steel jaws. The vise will now hold the 5C fixture for most machining operations. Parts can be clamped and unclamped using the 5C clamp screw. Collets may also be changed from the top of the fixture without disturbing the original setup.

February 2008

How do you achieve more machining center part clearance doing continuous 5-Axis Machining?

Use a new Kurt 5-Axis clamping system in a low profile model (VB 5AX100-L) with clamping height above the machine table of 100 mm (3.937 inches). This new low profile 5-Axis clamping system provides extra part clearance for applications requiring continuous 5-axis cutting motion of complex pockets, sculptured and contoured surfaces, and intricate 3-D features with repeatable high precision accuracy.

January 2008

Is your machining center productivity restricted because components aren't presented to the cutting spindle quick enough?.

Maybe it's time for a productivity checkup! Kurt Workholding technical sales representatives can help you evaluate your present machining setups. Call today for a Free, no obligation checkup 
Phone: 763-574-8309 or 1-877-226-7823.

A recent success story:
Setup Time Reduced 50 Percent At Adaero Precision Components Using VB DockLock® Zero-Point Workholding System – 30 Minute Setup Savings Impacts Profitability

Production output has increased significantly from eight vertical machining centers on the shop floor of Adaero Precision Components Ltd. as a direct result of retrofitting each machine with the Visher & Bolli DockLock® Zero-Point system distributed exclusively in North America by Kurt Manufacturing Company.

Today's machine tools are very fast in terms of spindle speed, rapid traverse, cutting feed rate and tool change. Productivity, however, is often restricted because components aren't presented to the cutting spindle quickly enough after the previous batch has been completed. With current trends toward ever smaller lot sizes, the inability to set up quickly for the next part run seriously impacts profitability.

"At Adaero Precision Components, we shorten spindle down time between part runs using the DockLock Zero-Point workholding system," reports Andy Dickinson, managing director. "This is one of the most cost effective systems on the market. On average, we cut 25 to 30 percent setup time on our eight 4-axis Chiron and Fanuc machining centers using the DockLock. The savings are huge because some of our runs call for just 10 to 20 parts with three to four part changeovers a day. We save around a half hour for each setup."