AME
Power-off workholding
Advanced Machine & Engineering Co.’s new Amforce Force Cartridge applies constant clamping force in applications for fixtures, tools and pallets to hold parts and components when pressure lines are disconnected.
High quality heavy duty disk springs produce a high pull force on the clamp arms.
Hydraulic pressure is used only to unclamp the workpiece; therefore, hydraulic failure has no effect on the workholding capability and power-off clamping is guaranteed. The cartridges are offered in three types, with five different clamping forces.
It offers excellent clamping for pallets where hydraulic pressure lines must be disconnected. Power-off clamping holds parts securely in case of power failure.
A rigid, oversized construction guarantees long life.
A wide variety of mounting styles, sizes and clamp arms are available.
A tapped hole on the end of the rod allows for attaching of custom components for retrofit applications.
www.ame.com
Fixtureworks
Mini swing clamps
Fixtureworks now offers an expanded lineup of Imao “One-Touch” style clamps with the addition of higher clamping force, compact and mini-sized selection.
The swing style mini clamps come with both clockwise and counter-clockwise clamping actuation. The new designs include swing clamps with rotational or cam handles, swing clamps with torque control, plus retractable clamps with cam or adjustable handles. Clamping forces for the mini swing clamps with rotating handle range from 247 to 787 lb swing clamp with cam handle from 180 to 629 lb; torque control ranging from 517 or 1686 lb; a retractable with a cam handle of 150 and 247 lb; and the swing clamp with an adjustable handle providing 449 or 1348 lb clamping force.
These miniature clamps swing into position and clamp straight down onto the workpiece for direct downward pressure. The arm swings completely out of the way to allow for easy loading and unloading of the workpiece. The adjustable handle allows for greater clamping stroke and force. It also allows for tightening in limited spaces and can be moved out of the way to avoid interference.
www.fixtureworks..com
Hardinge
Clamping for multi-spindle machines
Hardinge Inc. supports European-style, multi-spindle machine owners in North America. The company manufactures and maintains inventory on solid collets, master collets and pads, solid feed fingers and master feed fingers and pads for Euroturn, Gildemeister, Index and Schütte machines with 24-hour shipping of standard fractional and whole metric sizes. Decimal sizes and products for other brands of machines are available within a five to seven day delivery. Hardinge institutes a semi-finished blank program for fast turnaround of pickoff burring collets and special-shape collets.
According to Hardinge, the collet should match the bar stock exactly. If you use inch bar stock, you should use fractional collets, not metric.
Very few metric sizes have a direct fractional equivalent. Metric collets for metric bar stock, fractional collets for inch bar stock, and decimal collets for decimal bar stock will provide the best results. Match the collet size (order hole) exactly to the workpiece or bar stock diameter. If you are using ¼-in. bar stock with a 6 mm collet, you could get push-back, chatter or poor concentricity because the collet is smaller than the bar stock.
www.shophardinge.com
Kurt
Clamping for simultaneous five axis cutting
Kurt has introduced the MaxLock vise designed with the company’s AngLock feature to reduce part lift.
This new vise holds parts with maximum rigidity for close tolerance repeatability in all axes. It clamps parts for continuous five axis cutting motion of complex pockets, sculptured and contoured surfaces, and intricate 3D features with repeatable, high precision accuracy.
MaxLock delivers up to 7000 lb clamping force at 40 lb of input torque. It features 0.625 in. stroke with a minimum jaw opening of 0.15 in. to a maximum 15.5 in. with various screw lengths.
www.kurtworkholding.com
Schunk
Quick-change pallet toolbox
All functional components of the new Vero-S module from Schunk are made of hardened stainless steel.
Among the many benefits, the pull-in force of the new module is up to 9,000 lb. Machine setup times can be reduced by up to 90 per cent.
Thanks to the patented dual clamping stroke and the integrated turbo function, the retention force increases to 9,000 lb.
As a result, considerably higher cutting forces are possible. Even extremely high shear forces can be absorbed reliably. Locking of the new quick-change pallet system is done mechanically via a large spring package.
It is self-locking and clamps with a form-fit. Holding forces of up to 16,800 lb are achieved. For opening the module, a pneumatic pressure of 6 bars (85 psi) is sufficient.
Vero-S clamps workpieces, pallets, clamping stations, existing fixtures, and tombstones with one or more clamping pins.
The radial aligned clamping slides of the quick-change pallet system pulls in the clamping pin and locks it. Exact positioning is accomplished via a short taper. Radial location is done via a diamond pin. This assures a repeat accuracy of at least 5 microns (0.0002 in.).
It is compatible and interchangeable with Schunk’s previous pallet system, and the clamping pins work universally across the new line. Workpieces can be transferred from machine to machine or to a CMM accurately and seamlessly on the fly.
www.schunk.com
