Article From: 3/3/2011 Production Machining
The PAWS workholding system, which is designed to allow loading and unloading of parts faster for more cycles per hour, ensures consistent clamping pressure and helps to avoid crashes because of operators forgetting to tighten a clamp. All clamps are activated at once with the flip of a lever.
The non-dedicated hydraulic base plate, available in three sizes with 20, 48 or 80 embedded dual-action pistons, attaches to the bed of any machining center. The pistons are located every 2” on center and are activated by a two-stage, air-driven hydraulic pump with adjustable pressure between 100 and 3,000 psi.
Fixture plates are interchangeable and mount on top of the hydraulic base plate. Crosshairs are printed on the fixture plate to indicate where the centerline of each piston is in the hydraulic base below. Holes can be drilled through the fixture plate at the desired clamping points to access the dual-action piston below. The fixture plates are counterbored underneath to provide clearance for piston movement.
